Wanting to see the opportunities
The last meeting of a whole series concerning the exhibition about the Einstein Telescope in Genk particularly aptly identified the opportunities for business. And the great thing was that it was not just organisers FWO Flanders or POM Limburg, but mainly entrepreneurs themselves who demonstrated this with great enthusiasm and inspiration. A convincing story for businesses in Belgium, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia, this time written from Flanders.
For every company
Where perhaps sometimes the perception still exists that the Einstein Telescope can only mean something for innovative high-tech companies playing in the international top, Jef Hoste of Werkhuizen Hengelhoef belied that. ‘When we as a small machine builder from Genk showed interest, we did not know that we would encounter such opportunities in such a large, international project,’ he told fellow entrepreneurs in the room.
For Werkhuizen Hengelhoef it all began as a participant in the now-completed Interreg programme ET2SMEs. Here, small and medium-sized companies could collaborate across borders on products or developments for the Einstein Telescope. The machine builder from Genk formed a consortium with FEF from Aachen and together they set to work, supported by 50,000 euros from ET2SMEs.
CERN
Jef Hoste joined a second consortium with Werkhuizen Hengelhoef after a visit to CERN in Switzerland. Encouraged by Professor Achim Stahl of RWTH Aachen and together with, among others, the University of Antwerp, University of Hasselt and some companies, a new consortium was formed to develop vacuum pipelines for the telescope.
That the ‘small engineering company’ can throw off that modesty was evident from the interesting development Hoste told us about. The company is working on a process where the long pipes are not already assembled in the factory. Instead, this should be done via an ingenious system deep underground in the future Einstein Telescope. What particularly ‘scored’ here for the audience in the room was that this method will soon ensure far fewer transport movements and thus contribute to sustainability during construction.
Talent
Ingrid Neven of YPTF-Engineering explained how the Einstein Telescope also provides a boost within companies themselves. She indicated that being able to participate in the Einstein Telescope is not just a story of turnover and ‘what’s in it for me’. The enthusiasm of its own, mostly young employees has provided a boost internally. A downright positive vibe! As a result, the gain is not only in orders or turnover, but especially in becoming more attractive to new employees. In a tight labour market, that gives an edge. In addition, YPTF-Engineering has also come into contact with companies across the border and has since become part of networks and ecosystems to which it previously had no access.
Valorisation
So are these merely success stories and will everything soon lead to concrete co-building of the Einstein Telescope? That too deserves nuance. Development costs money and time, which are not always matched by Interreg projects to somewhat cushion those costs. And when you cooperate across borders, you have to deal with just that different approach across the border and cultural differences. Colleagues of Jef Hoste and Ingrid Neven also talked about this. That ‘not everything is offered on a pharmacy tray’ and that you have to be willing to stick your neck out yourself is part of the entrepreneurial DNA. The profit might not even be in an assignment for the Einstein Telescope itself, but in the application of what has been thought up or further developed for other sectors. In short, the Einstein Telescope as a source of inspiration for new business opportunities. Valorisation by the book.
Opportunities
Actually, the summary of the inspiring morning was already given in the opening speech by Simon Gheysen, chief of cabinet of Flemish prime minister Matthias Diependaele. He linked the opportunities for business to a quote by Einstein. Freely translated: in the midst of difficulties, want to see the opportunities!
Photos: Boumediene Belbachir
