The goal of the NOMATEN project is to create a strong scientific center that, using a unique nuclear research structure and the experience of scientists from Poland and other European countries, will conduct research and prepare the production of first-class innovative materials suitable for extreme harsh conditions in industry and medicine.

This goal is to be achieved by creating an international consortium in which the following partners will share experience and support each other using the opportunities available to them:

• National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Poland;
• Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), France;
• Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (VTT), Finland.

They will receive support from the National Center for Research and Development (NCBiR) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Two main objectives will be pursued:

• research of novel materials resistant to high temperatures, corrosion, radiation (especially neutron radiation) for applications in nuclear, chemical and other industries,
• research and production of modern radiopharmaceuticals for medical applications.

This strategy will enable the CoE to address specific research and innovation needs of Poland and Europe in the fields of material sciences, harsh-environment industrial processes, and nuclear medicine.

The concept of centres of excellence envisages primarily building strong, well-funded research teams. They are to use mainly the existing research infrastructure of the founding institutions and a number of open laboratories, giving access to their facilities through a competition of projects and/or on a rental basis. NCBJ will make available to the Centre the Maria research reactor together with the neutronography laboratory, which is being modernised, as well as the computing capacity and competence of the Świerk Computing Centre, the infrastructure of the Materials Research Laboratory and the laboratories and implementation and business experience of the POLATOM Radioisotope Centre. In less than three years, scientists will also be able to use the facilities of the Centre for the Design and Synthesis of Molecularly Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals "CERAD", which is under construction and is equipped, among other things, with a modern cyclotron, and the CentriX Centre for Innovation and Implementation of Industrial Radiation Techniques, which is equipped with advanced radiographic research equipment. Also on the roadmap of Polish research infrastructure are further investments at Świerk, which can be applied to the research of NOMATEN scientists