The last two decades have witnessed a huge growth in the use of clusters and nanoparticles as building blocks of materials, devices and systems with complex properties and functionalities. This growth is based on a substantial deepening of the understanding and control of the fundamental properties of these particles, and is driven equally by theoretical, simulational, experimental and technological advances. Disruptive applications in electronics, photonics, biomedicine, catalysis, and energy production and storage have started to emerge, boosted by the convergence of top-down fabrication with bottom-up assembly of clusters. This convergence means that it is now possible to simultaneously engineer different length scales, architectures, materials, and manufacturing methods. 

The 2017 Gordon Conference on Cluster and Nanostructures focuses on the intimate interplay of fundamental knowledge, novel experimental methodologies, and integration of technologies to achieve novel applications. Gas phase routes for the production and assembling of clusters are a central theme of the conference since they are becoming a pivotal to the fabrication of an entirely new class of materials, devices and smart systems. At the same time fundamental studies of cluster properties are crucial since they provide the basis for advances in applications. Advances in the understanding of the structural and functional properties of single clusters and cluster-assembled systems will be presented and discussed in view of the intelligent fabrication of cluster-based devices.