COLOSSE · Central European Platform for Plasma-Enabled Surface Engineering

COLOSSE connects Czech and Slovak research facilities in the area of plasma-enabled surface engineering at Masaryk University, Comenius University, and University of West Bohemia. The three research centres of COLOSSE have been supported by ERDF investment in several periods since 2010. They have been shaping and supporting their regional ecosystems over a decade, creating networks of interactions that facilitate knowledge transfer and exploitation of surface engineering technologies. They have also developed international connections – which, however, have led only to isolated cases of involvement in international R&I projects.The goal of COLOSSE is to increase the participation of Czech and Slovak plasma-enabled surface engineering R&I centres in Horizon Europe and future EU Framework Programmes for R&I. Thus, we will achieve upstream synergy of ERDF funding with the Horizon Europe.The goal will be achieved through 4 specific objectives:1. Strengthen the connections of COLOSSE centres to world-leading R&I centres.2.Build conditions that will enable internationalization of human resources.3.Develop skill-set that enables interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration and facilitates creativity.4.Enable sustainability of the COLOSSE partnership through synergic use ERDF and HE/FP resources.The COLOSSE project will significantly boost the impact of ERDF investments into plasma technologies in the academic sector of Czechia and Slovakia. With joint forces, we will be able to capitalize on our scientific and technological synergies and increase the complexity and added value of our research outputs. With COLOSSE, we will reach out beyond our established collaborative networks in the local, regional, and national R&I ecosystems. We believe that the talent, creativity, skills, and technologies that we harbour in the COLOSSE centres can be a significant aid to increasing competitiveness of European industry and academia.