Within the NanoNed consortium, 11 large interdependent programs have been defined, based on national R&D strengths and industrial relevance. These so-called Flagships integrate top Dutch scientists in these fields with their respective groups into a truly national and multidisciplinary program.

Each program is lead by an independent scientific leader, and has a size of, on average, 50 man-years of research capacity per year. Generic, technology-oriented, Flagships run together with more application-oriented programs, to create a nation-wide and cohesive effort: NanoNed.