Centre for functional and surface-functionalized glasses (acronym FunGlass) is newly created centre of excellence in the framework of Horizon 2020 project - Spreading the excellence and widening participation (H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2; Topic WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 Teaming Phase 2, project number 739566). Its establishment is based on upgrade of the existing Centre of excellence for ceramics, glass and silicate materials (CEKSiM, created in 2012).
The Centre is created in cooperation with the project partners´ institutions and their leading experts in glass science and technology in Europe, namely (in alphabetical order) prof. Bernardo from the Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy), prof. Boccaccini from the Friedrich – Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), prof. Durán from the Instituto de Ceramica y Vidrio Madrid (Spain), and prof. Wondraczek from the Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena (Germany).
The ambition of the FunGlass is to be an internationally recognized centre of excellence of research in the field of glass-based functional materials. Apart from research activities perfomed directly by glass producers, the present CEKSiM is the only research unit in the Slovak Republic dealing with the research and innovation activities related to the needs of local and regional glass industry. The centre is also active in the field of development and characterization of new types of functional glasses with luminescent properties, replacement of rare earth elements by transition metals in inorganic glass based phosphors, research related to vitrification and immobilization of radioactive waste, and glass-fibres based insulation for nuclear-power plants. Key activities of the Centre include training and applied research to tap into a local know-how in development of the competitive advantage of the region by training skilled research personnel and by pursuing opportunities to establish partnership with regional and EU glass industries and international networking.