Public research institutions around the BSR offer highly specialised innovation and production resources within micro- and nanotechnology such as scientific competence centers and 'clean rooms'. However, public customers as well as industry, specifically SMEs, in different branches such as energy, climate or medical technology do not fully exploit these huge innovation potentials due to limited awareness and visibility.
Since the technical equipment in the 'clean room' facilities is specialised for specific purposes such as semiconductor processing, smart surfaces or sustainable systems, the research and production resources for a given country often do not match the technical needs of SMEs from the same country.
Thus the awareness and visibility of these innovation potentials needs to be raised and the mutual access to these innovation resources across the BSR to be improved. The Technet_nano project has the following overall objectives:
• To create a transnational network of research institutions and multipliers in microand nanotechnology which provides better public and industrial visibility of and access to innovation and production resources in the BSR.
• To give SMEs and public bodies in the BSR cross regional access to specialised nanotechnology facilities, research and education competencies thus broadening the offer of innovation resources in the regions.
• To communicate actively the innovation potentials of micro- and nanotechnology to industry and public in the BSR supported by technology transfer and business development organisations.
The consortium consists of the majority of public research institutions with small scale clean room facilities in the BSR. It is complemented by further scientific partners, e.g. biotechnology or health sciences, and regional technology transfer organisations. This composition allows for scale up of research and production resources. The technology transfer organisations know regional needs and provide direct contact to industry and SMEs. The consortium is embedded into an umbrella of associated partners all together ensuring effective technology transfer within micro- and nanotechnology and a better exploitation of these innovation resources.