doi:10.1088/0953-2048/19/3/010engDevred, ArnaudBaudouy, BBaynham, D ElwynBoutboul, TCanfer, SChorowski, MFabbricatore, PFarinon, SFélice, HFessia, PFydrych, JGranata, VGreco, MichelaGreenhalgh, JLeroy, DLoveridge, P WMatkowski, MMichalski, GMichel, FOberli, L Rden Ouden, APedrini, DPietrowicz, SPolinski, JPrevitali, VQuettier, LRichter, DRifflet, J MRochford, JRondeaux, FSanz, SScheuerlein, CSchwerg, NSgobba, StefanoSorbi, MToral-Fernandez, FVan Weelderen, RVédrine, PVolpini, GOverview and status of the Next European Dipole (NED) joint research activityAccelerators and Storage RingsCERN-AT-2006-001-MASCARE-PUB-05-007CARE-PUB-2005-007The Next European Dipole (NED) Joint Research Activity was launched on 1st January 2004 to promote the development of high performance Nb$_{3}$Sn conductors in collaboration with European industry (aiming at a non-copper critical current density of 1500 A/mm2 at 4.2 K and 15 T) and to assess the suitability of Nb$_{3}$Sn technology to the next generation of accelerator magnets (aiming at an aperture of 88 mm and a conductor peak field of ~ 15 T). It is part of the Coordinated Accelerator Research in Europe (CARE) project, involves eight collaborators and is half-funded by the European Union. After briefly recalling the Activity organization, we report the main progress achieved over the last year, which includes: the manufacturing of a double-bath He II cryostat for heat transfer measurements through Nb$_{3}$Sn conductor insulation, detailed quench computations for various NED-like magnet configurations, the award of two industrial subcontracts for Nb$_{3}$Sn conductor development, the first results of a cross-calibration program of test facilities for Nb$_{3}$Sn wire characterization, detailed investigations of the mechanical properties of heavily cold-drawn Cu/Nb/Sn composite wires and the preliminary assessment of a new insulation system based on polyimide-sized fiber glass tapes. Last, we briefly review the efforts of an ongoing Working Group on magnet design and optimization.2006-02-20http://cds.cern.ch/record/93046310.1088/0953-2048/19/3/010http://cds.cern.ch/record/930463oai:cds.cern.ch:930463Work supported in part by the European Community-research infrastructure activity under the FP6 "structuring the European Research area"program (CARE, contract number RII3-CT-2003-506395)