The Vanguard Initiative welcomes the proposals in the European Commission’s Multiannual Financial Framework package, which represent an ambitious renewed agenda for EU industrial and innovation policies, as well as a clear commitment to smart specialisation principles. However it is essential that clear, concrete and detailed proposals be developed to enable effective synergies between sources of funding that support interregional collaboration along the industrial value chains.

The New Nano-enabled Products Pilot within the Vanguard Initiative will hold a Plenary Meeting on 12-13 November 2018 in Bologna, Italy.

On 28 June the Vanguard Initiative held its annual High-level Directors’ Meeting in Brussels. During the meeting, the Directors took several steps forward in strengthening the cooperation within the network. The Directors also unanimously elected the Region of Navarra as new Chair of the Vanguard Initiative.

A matchmaking event within the demo-case for Nanowires will be held on the 17th of May, in Lund, Sweden. The objective is to showcase the potential of companies working with nanowire-focused products, and to facilitate engagement of international partners in joint efforts, creating new inter-regional value chains spanning throughout Europe. The event offers opportunities for bilateral meetings between actors in the field of material sciences and nanotechnology. Read more and register here.