Teamwork advances micro- and nanomanufacturing
Fruitful innovation has delivered advanced materials and manufacturing technologies, but no single technology will be able to meet the needs for future miniature devices. Teamwork is necessary to keep businesses and consumers in the loop in order to succeed in future markets. The ambitious EU-funded support action 4M2020 (Advanced manufacturing of multi-material multi-functional products towards 2020 and beyond) identified key areas of concern facing micro-manufacturing, and proposed future actions to be undertaken to commercialise the technology. The target was also to investigate opportunities for funding new alliances driving innovation in this field. Work began with mapping the competencies of 100 relevant European projects within the areas of nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies. The projects represent over 700 participant organisations in 34 countries. The map is freely available on the project website to support networking, cross-fertilisation of knowledge and development of synergies. The project also successfully identified 20 alliances involving more than 200 organisations who would be suitable participants in future collaborations. An open innovation portal was launched on the project website. With one simple form, researchers willing to share expertise with external organisations, seeking expertise or seeking partners for new collaborations can engage others in their efforts. As intellectual property (IP) is particularly important given the innovative nature of project activities, the 4M2020 team developed best practices to support alliances while overcoming barriers related to IP protection. More than 11 workshops and seminars were organised during the course of the project, bringing together representatives from over 141 research and technology institutions and 215 industrial organisations. Identification of key priority areas for Europe and the establishment of alliances will help ensure rapid and effective deployment for the future health and prosperity of EU citizens.
Keywords
Nanomanufacturing, multifunctional, key enabling technologies, 4M2020, advanced manufacturing
