Nanocomputing is an emerging research topic that aims at exploring how computing machines could be build using nanofabricated components beyond the well established CMOS technology. In a first part we will introduce the most promising routes toward the integration of nanotechnologies into computer architectures. In particular we will look at the main properties of nano-fabricated components and analyze their impact on the computing platform. In the second part we will present the ongoing research in the topic focusing on the latest results from the European project NABAB. This project aims at exploiting a variety of nanotechnolgies for building neuro-inspired computing structures. In the third and final part we will expose the main challenges of this research and discuss some perspectives in this exciting new field including potential applications