Editorial mittee and the Argovia Committee and that will now serve as a roadmap for the coming years. Now, it is time for the real work to begin — and it is up to all of us to put theory into practice. Speci昀椀cally, this means focusing on the key areas of nanoimaging and nanofabrication in the 昀椀elds of materials science, quan- tum science, life science, medicine and the environment, as well as bolstering and expanding collaboration within the network, adapting our programs and equipment to changing circumstances and, ultimately, ensuring that our activities are a source of inspiration for the general public. The Nano-Argovia program is an excellent exam- ple of how we’re already well on the way to implement- SNI INSight, we present ing this strategy. In this edition of 昀椀ve new projects that were launched at the start of this year, all of which feature collaboration across di昀昀erent disciplines and institutional boundaries. Dear colleagues and nanoenthusiasts, The description of the applied Nano-Argovia proj- ects helps to ensure that members of our network are Many of us met at the Swiss NanoConvention in Basel in informed about research activities of associated research early June, where we learned about numerous advances in groups. To further encourage interdisciplinary exchange, nanoresearch and had the opportunity not only to refresh there is a new section of SNI INSight in which we report old contacts, but also to make new ones. This was the on grants received by SNI members — even if they don’t fourth time that the SNI team had organized this interdis- come from the SNI. Please tell us about any relevant news ciplinary conference with a view to supporting interdis- so that we can relay this information as fully as possible. ciplinary exchange. All of the speakers, chairs, sponsors Of course, there are always people behind the and organizers deserve a big thank you — particularly our research we present — and we report on some of these outreach manager Kerstin Beyer-Hans, who was in charge individuals in this edition of SNI INSight. For example, of organizing and coordinating the event and played a Aris Lafranca from my team is receiving this year’s prize key part in the conference’s success. As part of this year’s for the best master’s thesis in nanosciences, and in the event, I was particularly pleased to invite some 60 pupils guest article, Michelle Arnet reports on her time at the to “TecDays meets SNC”, where we hopefully provided the University of Cambridge, where she completed her mas- next generation of researchers with fascinating insights ter’s thesis thanks to an Argovia Travel Grant. into the world of the nanosciences. In this issue, we’d also like to say a heartfelt As we see in our everyday work, those attending thank you to our outreach manager Michèle Wegmann, the SNC will once again have found that the nanoscienc- who has been a committed member of the SNI manage- es are incredibly diverse. On the one hand, this diversity ment team over the last eight years. Michèle is leaving makes them an exciting and attractive 昀椀eld of study. On the SNI and, from this summer, will work as an elemen- the other hand, it also presents certain challenges. It is tary school teacher in her local area. We wish her all the important that, as a research organization, educational best as she takes on this new challenge and would like to institution and service provider, we avoid spreading our- welcome her successor, the nanoscientist Battist Utinger, selves too thinly by trying to engage in every area. Rather, to the SNI team. we need to focus on certain core areas of the nanosciences — because this is the only way to achieve and maintain With that, I hope you enjoy reading SNI INSight and I excellent standards. look forward to hearing your feedback. In various committees over the last year, we’ve discussed what this focus should look like in detail and Kind regards, what other guiding principles we should strive for as we look to the future of the SNI, and we’ve set these aims out in a strategy paper geared toward the next 10 years. This process began over a year ago with preparations in the management team and a workshop attended by both Prof. Martino Poggio, SNI director internal and external colleagues, who gave their recom- mendations. After further discussions, we compiled a document that has been approved by the Executive Com- SNI INSight June 2024 3