NANO4M aims at improving strategies and building networks to design nanotechnology for market. The project tackles some of the challenges identified in relation to the functioning of the regional innovation systems with the following objectives: • To improve the regions capacity to shorten the gap between R&D and market testing new Research-to-Market processes (R2M) • To strengthen the interregional collaboration by identifying and developing specific research and business opportunities of common interest in the emerging field of nano/microtechnology• To increase competitiveness of innovation infrastructure at regional, national and European level • To improve the efficiency of regional innovation policies by drawing recommendations and implementing best practicesNANO4M involves four regions and eleven partners. Northrhine-Westfalia and Lorraine are at the cutting edge of nanotechnology development and they host some of the most importan European related clusters. In Asturias and Tuscany promising research facilities are currently under construction. The different profiles of the regional R+D+I strategies of these four regions as well as their common interest on several markets/technologies are the best basis for the project to reach its objectives. Each region is represented by a Regional or Local Authority and one or two Research and Technological Centers. Besides, NANO4M will offer an adequate forum for an innovative approach: the integration and implementation of new knowledge and skills through the creation of interdisciplinary expert groups.Some activities will be focused on the exchange of experiences: seminars, conferences, study visits, reports ,maps and a good practice guideline. These activities will create a platform for the constitution of expert teams. The implementation of the new knowledge obtained through this interdisciplinary collaboration will be used for the development of feasibility studies concerning the market opportunities of new products in the nano/micro areas and identifying success and failure factors for Research to Market process in each region. Furthermore, the expertise obtained in the expert groups will also be embedded in the elaboration of strategic plans for the participating research and technology centers. NANO4M will contribute to the INTERREG IVC goal of improving the efficiency of regional policies by drawing recommendations for Regional Innovation Policies. Achievements: Nano4m aims at improving strategies and building networks to design nanotechnology for the market with the following objectives: 1.To test new Research-to-Market processes at regional level in order to accelerate technology transfer; 2.To increase the competitiveness of regional innovation infrastructures across Europe; 3.To improve the efficiency of regional innovation policies. The kick-off meeting was organised in Asturias in December 2008. During the first semester of 2009 two reports have been drafted: the first one describes the profiles of R&T centres in the partnership. A questionnaire was designed and circulated among the 7 Research and Technology Centres participating in nano4m. The main objective of these profiles has been to: 1. Analyse and compare the centres business concepts, innovation strategies, technology transfer models, infrastructure settings and service offerings; 2. Identify good practice; 3. Identify fields of common interest and potential collaboration. The second report reviews traditional and non traditional technology transfer models in the four regions. Four topics were selected: 1. Human resources aspects involved in Knowledge Transfer, 2. Knowledge Transfer through New Business, 3. Open Innovation approaches, 4. Potential health, safety and environmental risks in relation to nanomaterials. Additionally, each region has drafted a map of nano/microtechnology which describes the offer and the demand for each region. The second seminar was held in Lorraine on July 1st and 2nd. During this seminar the Research and Technology Centres profiles, the transfer technology models as well as the Regional Maps, were presented and analysed. The first Steering Committee meeting was held in Brussels on October 9th. The Internal Management Handbook was approved. Based on the preparatory works the Steering Committee members selected three markets of interest for the four partner regions: health, energy and security & defence. The Research to Market process of the following products will be analysed by four Expert Groups: EG1 dental implants (health), EG2 nanocarriers (health), EG3 photovoltaics (energy) and EG4 transparent armors (security & defence). The Centres participating are: EG1 (CINN, Prodintec, TZM, CenTech, GTech and IJL), EG2 (TZM, CenTech and ASEV), EG3 (CINN, TZM, GTech and IJL) and EG4 (CINN and ASEV). Experts working for the centres involved in nano4m started to analyse the state of art of the key technologies of the selected products as well as to identify the barriers to get each product to market. The work methodology was presented by P2 and implies the analysis of the entire value chain in the development of these nanotech-based products using a basic questionnaire including definition strategy for product and process development, synthesis of raw materials, processing, modelling&simulation, upscaling, prototype, microdevice and component engineering and final product development&design. The end of this reporting period was dedicated to organize the first Expert Group meeting that will take place in January 2010 in Asturias, considering the content and management issues of that meeting and the profile of the international experts in nano and microtechnologies that will be part of the Expert Groups. Experts from the centres have started to draft the Basic Questionnaires that will be presented during the first meeting. On the 22nd and 23rd October, P1 and P11 attended the Communication Seminar organised by the JTS in Valencia. Information about project activities has been included in the project website. The nano4m brochure has been published and disseminated. Additional communication materials have been produced and disseminated (pen, block notes,stickers, folder and a poster).