The research activity in Theoretical Physics at the University of Trieste has a long and rich tradition that began with leading names such as Paolo Budinich, Luciano Fonda and Pino Furlan for Field Theory and Phenomenology of Elementary Particles and Gian Carlo Ghirardi for Quantum Mechanics.

The fundamental scientific results obtained by them paved the way for subsequent generations of Trieste theoretical physicists, and at the same time their extra-academic activity has promoted and allowed the birth and development in Trieste of institutions of recognized international prestige such as the Abdus Salam International Center of Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) and the Elettra Synchrotron.

This made Trieste unique in terms of research in Theoretical Physics, in Italy and in Europe.