According to a study that was commissioned by the Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele (nationalist) and the Limburg Provincial Develoment Board (POM Limburg), the Einstein Telescope could increase productivity in Flanders by up to 0.22%. This is the equivalent of 1.5 billion euro in additional turnover for companies in our region. The project could also create up to 925 jobs and lead to the creation of a high-tech cluster.
Study finds that the Einstein Telescope could provide a boost to productivity and innovation in Flanders
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The underground Einstein Telescope (ET) is described as Europe's most advanced observatory for the monitoring of gravitational waves. Ground-breaking scientific research into the universe will be carried out there.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are jointly examining whether the observatory should be located somewhere close to the point where the three countries meet, southwest of the German city of Aachen.
The Flemish regional authorities have already provided 200 million euro in funding for the project. The socio-economic impact assessment study is clear: “This is an opportunity that has not been offered in the past and may not be offered again in the coming decades”.
"Moonshot project"?
According to the study, the project will have a “positive return on investment”. It says that the equivalent of around 925 jobs could be created and productivity could grow by as a much as 0.22% as a result of the telescope being sited near to the Belgian/Dutch/German border. The formation of a high-tech cluster in the border area could also promote innovation and economic growth.
The Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele has reacted enthusiastically to the results of this study. His dream is the creation of a kind of 'Silicon Valley' in the border area. “With the right incentives and support, we will create an innovation ecosystem that will characterise Flanders for the next 50 years. The Einstein Telescope is a Flemish priority, we need a new moonshot project that universities, companies and citizens can get behind”, Mr Diependaele said.