Belgium, the Netherlands and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia will prepare a joint consortium to establish the Einstein Telescope in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion.
During the ET Ministerial Conference in Brussels on Sept. 26, 2023, delegates from the three countries signed an agreement to this effect.
The new consortium focuses on further elaborating the responsibilities and involvement of all levels of government involved in the candidacy from the three countries. By signing a declaration of intent on that cooperation, ministers from Belgium, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia gave the green light for this in Brussels.
The declaration deals with the way cross-border cooperation will take shape in the preparations up to and including the submission of a bid book for the Einstein Telescope. An official task force has been commissioned to work out the proposals for the consortium.
The agreement is the administrative follow-up to the December 2022 Bonn agreement, when ministers and deputies agreed to set up a task force to promote cooperation between the three countries at various levels of government. Nikhef director Stan Bentvelsen presented plans for the gravity wave detector ET in Brussels.
Flemish Minister of Innovation Jo Brouns hosted the meeting: “Today I felt a lot of positive energy to make the Einstein telescope project a success story. The will is there to make something of it together, with the governments, with the knowledge institutions and with the companies.”
The agreement was signed by ministers, state secretaries and deputies from federal Belgium, Wallonia, Flanders, the French-speaking Community, the German-speaking Community, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Dutch government and the Dutch province of Limburg.
(Source: einsteintelescope.nl)