The Institut Jean Lamour was created from the merging of five laboratories in Nancy, France to form one the biggest research unit in our counrty. With about 515 people, the IJL has just been given a brand new building especially designed to welcome one of our major facility: the TUBE. With more than 20 ultra-high vacuum devices mounted on a 70-m long tube built to inter-connect them, this facility was constructed to synthesize and characterize nanomaterials on-demand. Research activities are led by 23 research groups organized into 4 scientific departments dealing with Physics of Matter and Materials, Chemistry and Physics of Solids and Surfaces, Materials Science and Engineering - Metallurgy, Nanomaterials, Electronics and Living Systems Department and 9 competence centers. A specific focus will be made on works in the field of nanoscience, metamaterials and plasmas.