‘A hundred companies are already involved in the Einstein Telescope’’

Even before the Einstein Telescope has been built, a hundred companies are already working on the technologies required for the future research facility. From precision technology and advanced materials to cryotechnology and data solutions: the business community is playing a key role in the preparations. How significant is this involvement, and what opportunities does it offer entrepreneurs? Maxime Corvilain, chair of the Einstein Telescope EMR’s international expert group on commercialisation and innovation, shares his vision.

Where do we stand?

“To get straight to the point. A hundred companies are already working on the Einstein Telescope. A hundred! We are incredibly proud of that. And those companies should also be proud of themselves. It is not obvious for entrepreneurs to commit to something where it is still uncertain whether it will be implemented in this Euregio at all, and which is, moreover, extremely complex and may only yield benefits for their businesses in the long term. When you think about it, that in itself is quite a feat. And don’t forget: we now have a list of 400 companies that are interested in participating. They get in touch directly or approach us at trade fairs such as the Hannover Messe.”

Plenty of work for the business developers, I’d say?

“Every day, I see how hard the organisations responsible for this are working. Fortunately, with results. I myself come from POM Limburg (Belgian Limburg, ed.), but organisations such as LIOF in the Netherlands, Wallonie Entreprendre in Wallonia, FWO in Flanders, and AGIT and NMWP in North Rhine-Westphalia are now also fully involved in ‘Einstein’. More important than the individual results for each partner are the joint results. You have to do it together, and that change has been made.”

Collaboration is a broad concept…

“That is correct. It’s all about working together without boundaries. Unsurprisingly, some trains set off later than planned, but everyone is on the same track now. It helps enormously that there are, for example, Interreg projects to drive cross-border collaboration. Think of ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab, ETCETERA or Comet. If your company is still looking for funding to support cross-border R&D, you might also want to take a look at Interreg STIPP. There’s still scope for innovation support there.”

How should we imagine that in the timeline?

“We have to work in phases. Our focus is now primarily on how we can help innovative companies bring the scientific concept behind the Einstein Telescope to fruition during the preparatory phase. That link between science and industry is not always a given, but it is absolutely essential for a massive project such as the Einstein Telescope. A scientist may be able to create a fantastic demo in a laboratory, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have the thousand units with exactly the same precision that will be needed later on. To achieve this, you need the knowledge, expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of innovative companies. Large and small ones. Large companies, because of their accumulated, proven expert knowledge and capacity, and small start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, because of their flexibility and agility. Without the expertise that those companies bring, you won’t be able to build the Einstein Telescope at all.”

Are those the 100 companies that are already working on this?

“That is correct. And the great thing is that these companies are already reaping the benefits of their work on the Einstein Telescope. It has become a sort of quality label: if you’re working on the telescope, you must be good at what you do! That generates positive brand awareness. It is no coincidence that Aperam in Belgian Limburg and JPE in Dutch Limburg were crowned ‘Most Innovative Company of the Year’ in their respective provinces last year. And it’s easier to recruit staff. Last year, a director at an engineering firm said that applicants chose her company because of its involvement with the Einstein Telescope. That does give you a certain sense of pride, doesn’t it?”

Are there enough of these companies in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, or – more broadly – across Belgium, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia combined?

“Yes and no. Yes, because we have lots of good companies. One of our key strengths is not just that we already have an ecosystem of universities, knowledge institutions and innovative companies in the Leuven-Aachen-Eindhoven high-tech triangle. That gives us a head start. But more will be needed in the near future. We must therefore also build bridges with Europe in order to stimulate innovative business dynamism there. We need a Europe-wide approach to build the Einstein Telescope underground here. And there is something else: I firmly believe that European industrial involvement in the Einstein Telescope will help strengthen Europe’s technological independence from major powers such as China and the United States.”

Every week, at least ten companies from the Euregio Meuse-Rhine or beyond send an email to the Einstein Telescope EMR project office asking if and when they can get involved. What’s your advice?

“Please do keep following us closely and regularly, so you’ll know if and when opportunities arise for your business. If that isn’t the case at the moment, it may well happen in the future. As mentioned, the focus is now on innovative, knowledge-driven companies that can produce what the scientists need. There will also be another phase soon, during which a great deal of construction will be required. Maintenance will also be required at a later date. You need to make sure safety is properly organised. And there will also come a time when a local entrepreneur might well see an opportunity to open a restaurant because new local business activity is emerging in the village where the previous restaurant closed its doors five years ago. That’s another phase, too.”

So the message is: be patient?

“That is not the message you should give to an enthusiastic entrepreneur. Maybe it is better to say: stay alert and put your energy into the Einstein Telescope when the time is right for your business. And those opportunities will come, I have no doubt about that whatsoever.”