Cross-border cooperation takes centre stage on first day of Hannover Messe
This week at the Hannover Messe, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are jointly demonstrating how companies can already benefit from participating in the Einstein Telescope and thus contribute to the realisation of this unique facility in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR). Representatives will be manning a shared stand to demonstrate how cooperation across national borders leads to technological innovation and economic opportunities.
Political summit supports Einstein Telescope
The trade fair week got off to a strong start today with a visit from ministers from the EMR countries. Minister-president Matthias Diependaele (Flanders), minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet (Wallonia), state secretary Gonca Türkeli-Dehnert (North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Dutch top civil servants Serpil Tascioglu and Erwin Nijsse of the Ministry of Economic Affairs were extensively informed about the progress of the Einstein Telescope project.
Their presence underlined the broad political support for this groundbreaking scientific observatory in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. Minister-president Matthias Diependaele emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation: ‘We are demonstrating that we can work together as equal partners. The government acts as a springboard for the participating companies: to stimulate innovative power, to help initiatives get off the ground and to guide companies to get the most out of them.’ North Rhine-Westphalia’s Secretary of State Türkeli-Dehnert emphasised the opportunities offered by the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion due to its location in the heart of Europe, its strong scientific infrastructure and education. The Walloon minister Jeholet also emphasised the importance of cross-border and scientific cooperation for the Einstein Telescope, citing the Hannover Messe as a striking example.
BeamPipes4ET: Innovation through cooperation
A good example of cross-border cooperation was presented by the BeamPipes4ET project, led by RWTH Aachen. Companies from Flanders (Werkhuizen Hengelhoef and Aperam), North Rhine-Westphalia (FEF) and the Netherlands (SBE) are working together on an innovative way to produce the vacuum tubes needed for the Einstein Telescope.
What makes this unique is that these tubes will not be assembled in the factory, but on location, deep underground in the tunnels of the future telescope. This approach means far fewer transport movements and thus contributes to a sustainable construction method.
Einstein Telescope as a catalyst
The Hannover Messe makes it clear: the Einstein Telescope is a catalyst for innovation, sustainability and economic cooperation in the Euroregion. Companies that join now will benefit from a technological edge and contribute to a project that pushes the boundaries of science and cooperation.
