Universitat de Barcelona

Research institutes are set up to foster research activities and disseminate the results. Today, such institutes represent one of the main organizational units of research. Governments and other official organizations worldwide promote research and development in the field of nanotechnology through the creation of specialized research institutions. To follow this organizational model, and as a tool to coordinate the multidisciplinary research activities carried out by its different groups, the University of Barcelona created the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB) in 2006. The Institute contributes to the progress of science and innovation and fosters competitiveness in the corporate sector. IN2UB researchers come from very different backgrounds, such as physics, chemistry, pharmacy, biochemistry or medicine. The Institute aims to promote the maximum amount of collaboration among national and international research groups and centres, and to boost interdisciplinary basic and applied research activities.

The main aims of IN2UB are:

• generate appropriate synergies among researchers by promoting interdisciplinary activities that enable new cutting-edge projects to be undertaken;
• foster relationships between researchers and companies that are interested in nanotechnology applications, by promoting joint projects to meet the technology requirements of the corporate sector.