Research within Casimir is in many cases performed in close collaboration with a user’s community. A very natural match between Casimir-research and applications is currently in the field of advanced instrumentation based on nanotechnology.

A large program on Nano IMaging under Industrial Conditions (NIMIC) is carried out by Prof. Frenken (Leiden) and Prof. Zandbergen (Delft) in collaboration with FEI Company, Leiden Probe Microscopy, Albemarle Catalysts Company BV, Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC), and Nederlands Kanker Instituut - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Ziekenhuis (NKI/AvL).  Its aim is to make a range of physical, chemical and biological phenomena visible occurring on the scale of atoms and molecules. The, to be developed, powerful, new microscopes will be applied to catalysis, breastcancer research and nanomaterials research.

A second program focuses on contributions to leading edge astronomical instrumentation. Prof. Klapwijk’s group at Delft studies and develops sensitive radiation-sensors, which find their way to Heterodyne Instruments for the Far-Infrared (HIFI), part of the Herschel Space Telescope and to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. The research is carried out in close collaboration with the Space research Organisation of the Netherlands (SRON) and with the Dutch Research School for Astronomy (NOVA). At Leiden Professor Beijersbergen teaches as an extraordinary professor, while running his space-research oriented business Cosine. He is particularly interested in X-ray radiation. 

A third program is the external use of the Nanofacility at Delft University. The skills, advanced equipment and newly developed processes are made available for external users, such as TNO Science and Industry, the new company MAPPER Lithography and various others.