The Einstein telescope is, an underground gravity wave detector of the latest generation, is the candidate to settle in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. Will it be Limburg, Sardinia or Saxony? The decision is due in mid-2027, but preparations are already in full swing. Voka – KvK Limburg spoke with deputy Tom Vandeput, who is pulling the project from POM Limburg, and with Nadia Jansen, CEO of Group Jansen, one of the companies already in readiness.
Daring to dream big
Why are companies like Group Jansen looking forward to it so much?
Nadia Jansen: “The Einstein telescope stimulates the imagination. World-class science, and that in our region! We feel at home in that complexity: projects that are technologically heavy and precise, where innovation is crucial. An Einstein telescope in our backyard is a huge opportunity for our core business.”
How many Limburg companies are already along today?
Tom Vandeput: “Thanks to POM Limburg’s pioneering role over the last five years, nearly 200 Limburg companies have been well informed and about 20 are actively involved in the preparation phase. Now we want to translate that success to the Flemish level and set up partnerships with the Fund for Scientific Research, so that companies from other provinces also step in.”
Or are too many companies still waiting?
Nadia: “You always see that: companies often don’t want to step in until tenders become concrete. But those who are smart, build capacity and knowledge now. Working together with other companies and knowledge institutions will soon make you stronger and more competitive in that tendering phase.”
Tom: “Exactly. That’s also how you attract and anchor highly skilled talent here.”
Taking our region to the next level
What new opportunities have emerged since last year?
Tom: “We launched the Interreg Flanders-Netherlands project ETPathfinder Smart Skills Lab. That develops training tailored to entrepreneurs around the technological challenges of the Einstein telescope. We have also identified seven technologies in which Flanders can excel: optics, vibration damping, vacuum technology, sensors & electronics, future-proof construction, digital technology & automation, and computational & data analysis. Around these domains we organize sessions to link innovative entrepreneurs to Flemish researchers.”
What does such a project mean for innovation and employment at Group Jansen?
Nadia: “It’s a dream project that challenges our people to compete with the absolute best in the world. We are already strongly committed to innovation, often far from home. Now we could use our specialized knowledge here. And in terms of employment, it’s a huge opportunity: it attracts engineers, professionals and thinkers who want to settle here.”
What broader effects do you see for Limburg?
Nadia: “The Einstein telescope can take our region to the next level. Top scientists and companies from all over the world will come to Limburg, that ‘green valley of growth.’ Besides innovation and research, this will bring prosperity: housing, tourism, hospitality, services … This can fundamentally transform Limburg. I believe the Einstein telescope is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Limburg.”
Going all out
When will that decision actually be made?
Tom: “The submission file is on schedule. In 2026 we expect an indicative decision. By the middle of 2027 we will know definitively. Until then, we have to make every effort.”
And if the choice does fall on Sardinia or Saxony?
Tom: “Social engineering is heavily tested. If we limit, but we make sure, innovation also has a broader business case. Improved products and services open international markets, for example, in the semiconductor, mechanical engineering and automotive sectors. So those efforts are never in vain.”
Nadia: “And don’t forget: Limburg companies can also supply the other sites.”
Suppose a business leader reads this article and gets a Newtonian apple on his head. Where can he turn?
Tom: “Several employees are active at POM Limburg to connect companies in Limburg and Flanders with the Einstein telescope. They can go there for concrete questions and to be linked to the extensive ecosystem in the Meuse-Rhine region, which already has more than 500 organizations.”
Source: Bedrijvig Limburg – December 2025