FunGlass at YUCOMAT 2026 in Herceg Novi, Montenegro

The 27th Annual Conference on Material Science – YUCOMAT 2026 took place in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, bringing together researchers and experts from academia and industry to present recent developments in materials science, exchange ideas, and explore new opportunities for collaboration. The conference was organized by the Materials Research Society of Serbia.

We were pleased to see Dr. Diana Lago, Dr. Zulema Vargas-Osorio, and Dr. Iryna Matsukevich representing FunGlass and contributing to the scientific programme with presentations on their recent research.

Dr. Diana Lago presented the lecture “Additive manufacturing of glass architectures: from nanoporosity to bioinspired applications”. Her presentation focused on recent research into 3D-printed glass architectures, from the development of complex glass structures to their potential applications in bioinspired and advanced functional materials. The work was carried out in collaboration with colleagues from FunGlass and Lithoz – Martin Michálek, Jozef Kraxner, and Martin Schwentenwein.

Dr. Zulema Vargas-Osorio presented “Versatile SBA-15 particles for advanced multifunctional platforms production”. Her contribution highlighted the key characteristics of SBA-15 mesoporous silica and its potential as a platform for developing multifunctional systems for tissue regeneration. The research was conducted in collaboration with the iMATUS/Nanomag Research Group at USC, Spain, and the Institute of Biomaterials at FAU, Germany, under the guidance of Prof. José Rivas and Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini, respectively.

Dr. Iryna Matsukevich presented the poster “Synthesis of LiNi₀.₅Mn₁.₅O₄@ZIF-62 hybrid nano architectures for high-performance batteries”. The work presents recent research carried out within the VEGA 1/0434/26 project, “MOF Glass-Optimized Ion Transport for High-Performance Next-Generation Batteries.” The research focuses on the development of advanced hybrid nanostructured materials with potential applications in next-generation energy storage.

Beyond the scientific programme, YUCOMAT 2026 provided a valuable opportunity to meet researchers from different fields, exchange knowledge and ideas, discuss ongoing research, and strengthen international collaborations.

We sincerely thank the YUCOMAT 2026 organizing committee, as well as our colleagues and collaborators, for the opportunity to present our research and for their support in making our participation possible.