The CLUSTERNANOROAD project is aimed at developing & implementing effective smart specialization strategies in the field of NMBP aligned with cluster development, thus accelerating differentiation and structural change towards a knowledge-based economy for all European regions.In the proposed CLUSTERNANOROAD project, we will implement evidence-based and deliverable-oriented complementary approaches addressing the key actors belonging and influencing the development of RIS3 strategies supported by cluster and relate framework policies with the ultimate aim of supporting innovation in the NMBP thematic area. This project will consult and mobilise regional authorities, actors through the innovation chain and stakeholders throughout Europe in order to help shape strategic priorities for future regional concerted RIS3/cluster policies at a transregional level, which will intensify cluster and business network collaboration across borders and sectoral boundaries in the NMBP area. By reinforcing cluster and business network cooperation and making them the drivers of implementation, leveraging the experience with cluster policies in Smart Specialisation Strategies and supporting the shaping of concerted RIS3 and cluster policies in a more strategic manner, this action will help to overcome the practical challenges implementing the concept of RIS3 across European regions and will assist SMEs to contribute to the emergence of new value chains and for Europe to take a leading position globally.

Advancing and broadening the first ASCENT programme, ASCENT+ will integrate additional key European infrastructures to address emerging research challenges in Nanoelectronics and enable a smooth consistent transition of the European industry to a new era. At present academic researchers and technologists struggle to develop industry-relevant disruptive technologies as there is limited access to state-of-the-art processing, modelling/data sets, metrology/characterisation, and devices/test structures for Nanoelectronics. Through the Single Entry Point and a user-focussed Access Interface, ASCENT+ integrates a unique research infrastructure of more than €2.5bn investment to offer these enabling capabilities to its users. ASCENT+ includes academic partners to advance the offering over the lifetime of this second Advanced Community phase, and also an extended network of over 3,700 members through partner research and industry cluster organisations. This will allow ASCENT+ to mobilise a critical mass of people, knowledge and investment to entrench an unprecedented integration within the community. This will service a much wider user base and foster innovation by linking new scientific knowledge in Nanoelectronics with challenge-driven research. European and global foresight studies have indicated that the next era is driven by the need to achieve: (i) quantum advantage using solid-state platforms; (ii) low-power, energy-efficient, high-performance computing based on disruptive devices; and (iii) increased functionality through advanced integration of a diverse range of materials and innovative technologies. ASCENT+ will enable and stimulate its user community to bridge the gap between scientific exploration and development of proof-of-concept technologies to accelerate innovation pathfinding. ASCENT+ presents a unique opportunity for Europe to regain global leadership in Nanoelelectronics at a pivotal time where traditional scaling is coming to an end.

SmartX will match smart textiles technology with end market demand by filling the current industrial manufacturing gap. To realise this, SmartX will establish a novel industrial value chain composed of SMEs and start-ups from textiles, design, (micro)electronics, data processing, IoT, manufacturing technology, distribution and end user sectors. The SmartX core activity is the funding a portfolio of Trailblazer innovation projects involving at least 40 SMEs, which will pioneer one or more stages of the novel smart textiles value chain. Independent external experts will select these small cross-sectorial, cross-cultural and cross-regional innovation actions that will be co-funded by SmartX via an open call system. The projects will be supported from start to end via the SmartX Coaching Approach covering all relevant multidisciplinary aspects and delivered by specially trained cluster managers. We will focus on protective wear, industrial applications and healthcare & wellbeing end markets. Trailblazer project formation will be supported by an open collaboration platform (target > 150 company members) that will support smart textiles value chain building. The platform will be maintained and extended beyond smartX. We will build on the successful WORTH project for implementing small funding schemes. We will apply the award-winning Innovation Potential Audit and will link with REGIOTEX, a thematic partnership of 15 regions under the S3 Platform on Industrial Modernisation to leverage follow up funding. SmartX unites 8 clusters (accessing over 60.000 SMEs across Europe), 2 RTOs (for technological assistance) and 3 innovation support entities. The wearables market is estimated at ca €150 billion (2026). Assuming smart textiles will take 10%, the new value chain targeted by SmartX represents in Europe ca €5.5 billion or ca 22.000 jobs. US and Asia are setting up significant public and private investments, so European action is needed not to miss this value and job creating opportunity.

Despite significant recent progress made by the EU industry, the level of digitalisation of industry remains uneven, depending on the sector, country and company size. Facing at the same time a scattered landscape of Research, Industry and Institutional stakeholders, the efficient adoption and transformation of enabling technologies into business visions & concrete market cases remain limited. This slow diffusion of digital technologies poses a risk to the EU’s ability to compete in the global economy. This is particularly true for Organic Large Area Electronics (OLAE) enabling technologies whose industry made significant progress recently and has established itself as a competitive growth industry. Despite proving that more and more products have matured onto the global market, the actual diffusion and efficient adoption of OLAE technologies remain limited. Underlying reasons and key challenges are identified (cost, processes, encapsulation, scalability, yield, standards & regulations), for which major breakthroughs are needed on use, production and cost rather than on basic technology, which reflects the growing market orientation of OLAE. To address both market & technology specific challenges, SmartEEs2 will be key role to link technology promises with real use/business cases. These cases will be implemented through a unique digitalisation experience providing experimentation, testing or support to manufacturing. SmartEEs2 will capitalize upon SmartEEs’ strong technological OLAE platform and focuss on the uptake of Flexible & Wearable Electronics enabling use cases, where OLAE can valorize its uniqueness (flexibility, conformability) and its promises for solutions in the fast growing business of wearables and Internet of Everything. SmartEEs2 will orchestrate a pan-EU collaboration network of Regional DIHs promoting the best quality level of digitalisation experience, hence boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall OLAE European inDIH on Area3