Nourish project aims to setup a Rapid Prototyping Open Digital Innovation Hub and its respective Web-Marketplace, which will congregate the network of European pilot lines, focused on Nanotechnology KET’s and Advanced Materials.

NOuRIsh will be instrumental in supporting the SME’s and entrepreneurs in the Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials to overcome the so-called “valley-of-death” between the research activities and the market roll-out of innovation products or services. This will be accomplished by connecting the several pilot lines spread across Europe in a Rapid Prototyping Digital Open Innovation Hub, and by offering their solutions to the SME’s and entrepreneurs through a Web-Marketplace.

Hence, NOuRIsh has two main strategic objectives:

• To promote the economic exploitation of R&D results emerging from the nanotechnology innovation and research system, especially framed by the grand challenges of Ageing & Wellbeing, Urban & Mobile living and Safe & Secure Society.
• Boost the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge on nanotechnology, and adjacent areas to the business sector.

The specific objectives of this project are to:

• Implement an internationally well-known and recognized Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Open Digital Innovation Hub – NOuRIsH – for rapid technology deployment based on rapid prototyping, with an established network of international complementary pilot lines, and this way provide value creation for the regional, national and international industrial sectors and scientific community.
• Take an international leadership role for nanotechnology deployment through the establishment of an international network of technology & knowledge providers, whose knowledge and expertise can be integrated in offers to industrial actors, accessible on the Web-Marketplace tool to be created.
• Develop effective business models through demo development for the TRL 3-7 range (nanotech R&D, rapid prototyping services, lab-to-fab technology transfer) with the support of the digital Web-Marketplace, to increase the impact of NOuRIsH on industry.
• Strengthen the national research and innovation system of Portugal by capitalizing on existing scientific and technological knowledge, and by developing key activities for promoting the improvement of the national research, technological and innovation (RTD&I) outputs resulting from the project.

NOuRIsh activities and outcomes include:

• Network building: Create a dynamic network of fully connected and collaborating network of SMEs, start-ups, large industrial companies, private investors and other actors in the ecosystem. Initiatives of interaction and knowledge transfer, foreseeing their economic valuation, including network activities, national and international promotion.Outcome: Setup of the Innovation Hub and Strategic Plan.
• Digital Platform: The ecosystem in activity 1, will be supported by a powerful digital communication platform for bridging pilot lines facilities with customers.Outcome: Digital platform and Web-Marketplace and Sustainability plan.
• Rapid Prototyping: Demonstration of technological development close to the market foreseeing its economic valuation.Outcome: Implementing Rapid prototyping Business Plan.
• Communication & Outreach: Promotion of initiatives to enhance the collection and production of relevant information in the aim of technology valorization and transfer, like road mapping and technological surveillance.Outcome: Communication and Outreach activities.