Recap Einstein Telescope Industry Webinar 25 June 2025

The Einstein Telescope will be Europe's most advanced observatory for gravitational waves, more than 10 times more sensitive than existing detectors. A large group of European research institutes, companies and governments are collaborating on this ambitious and innovative project. One of the possible locations for this world-class underground facility is the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR), the border region of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. With the series of Einstein Telescope (ET) Industry Webinars, the cooperating development companies in the EMR countries aim to inform and involve companies in the project.

Attracting companies in the four regions

"The science is fascinating: will we soon be able to hear black holes colliding, or even the reverberation of the Big Bang? But the Einstein Telescope is more than scientific progress: it is also a technological and industrial accelerator that could change the future of the high-tech sector," says business developer Jorik Kreuwels (LIOF), the host of the first international ET Industry Webinar on June 25th . 

Already 80 companies from EMR countries are developing prototype technology for the Einstein Telescope. And via a mapping tool, more than 400 companies indicated they would like to participate in the project.

Getting involved early in the Einstein Telescope is interesting for regional companies, three representatives of high-tech companies from the EMR share during the webinar. They talk about the prototype technology they are developing for the Einstein Telescope and what doors it will open for them. 

Showcase: FEF GmbH builds mobile laser welding station for 120 km Einstein Telescope tubes

Germany's FEF GmbH is developing a mobile laser welding station for the Einstein Telescope. This is to weld together tube elements, each 500 metres long, for the 120 kilometres of vacuum system in the underground facility. "The requested welding technology already exists in research environments, but not yet in practice," explains FEF project manager digitisation and smart data Dr.-Ing. Marion Purrio. Thanks to an Interreg grant and together with partners from the three EMR countries, FEF is taking up that challenge: "It would be amazing to see our work used in the Einstein Telescope!"

Participation in the Einstein Telescope gives companies the chance to develop and market their own capabilities in other sectors. Working on the world's most sensitive instrument is also an international mark of quality, giving companies access to networks around other Big Science projects. This makes participation attractive for current and future highly qualified staff, say the participants. Speaker Jochem Klaassen (Lionite): "It is not even here yet and we already see a big impact."

Showcase: Wielandts UPMT makes crystalline silicon wires for gravity detector

Belgian company Wielandts UMPT is developing an ultra-precise fabrication technique for suspending the mirrors in the Einstein Telescope. Managing Partner and Chief Technology Officer Remi Wielandts, MSc: "Those mirrors weigh 100 kilograms and are cooled to near absolute zero. They will be suspended on wires of crystalline silicon: 600 millimetres long and only 3 millimetres thick. Thanks to support from the Walloon Region, we are now launching the ETFIBERS project to create such silicon wires from thicker rods. Without cracks or other defects, thanks to our expertise in cutting with diamond."

Inspiring, cross-industry ecosystem

According to the speakers from the three high-tech companies, the Einstein Telescope is a great opportunity for innovation, cooperation and regional development between different industries. With their showcases, they show how the Einstein Telescope is a launch pad for new business models, product chains and high-value services.

How big the social impact of a Big Science project can be is demonstrated by the European particle lab CERN in Switzerland. That produced spin-offs in medical imaging and networking technology, in addition to the signature Higgs particle. Around it, moreover, a tight ecosystem of high-tech companies has emerged, starting innovative collaborations. Kreuwels: "The Einstein Telescope can become another such an engine for the economy in the EMR and in Europe."

Showcase: Lionite develops ultra-sensitive sensors, crucial for quiet environment Einstein Telescope

Dutch company Lionite, in the Dutch R&D scheme's SENVIDET consortium, is developing ultra-sensitive, low-frequency sensors that check that the Einstein Telescope does not sense environmental vibrations. "A real challenge, because there is no reference point for these measurements," says project coordinator and CEO Ing. Jochem Klaassen. "We only achieve such performance through close cooperation between industry and knowledge institutions. My advice: consult at an early stage about the challenges and possible solutions. It's an investment, but you get access to a hugely powerful ecosystem that way."

Webinar series offers networking opportunities

Multinational or SME, research institute or regional development company? The international valorisation team for the Einstein Telescope in the EMR would like to get in touch with you to talk about the opportunities the Einstein Telescope can offer you. 

The website https://www.einsteintelescope-emr.eu/en/business/ provides information on all valorisation activities, including business contacts for companies from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

In the coming months, Einstein Telescope’s valorization team can also be found at several trade fairs in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the ET Industry Webinar series will be back in Autumn with deep-dives into key technologies for the Einstein Telescope and opportunities for collaboration. Follow our channels for updates!

Want to watch the Einstein Telescope Industry Webinar of June 25th?
The Industry Webinar was organised by the international valorisation effort for the Einstein Telescope in the EMR region. More than 100 interested parties discovered on June 25th what the Einstein Telescope already means for high-tech business in the EMR and beyond. You can watch the ET Industry Webinar from June 25th  2025 here.