International Journal of Applied Glass Science: Special Issue Editorial

The Centre for Functional and Surface-functionalized glass (FUNGLASS, www.funglass.eu) is a glass research institute founded in 2017 as the result of joint efforts of five partners from four European countries: the Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia; Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany (FAU); the Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain (CSIC); the University of Padova, Italy (UNIPD); and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany (FSU); with massive financial support (15 million €) from the EU program Horizon 2020 under the scheme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016- 2017-TeamingPhase2, and the complementary support from the government of the Slovak Republic from the European Regional Development Fund in the frame of the Operational Program Research and Innovation (10 million €). From the very beginning, the efforts of all five partners were focused on the promotion and support of a small glass research center of national significance (VILA), which had existed in Trenčín, Slovakia, since 1990, to achieve scientific excellence and international recognition in the selected areas of research. These areas reflected the field of expertise of all partners, and leading scientists from the three “old” EU countries—Germany, Italy, and Spain—became mentors and teachers of the team in Trenčín, transferring their know-how, but also friendship to their Slovak colleagues. In the three years from its official establishment, the Centre has grown significantly, becoming a truly international institution currently employing more than 70 researchers, PhD students and administrative and auxiliary staff, from 14 countries and all continents, except Australia and Antarctica