Europe's path to Silicon Valley - in Germany? The fight for the Einstein telescope

Published on: April 21, 2025 / Updated on: April 21, 2025 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Competition for the Einstein Telescope: Which region will prevail?

Technology boom ahead: The Einstein Telescope as an opportunity for Europe

The Einstein Telescope promises to catapult Europe to the forefront of gravitational wave research and provide the selected region with a multi-billion-euro economic boost. Currently, three locations are vying for the prestigious project: the border region between Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands; the Lusatia region of Saxony; and Sardinia in Italy. The two German applicants are positioning themselves as favorites with substantial investments and political support. Particularly noteworthy is the hope for a "Silicon Valley" effect for the selected region, with thousands of new high-tech jobs and the formation of an innovative economic cluster centered around laser technology, precision instruments, and new materials.

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The Einstein Telescope: A revolutionary underground observatory

The Einstein Telescope (ET) represents a groundbreaking concept for a third-generation European gravitational wave detector. It will be approximately ten times more sensitive than currently existing instruments and will be able to survey a thousand times larger area of the universe in the search for gravitational waves. Unlike traditional optical telescopes, this extraordinary research facility will be built entirely underground at a depth of 200-300 meters to minimize disruptive environmental influences.

The technical design of the Einstein Telescope is impressively complex: It will consist of three nested detectors, each comprising two interferometers with 10-kilometer-long arms. These form an underground triangle in which laser beams are reflected by mirrors and sent back to their point of origin. When a gravitational wave passes, the distance between the mirrors changes by a minuscule amount—approximately one hundred-millionth of an atomic diameter. This minimal change in length manifests itself as a measurable change in the light intensity of the laser beam.

The scientific significance of this project can hardly be overstated. The Einstein Telescope will offer vastly improved sensitivity compared to current observatories. While current detectors, with a bit of luck, capture a few neutron star collisions per year, “the Einstein Telescope is estimated to detect 100,000 in the same period,” explains Harald Lück of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hanover and Vice Coordinator of the Einstein Telescope Scientific Collaboration.

Location competition: Three regions locked in fierce competition

Three European regions are currently vying to host the Einstein Telescope. A decision on where this mega-project will be realized is expected in 2026. Particularly noteworthy is that Germany is represented with two potential locations.

The tripoint: European cooperation on the German border

The Euregio Meuse-Rhine, the tri-border region between Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands around Aachen, Liège, and Maastricht, is a strong candidate for the Einstein Telescope. This region is characterized by an exceptionally high density of scientific institutions. “Nowhere else in Europe is the density of universities, colleges, and research institutes as high as in North Rhine-Westphalia, just across the Dutch border near Vaals and Kerkrade. There are more than 140 institutions,” states the website of NMWP (Nanotechnology, Microsystems Engineering, Materials, and Photonics).

The political support for this location is impressive. The state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia unanimously declared its support for the Einstein Telescope in November 2020 and tasked the state government with “promoting the Einstein Telescope at all levels, together with the Netherlands and Belgium.” In March 2025, Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur, along with Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts and government officials from the three Belgian regions, visited the Einstein Telescope Pathfinder research and development laboratory in Maastricht.

Lusatia: A Saxon candidate with geological advantages

The second German candidate is the Lusatia region in Saxony. Concrete steps have already been taken there to demonstrate the suitability of the site. In spring 2022, a test drilling to a depth of approximately 250 meters took place in the municipality of Ralbitz-Rosenthal in Upper Lusatia. The granite there, which dates back to volcanic activity around 570 million years ago, could offer an ideal, vibration-free location for the Einstein Telescope.

The Lusatia region's bid is part of a larger initiative to promote structural change in the lignite mining area. Two major research facilities are planned for the region, and the German Center for Astrophysics is one of six candidates. Even if the site doesn't win the bid for the complete Einstein Telescope, an experimental tunnel for new measurement techniques could be built there – provided the German Center for Astrophysics actually relocates to nearby Görlitz.

The economic boost: billions in investments and high-tech jobs

The economic impact of the Einstein Telescope extends far beyond the scientific community. A study commissioned by Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele and conducted by the consulting firm Ortelius concludes that the project could contribute to productivity gains of up to €1.5 billion and create approximately 925 full-time jobs in Flanders alone. These figures illustrate the enormous economic potential associated with the project.

North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur, emphasizes: “The Einstein Telescope is a huge opportunity for North Rhine-Westphalia and Europe. […] It's not just about unlocking the secrets of the universe, but about concrete economic benefits: new jobs, high-tech innovations, and a strengthening of our research landscape.”

Companies are already preparing for the potential installation of the telescope. Dr. Matthias Grosch, project manager at the German company NMWP from Düsseldorf, explains: “The Einstein Telescope offers unprecedented opportunities, both economically and scientifically. Research institutions and companies are already preparing for the arrival of this megaproject.” He reports that companies are already conducting tests with materials, cooling methods, and the damping of potential vibrations, and that laser specialists have initial prototypes.

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On the way to Europe's Silicon Valley: Innovation and growth

Flemish Prime Minister Diependaele sees the project as an opportunity to create a “Silicon Valley in the border region” that could foster an innovation-driven economy for the next 50 years. This vision of a European technology center, comparable to the Californian original, is not mere rhetoric, but is based on concrete growth expectations.

The consulting firm Ortelius predicts that the formation of a high-tech cluster around the Einstein Telescope site could increase the number of STEM graduates and boost the number of doctoral students in science and technology by 1.2 percent within a decade. This concentration of talent is a key characteristic of successful innovation ecosystems like Silicon Valley.

Of particular interest is the development of a “valorization” process, in which scientific findings are translated into commercial applications. Matthias Grosch from the NMWP observes: “The project is becoming more concrete and is transitioning from the purely scientific phase to the valorization phase. Ideas are being transformed into innovations and products.” This link between basic research and commercial application is precisely what has made Silicon Valley so successful.

The timeline: Crucial phase until 2026

The path to the final site decision is clearly structured. With the inclusion of the Einstein Telescope on the ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) roadmap, a process has been initiated that should lead to the selection of the site in 2026. Applications must be submitted by 2024 at the latest.

Projects like ETPathfinder (a prototype telescope) and E-TEST (scientific research and site selection) provide important arguments for the respective site applications. These preparatory projects are crucial for demonstrating the technical feasibility and geological suitability of the sites.

In Germany, a task force for the Einstein Telescope was recently established to support the application of the tri-border region. In 2022, European Affairs Minister Nathanael Liminski brought together key political figures and scientific representatives from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany for the “Einstein Telescope Round Table” at Bonn City Hall.

A unique opportunity for Germany and Europe

The Einstein Telescope represents a historic opportunity to strengthen Europe's leading role in basic research while simultaneously boosting economic growth. With two promising locations in Germany – the tri-border region near Aachen and the Lusatia region in Saxony – the Federal Republic is well-positioned in the competition.

The economic prospects are impressive: billions in investment, hundreds of new jobs, and a surge in innovation that could transform an entire region into a kind of European Silicon Valley. At the same time, the project demonstrates the strength of European cooperation in major scientific endeavors.

As Economics Minister Neubaur emphasizes: “Projects like this are a small building block for a united and strong Europe – and that is more important now than ever.” In a time of increasing global competition, the Einstein Telescope could help Europe maintain and expand its position as a leading science and technology region.

The intense competition for the location of the Einstein Telescope clearly shows: This is not just about a scientific instrument, but about the future of high technology in Europe – and Germany is right in the middle of the race.

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