The event was opened by professor Dušan Galusek, project coordinator of GlaCerHub and director of the FunGlass Centre. The meeting was also addressed virtually by Pepa Krasteva, project officer of the GlaCerHub project at the EU's Research Executive Agency. Other distinguished guests included Mr. Richard Rybníček, Mayor of Trenčín, and professor Pavol Šajgalík, Director of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Peter Hošták, Hub Office Manager and the Head of the Administration Unit, informed attendees about the GlaCerHub project and its aim to establish a "Local Hub Chapter," an informal networking platform for Slovak stakeholders to engage in cross-sectoral dialogue, partnership building, and knowledge exchange.

Keynote speeches were delivered by Dr. Andrea Stucchi de Camargo Alvarez Bernandez from BAM Berlin, who shared insights on materials research, and Mrs. Zuzana Reptová from CVTI SR, who discussed Horizon Europa funding opportunities. Mr. Kamil Novák from Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussel provided valuable information on the support and consultancy services provided for Slovak institutions. Another foreign guest, Mr. Jesús Purroy from Inveniam, a GlaCerHub partner, briefly introduced the topic of technology transfer.

A networking round table allowed participants to present their institutions and research focuses, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. The Matchmaking Forum provided an opportunity for discussion and to deepen relationships between participants.

Overall, the "Melting Days" successfully combined professional networking with engaging discussions. The positive feedback from participants underlines the success of the event, and we believe that we will welcome other members to the Slovak Hub Chapter at future meetings.