The economic return on the Einstein Telescope

In September 2025, the Interreg project ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab was launched, focusing on developing a skills ecosystem around the technologies required for the Einstein Telescope. “The project aims to translate knowledge from research into training programmes and industrial applications, with a focus on fields such as photonics, ultra-high vacuum, cryogenics and precision metrology,” says Professor Hugo Thienpont, who heads B-PHOT, the world-renowned specialists in photonics within the VUB’s engineering department. “Within the consortium, the VUB plays a role in offering training modules and hands-on expertise in optical components and photonics instrumentation.”

“We want to prepare as many people and businesses as possible for when construction of the Einstein Telescope actually begins,” explains Chalyan. “Assuming it is decided that the Einstein Telescope will be built here in our region, we will very quickly need a lot of people who are familiar with the technologies involved. And even if the construction of the Einstein Telescope is not awarded to our region, there will still be a need for numerous experts to see the project through to a successful conclusion. The big difference is that, in such a case, we won’t be able to benefit from the ecosystem that develops around such a project – think of accommodation, catering, and other support services for the scientists who will be using the Einstein Telescope. That alone will undoubtedly create thousands of jobs.”

Sharing the know-how and making available the infrastructure developed and built to construct the Einstein Telescope will therefore give a massive boost to the Flemish economy and undoubtedly create a great many high-quality jobs. But the economic return is even greater than that, explains Thienpont. “Much of the technology we need for the Einstein Telescope is also of crucial importance in other sectors. Even within the fields in which our own department specializes – laser technology, complex optical systems, and the like – there are numerous applications in industry, healthcare, scientific institutions, defence, and so on. The knowledge we are building up now can, for example, contribute to a more sovereign European space programme, enabling us to build our own satellites for communication purposes or for observing climate change. This will also allow Europe to play a stronger role in the development of new generations of computer processors, for which we are currently far too dependent on American and Asian manufacturers.”

According to Thienpont, a direct economic return can also be expected, as various Flemish companies stand a chance of being involved in the project as suppliers, regardless of where the Einstein Telescope is built. “This includes, among other things, the steel tubes for the tunnels, the installations for creating cryogenic environments, advanced components for the measuring equipment, and so on.”

An interesting aspect of the Smart Skills Lab is the international collaboration between all parties involved. In our region, the development of the Einstein Telescope is in the hands of Flemish and Dutch institutions, as well as RWTH Aachen University, one of Germany’s largest technical universities. This exchange of knowledge alone is invaluable to each of the project partners. 

Alongside events aimed at the general public, the Smart Skills Lab also aims to address the huge shortage of highly skilled technical personnel. Further initiatives will be set up for this purpose in the future. 

The Smart Skills Lab’s activities began in September last year – Chalyan, as one of the very first technology experts, has already given a presentation on the training opportunities that B-PHOT can offer in the field of optics and photonics. The project is set to run until at least 31 August 2028.