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Guido Derks leaves project office ET for North Brabant

Director Guido Derks of the Einstein Telescope EMR project office will quit as quartermaster and director of the project office at the end of the year. He will become the new provincial secretary of the province of North Brabant (NL) and thus its highest-ranking official.


Guido Derks currently still forms the management of the project office with Stan Bentvelsen. Stan Bentvelsen is the scientific instigator from Nikhef; Guido Derks is responsible for the spatial and environmental aspects. It is still unknown who Guido Derks’ successor will be.

Guido Derks: “It was not an easy decision, because we still have a lot to do in the project office in the coming years on our way to a strong bid book. On the other hand, cooperation from the three countries and between all disciplines has become more and more natural. Since the start of the project office in January this year, our people have already put a huge amount on track. With the signing of the declaration of intent towards a joint candidacy, during the ministerial conference on 26 September in Brussels, the quartermaster period effectively came to an end. This is then a more or less logical moment to hand over the baton. Letting go of the Einstein Telescope will still be quite difficult. It is and will remain a magical project with lots of opportunities for the entire Euroregion and for the countries participating.”

Stan Bentvelsen: “Of course it is unfortunate for our project office that Guido is going to do something else, but let me first of all congratulate him on his new job. It is unbelievable what has been created under Guido’s leadership within a one-and-a-half year and how the project office has grown into one team. On that solid foundation we can move forward. And in North Brabant, they can rub their hands together with Guido’s arrival.”

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