Dear colleagues and nanoenthusiasts, In our network, the last few months have been a busy time. Numerous doctoral re- searchers from the SNI PhD School have successfully defended their dissertations, and many students have completed their degree programs. They’re now all eligible to join the AlumniNano organization of nanoscience graduates, whose members meet regularly to exchange ideas. This dynamic network offers a great opportu- nity for all members to maintain existing contacts and make new ones — a key ad- vantage for graduates entering a chal- lenging job market. At the end of the year, some new faces joined the board of AlumniNano — and the guest article in this issue of SNI INSight sets out the new board’s plans for the coming months and years. Each fall, the announcement of the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine draw the attention of the scien- tific community. This year, prizes were once again awarded to researchers work- ing in fields that are highly relevant to members of the SNI network. With this in mind, we’ve interviewed SNI research- ers about the Nobel Prize topics in chem- istry and physics. Research within the SNI also extends beyond these topics — as is reflected both in the section on recently awarded funding and in the brief presen- tation of doctoral dissertations that have been completed as part of the SNI PhD School in recent months. SNI events such as the NanoTec Apéro and the Annual Meeting — both of which are held in the second half of the year — offer an opportunity to hear about some of the exciting research being car- ried out within our network. The con- stant influx of new members into our network means that these topics are con- stantly changing and evolving. For exam- ple, with the arrival of Tomasz Smoleński as assistant professor at the Department of Physics — who began setting up his group at the start of the year — our net- work has gained an expert in quantum opto-electronics. As well as a portrait of Smoleński’s research and the aforementioned topics, this SNI INSight also summarizes news items regarding events and publications in recent months. None of these activities in the areas of research, training, public relations and administration would be possible without the work of our dedi- cated staff. I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all of you for your commitment and for your support in achieving our aim of using nanoscience and nanotechnology to benefit society. I look forward to the fresh ideas and inspiring collaborations that next year will bring and wish you all a happy holiday season. Kind regards, Prof. Martino Poggio, SNI director 3 SNI INSight December 2025