The “Distretto Tecnologico Sicilia Micro e Nano Sistemi” is a cluster founded in 2008 in form of limited liability consortium, based on a National agreement between the Italian Government and the Sicily Region.

The District is owned by companies, universities, public and private research institutions, and trade associations.

The District is also part of some National Technological Clusters recognised by the MIUR, the Italian Ministry of Education & Research. In particular, Cluster “Alisei” focused on Life Science, Cluster “Smile” on Ambient Assisted Living, Cluster Energy, Cluster Intelligent Factories and Cluster Smart Communities.

The District synthesises internally, integrating them vertically, the main players in the micro and nanotechnology supply chain present on the regional territory.

The District, in the field of "Micro and Nanotechnologies", focuses its activities on micro and nano systems aimed at introducing radical innovations in the sectors: Health, Energy and Energy Efficiency, Agrifood, Smart Cities and Communities, Sustainable mobility, Intelligent Factory, Environment and security.

The District develops an "Open Innovation" process based on multiple interactions and interdependencies between research, innovation, development and production.

The high quality level of the member companies, together with the excellence of the competences expressed by the knowledge and research system, makes it possible to identify innovation paths and the consequent validation of the solutions, by a public-private system represented in the its components at the highest levels of competence and strategic vision.

As a whole, the District, through its partnership, has the KET’s (Key enabling technologies) at the highest level of competence and strategic vision to make use of and finalize European funds for research, innovation, digital agenda, etc.

Furthermore, through its members, the District has an important and advanced system of laboratories and research facilities.