The ceramics and polymers (synthetic materials) industries are highly present in the Atlantic Area, but are suffering today from the migration of experienced professionals and from an insufficient capacity in materials. That is why the MNAA project proposes to develop a specialised inter-regional and international network in the domain of materials. Thanks to the development of new materials, it is intended to allow the creation of innovative products, of high quality jobs, and therefore the installation of new enterprises in the domain of advanced engineering within the Atlantic Area. To these ends, the partners of the project intend to promote transfers of technologies and co-ordinate research activities among the partners and with large European enterprises, thus generating new financing, notably in the framework of the VIth Programme Framework for Research and Development. Achievements: The transnational nature of the MNAA project network has had several benefits: - Industry in each Atlantic region has received the best technical service. The development of a techniques and industrialisation database available through the consortium has given companies of all kinds access to specific facilities and expertise from the regions' other partners. - In certain cases, solutions to industrial problems in one region have been transferable to other Atlantic regions, - Bringing together expertise from the different Atlantic regions, the RTD solutions offered to industry have been perfected further, and are achievable in a short space of time, - The virtual laboratory has been set up successfully and has demonstrated its potential for transnational collaborations between partners or between the different sites of a single company, - The opportunity provided by the exchange of information, knowledge and expertise follows the example of partnerships developing at global level in certain areas of research, and enables partners to develop similar relationships where they previously had no expertise. The MNAA network has led to approximately 110 knowledge seminars, with an average audience of 10 SMEs at each event. A large number of advertising prospectuses have been distributed at knowledge seminars, technical events, demonstrations and workshops. Specific prospectuses and brochures have also been produced for particular events. The MNAA website, www.mnaa.org, is designed to be accessible in all the languages of the Atlantic area, and includes both public and private sections. The public part of the website has been continuously updated with information supplied by the partners (events, seminars and conferences etc.), All the partners have produced several case studies on their collaborations with industry. Some of these case studies have been published on the MNAA website. With an orientation towards public-private partnerships, a large number of scientific publications have been produced (78). About 70 industrial visits have been made during the project's lifetime. - 84 jobs created, 45 jobs saved, 300 brochures at three meetings (Limerick, Toulouse and Salamanca), 12,300 leaflets, 16 articles in newspapers and scientific journals, 23 major events with 2,746 participants, 64 workshops with 2,068 participants, four types of CD and two types of posters.