‘Even more cross-border collaboration on valorisation in 2026’
Technologies developed for the Einstein Telescope will certainly also find applications in other sectors. Valorisation will give innovative businesses a boost, resulting in new jobs. Four valorisation experts from the Netherlands, Flanders, Wallonia and Germany involved in the Einstein Telescope look back on 2025 and look ahead to the future.
What was the most striking or memorable moment for you in relation to the valorisation of the Einstein Telescope in 2025?
‘What a fantastic year we’ve had! The various events where we presented ourselves to the business community were all highlights. The collaboration with our partner countries Belgium and Germany came to the fore beautifully. The Consortia Meet-up in Utrecht in May stands out in particular. All the companies and knowledge institutions participating in the National Growth Fund projects gathered to exchange knowledge. Their enthusiasm for participating was enormous and gave us all a lot of energy!’
‘Actually, the whole of 2025 was a big “moment” for me. It’s a fantastic experience to get to know so many people who share the same passion. That’s why it’s very difficult to choose one moment in relation to valorisation. At the Flemish level, it was definitely the successful launch event for Flemish companies, and at the EMR level, it was undoubtedly our joint presence at the Hannover Messe. The great interest shown by politicians and companies shows that the Einstein Telescope really does have “appeal.’
‘The most memorable moment for me in 2025 was the approval of two major industrial projects: ETFIBERS (SMEs: Wielandts and Lasea, Universities ULiège A&M & PML and UCLouvain), which focuses on the creation and machining of silicon suspensions for the large cryogenic mirror at the Walloon ET-LF Test Site ET-CRISTAL, ECRYR (SMEs: GDTech, Open Engineering, Mecasoft, EHP, Pix Coating, Research Center CRM Group, Universities ULiège CSL and UCLouvain), which focuses on the development of a version 2.0 radiative cryostat. Two crucial additional industrial development projects were submitted in 2025 and are awaiting approval. The Euregional STIPP LUCET project involving the companies Netalux, Cilyx, Isatec and SAC has been approved and will develop a robotic pipe cleaning system.’
‘In 2025 there were two moments that still resonate with me: The participation at the Hannover Fair in April made me realize again just how vibrant the Einstein Telescope community is and how diverse the involved technologies. A second moment was the press conference on the priorization list for large research infrastructure of the national ministry for research, technology and space, where the preliminary phase of the Einstein Telescope was listed.’
What do you expect to be an important moment in this area in 2026?
‘We have already taken major steps in the collaboration between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. All business developers from these three countries are looking forward to what 2026 will bring in terms of establishing even more cross-border collaborations!’
‘We need to further strengthen this great interest in 2026 by adding even more mass to it. I think we can combine all the forces in the EMR even better, for example by organising a large ET-EMR summit, possibly around a large stand at the Hannover Messe in 2026. That will require an enormous effort, but it could give a major boost to our candidacy. It’s now or never.’
‘In 2026, I hope to see projects submitted for industrial development as well as in the field of education, involving the four regions of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. I also hope to secure Euregional funding for our joint valorisation efforts across industry, science, and education, as this would enable collaboration within the framework of the joint ET-EMR application.’
‘Next year, the bid book will be finalized and submitted. So many teams are working together across national borders on a wide variety of topics for the Einstein Telescope in the EMR. The completion of this major preparatory step will be another very important step towards the realization of the Einstein Telescope.’
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