EURONANOFORUM: Using Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials to create a future together
The Day 1 of the EuroNanoForum brought the commitment of the European Commission towards a strong investment and support to Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, as crucial elements of Europe’s recovery and resilience.
EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Director of Prosperity Peter Dröll were unequivocal in assuring all the conference participants that the challenge is accepted.
The first-day sessions also brought key insights to the table regarding what needs to be done to place Europe in a relevant position in the global scene again.
The interaction between academia and industry was identified as the decisive link to make innovation happen and scale up the research results from the labs to the market.
The 2021 edition of the EuroNanoForum ended with a second day full of new insights about what Europe needs to recover, thrive, and become more resilient, with the support of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials.
The effects of the pandemic were discussed in almost every session, not only because of its devastating effects but also for the revealing effect it had in the way we must do everything from now on.
It became clear that the transition to a green and sustainable economy cannot be done without Nanotechnology, and also that Europe needs Advanced Materials to drive innovation while creating opportunities to develop its markets, products, and services if it wants to become competitive.
Another key take-out of this EuroNanoForum was the demonstration that Research and Industry need to be more aligned than ever to make innovation a reality, by connecting the dots and finding a common ground.
Another connection that needs to be improved is the one between the public and the private sector, and even more in a moment when Europe needs to properly channel a significant amount of financial support to the right initiatives so that the investment is made in the fields that matter and can promote a change for the better.
In the closing session, both the Director-General of INL, Lars Montelius, who hosted the EuroNanoForum 2021 and the Director of Prosperity at the European Commission, Peter Dröll, agreed that “it’s all about the people, the planet and prosperity. It is our work to make this the best place to be, using Nanotechnologies and Advanced Materials to create a future together”.
As Clare Skentlebery, one of the speakers in Plenary Session 3 (Recovery Plan for Europe) well put it, “Alone you go fast. Together you go further”. The EuroNanoForum 2021 gathered a total of 3640 participants from over 140 countries, providing thousands of opportunities for networking and collaboration through almost 200 scientific posters, 17 exhibitors, five satellite events, and several hours of sessions about topics that the European Nanotechnology community is now even more empowered to intervene upon.