Nanoscience is one of the five strategic, profile-building research areas of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). For the organization of all nano research activities across the faculties, the UDE has founded the Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE). The presently 57 CENIDE members, who lead research groups with a total of over 350 scientists, represent a broad expertise in engineering, physics and chemistry. Within this network, the Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN) combines and organizes the expertise in the characterization of nanomaterials at the UDE. It is based on the extensive know-how and the state-of-the-art equipment of the local research groups within the fields of surface and nanoanalysis. The core of these activities is represented by a microscopy center at the campus in Duisburg. In this microscopy center, distinct complementary techniques for structural and chemical analysis of nanomaterials on different length scales down to the atomic level will be available.