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European Technology Platform NANOMEDICINE

The Challenge
The aging population, the high expectations towards quality of life and the changing lifestyle of the European society lead to the need for improved, more efficient, and affordable medical care.
The understanding of the functioning of the human body at the nano-level together with discovering of how to intervene at pre-symptomatic and acute or chronic stage of an illness is of utmost importance to fulfil these expectations.
At present Europe has a strong position in the novel area of NanoMedicine, using nanotechnology for medical applications. Industry starts to take up these promising opportunities. Nevertheless, the area of NanoMedicine is quite fragmented and will strongly benefit from a co-ordination at European level.

Policy Objectives: Establish a clear strategic vision in the area resulting in a Strategic Research Agenda; Decrease fragmentation in nano-medical research; Mobilise additional public and private investment; Identify priority areas; Boost innovation in nanobiotechnologies for medical use

Topics: Three key priorities have been confirmed by the stakeholders: Nanotechnology-based diagnostics including; imaging; Targeted drug delivery and release; Regenerative medicine

INNOVATIVE MEDICINES INITIATIVE: IMI

Objectives
The overall objective of IMI is to remove bottlenecks hampering the efficiency of the development of new medicines, and where research is the key, thereby enabling the European biopharmeceutical industry to become world leaders. At the same time, by pooling resources from all stakeholders (industry, academia, SMEs, regulatory authorities, healthcare providers, patient organisations), this initiative is expected to provide faster access to better medicines for European citizens.

Vision
A vision paper has been produced by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which was published in December 2004, setting forth a path for Creating biomedical R&D leadership for Europe to benefit patients and society (470 kB) This document outlines the four big cornerstones, around which the initiative is built: Prediction of Safety; Early indication of Efficacy; Knowledge Management; Education & Training

ENIAC is the European Technology Platform for Nanoelectronics

The principal mission of ENIAC is to: Provide a strategic research agenda for the nanoelectronics sector, with respect to R&D; Set out strategies and roadmaps to achieve this vision through the Strategic Research Agenda and other associated documents; Stimulate increased and more effective and coherent public and private investment in R&D in the nanoelectronics sector; Contribute to improving convergence between EC, national, regional and private R&D actions on nanoelectronics within the European Research Area Framework; Enhance networking and clustering of the R&D capacity in Europe; Promote European commitment to R&D thus ensuring Europe as an attractive location for researchers; Interact with other policies and actors at all levels that influence the competitiveness of the sector such as education and training, competition, IPR, finance and investment, etc.

THE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM ON FUTURE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES: MANUFUTURE

Mission
To propose a strategy based on research and innovation, capable of speeding up the rate of industrial transformation in Europe, securing high added value employment and winning a major share of world manufacturing output in the future knowledge-driven economy.

Objectives
To develop a "research and innovation" strategy based on a long term vision for a field where there are many technological and economic variables and in consequence to assist the transformation of the European manufacturing industry towards a knowledge-based economy and the achievement of a world leadership in manufacturing.
- To identify aspects of technological research and innovation with high potential for breakthroughs that could be only achieved at a European level. 
- To co-ordinate EU and national, regional and local R&D Programmes to reach a critical mass, to avoid overlaps and to develop a long term strategy where RTD activities will be a core element, but also where education and training will be priorities.