The Department of Materials Engineering (DEMATEN) at the Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad represents the strongest research and education centre in the province Vojvodina in the field of ceramics and polymer materials and one of the first research centres in Serbia in which investigation of nanostructured materials has begun in early 1990’s. Since then the research activities at DEMATEN have been focused on processing and characterization of nanostructured materials: nanopowders, nanotubes, nanofilms, nanocomposites. The objectives of the proposed project are reinforcement of research potential of DEMATEN and strengthening partnerships among centres of excellence established in the EU’s convergence region, the Member States and the Western Balkan Countries (WBC). This will be realized by: i) improving networking and exchanging of know-how and experience among the countries concerned through trans-national two-way secondments of research staff; ii) sending young scientists in the EU centres for training or to carry out specific research experiments; iii) reinforcing the human potential of DEMATEN (and three research centres from the EU’s convergence region) by hiring new young researchers; iv) upgrading and renewal of S&T research equipment and v) organising of workshops and conference. Achievement of these goals should enable the research group of DEMATEN to become expert and competent in the challenging field of nanomaterials and nanotechnology, to reinforce the WBC research potential and to contribute to sustainable research development by reinforcing S&T potential. The proposed project will explore the synthesis, characterization and processing of nanostructured materials as well as their integration into novel technologies. Realization of the project would facilitate integration of DEMATEN into the European research area as an appropriate partner in fundamental as well as applied research projects.