Innovative ideas based on solutions using micro and nano fabrication technologies require access not only to high-end equipment but also the essential highly skilled personnel. It is not possible for SMEs or even most research departments to justify investment in a comprehensive range of technologies and trained personnel, especially when the need is to try out the feasibility of a new idea or develop a one off tool.

EUMINAfab seeks to overcome these barriers and provide researchers from throughout Europe with access to a specifically combined set of cutting edge technologies and expertise for structuring and characterising a multitude of different functional materials in dimensions from 100 microns down to several nanometres. The reaching of this objective requires an integration of not only user access to different partner sites, but also an understanding of the capabilities represented by the installations available for user access, and  the combining these installations into process chains.  Therefore projects objectives cover not only the developing of the access services and outreach to new users but also aspects relating to the integration and future application of the technologies available:

• To identify technological hot topics relevant to the capabilities available in the infrastructure
• To compare the capabilities of the technologies available
• To compare the levels of maturity of these technologies
• To combine the most appropriate technologies in to process chains
• To benchmark the capabilities of the technologies
• To make progress towards traceable metrology
• To create a sustainable open access infrastructure for multimaterial micro and nanofabrication and characterisation