Foreword No 3−4 (2020)
Abstract
Dear Readers,
As the year is reaching to its end, it is insightful to look back. Year 2020 has been exceptional in many ways.
Many conferences have been cancelled, postponed or organized as on-line conferences. Lots of effort has been taken to organize these events on-line and they have perform surprisingly well. Of course, nothing can compare to meet fellow tribologists face-to-face and build the network with new branches. With the help of modern technology, we have been able to cope with the situation much better than we would have for example 40 years ago.
Digitalization has been booming and The Academy of Finland has recently granted 10 million euros to higher education institutions and government research institutes under the call ‘Special funding for RDI partnership networks’. One of the project funded was PerforMat coordinated by VTT. The main partners are Tampere University and University of Oulu, and the partnership network include several companies and societies, including the Finnish Society for Tribology. PerforMat is an ambitious initiative to advance Materials Genome Initiative in Finland. It focuses on advanced materials, targeting their optimized use and performance as a part of engineering systems crucial for Finnish export.
Let’s hope that the next year will bring us more such a good news!
Vuokko Heino
Editor-in-Chief
