"The overall aim of the BELERA project is to integrate the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR) into ERA by reinforcing BSUIR’s research cooperation capacities and twinning with European research and innovation organisations in the following CNT and photonics related research topics: Magnetic properties of CNT; Emission properties of CNT based cold cathodes; and Nanostructured materials for novel photonic devices. These are research topics highly relevant to the FP7 NMP and FP7 ICT. BSUIR is the leading academic institution in Belarus for research in micro- and nanoelectronics; new perspective materials; beam-technologies and technics; and radio engineering devices and systems. Its researchers have published numerous research papers in international, peer-reviewed journals during the past 5 years (e.g. Journal of Applied Physics). The BELERA project will build upon BSUIR’s existing strengths as a high-quality research institution via twinning and capacity building activities with the following 4 excellent European research and innovation organisations: Institut d’Électronique du Solide et des Systèmes Strasbourg, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia – Nanophotonics Technology Centre, and Innoveo Consulting. The capacity building activities will involve knowledge exchange, setting up joint experiments, and training development for BSUIR’s researchers focused on the 3 research topics and the FP7 programme. Also, it will involve mapping and promotion of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics organisations across Belarus, and strategy development to support BSUIR and foundation of the Belarusian Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics Technology Platform. The BELERA project will be overseen by a steering committee involving the consortium partners plus representatives of the Ministry of Education, State Committee on Science and Technology, National Academy of Sciences, and State Microelectronics Companies Integral and Planar."