INSTM. The acronym may be short, but in the world of Italian and international research, it carries considerable weight. Indeed, INSTM, the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology, is the largest consortium of its kind in Italy, drawing on the expertise of no less than 49 universities – and all those that are active in Italy in researching advanced materials and technologies. The individual universities' voluntary affiliation with INSTM allows their Research Professors and Fellows to participate in the Consortium's activities through the presentation of research proposals. In the last few years, over 2000 tenured professors, research fellows, holders of research and scholarship grants and doctorate students have taken advantage of this opportunity, and the numbers are growing year on year.