Prioritising nanotechnology commercialisation Nanotechnology will play a critical role in the scientific and economic future of the EU. The sixth EuroNanoForum Conference laid the foundations to ensure that funding of new research will lead to tangible results. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock The EuroNanoForum 2013 conference (ENF2013) enabled fruitful scientific exchange focused on bringing nanotech products to market and on generating public support for nanotechnology. It demonstrated the strategic importance of nanotechnology for the future of European manufacturing. ENF2013 is expected to have lasting and broad reaching impact through establishment of new collaborations beyond EU borders. ENF2013 was primarily funded by the Industrial Technologies Programme under FP7 and took place under the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Approximately 1,500 participants from close to 60 countries helped make the 2013 conference the biggest and best-supported to date. The main focus was on nanotechnology commercialisation within the context of excellent science, industrial leadership and societal challenges. These topics were addressed through three days of presentations, workshops, exhibitions, brokerage events and parallel scientific and social events. With the approach of the Horizon 2020 EU funding programme to run from 2014 to 2020, the conference emphasised the strategic positioning of nanotechnology and the need to bring nanotech products to market quickly. Cooperation between academia and industry will be vital to the commercialisation of key enabling technologies that facilitate the development of new goods and services and the modernisation of European industrial manufacturing. An emphasis on key enabling technologies and strong public–private partnerships within the context of Horizon 2020 projects were seen as the way to economic growth and job creation. The project was led by Enterprise Ireland in partnership with Spinverse and the European Commission. Strategic partnerships with the NanoTech Europe exhibition, Intel and the Intel Business Challenge Europe significantly enhanced the commericalisation aspects of the conference. Simultaneously, the conference addressed the vital role of communication with the public in the future of nanotechnology. In particular, it emphasised the need to create a positive public image based on widespread dissemination of the benefits of nanotechnology contributions and of their demonstrated safety regarding public health and the environment. The EuroNanoForum 2013 was widely publicised through various press releases, social media sites and official EU calendars. The project website is still active and provides a wealth of conference information, contacts and supporting materials freely available to all interested parties.ENF 2013 facilitated the organisation and execution of the largest EuroNanoForum to date. Networking and brokerage events together with stimulating discussions on ways to promote nanotechnology commercialisation for the benefit of the EU will ensure that research results will rapidly be translated into marketable products. Keywords Nanotechnology, EuroNanoForum, key enabling technologies, commercialisation, networking, Horizon 2020
