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| Προσθήκη λεζάντας |
Today the
European Commission has approved an investment of € 111 million from the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the building of the third
part of the cutting edge pan-European Laser research hub "Extreme Light
Infrastructure"(ELI). The project will provide a major boost to
Europe's research capacity: attracting hundreds of scientists to Hungary
and forging valuable links between business and the scientific world.
The project,
which uses super-short laser pulses, involves the installation of
state-of-the art technology at the facility to be built near the
University of Szeged in Hungary. The two first facilities of this
pioneering European research consortium are currently being built in the
Czech Republic and Romania and are expected to be completed at the end
of 2015.
The research
centre will enhance Hungary's competitive edge, putting it on track for
smart growth and helping it to meet its European research and
development (R&D) targets.
The project approved today is known as "Attosecond Light Pulse Source
(ALPS) of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI)", ELI-ALPS. It will
focus on the generation and application of super-short
(“attosecond-range”) laser pulses with very high repetition rates. This
highly innovative technology, with applications in research and
development will also have a huge impact on the industry in the field of
biology/biophysics, chemistry, material science, energy research and
medical science. It's expected 250 scientists will be involved in the
project by 2020.
Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, who signed the decision, said “This
third pillar of ELI - the pan-European laser research hub –is fully in
line with EU Regional Policy's main objective to invest in sectors with
great growth potential like research and innovation. We have very high
hopes for Hungary's ELI-ALPS project. Through it, Hungary, like Romania
and the Czech Republic, has a chance to put itself firmly on the map of
European research, to retain highly-specialised workers - reversing the
'brain drain', attracting new companies to the region and giving
Hungary's young and more established scientists alike new and exciting
opportunities."
Hungary is
currently investing 1.3% of GDP in R&D across the public and private
sector. It has a Europe 2020 target of 1.8% of GDP, in the context of
an EU-wide headline target of 3%. ELI-ALPS is expected to give a
much-needed boost to research and development in Hungary, helping the
country to bridge the innovation gap and foster knowledge and technology
transfer.
Hungary was
allocated €25.5 billion in EU Cohesion Policy funding for 2007-2013. For
2014-2020, Hungary will receive €21.9 billion in Cohesion Policy
funding.
Background:...
The EU part
of the ELI-ALPS investment comes through the ERDF co-financed programme
"Economic Development" under the priority axis "R&D and innovation
for competitiveness".
Today's
decision approves the ERDF contribution for the 1st phase of the
ELI-ALPS facility under the programming period 2007-2013. The total
costs of the project (including national contribution) amount to €130.5
million. The second phase of this project concerning the instalment of
the scientific technology will be financed by the EU during the
2014-2020 programming period. The research hub is expected to have its
full research capacity by 2018.
This is a so-called "major project", of which the total investment (VAT included) is above €50 million and thus
subject to a specific decision by the European Commission, whereas
other types of projects are approved at national or regional levels.
ELI-ALPS is
one part of the "Extreme Light Infrastructure"(ELI), which was
identified in 2006 by the European Strategy Forum on Research
Infrastructure (ESFRI) as one of the top priority projects of research
infrastructure for Europe. It is the third pillar of the ELI
pan-European Laser facility. The Commission approved €236 million in
funding for the first ELI pillar in the Czech Republic in April 2011 and
€ 180 million for the second pillar in Romania. A fourth pillar will be
built in a location that still has to be determined.
ELI will
involve 40 research and academic institutions from 13 Member States.
During the implementation of the ELI project, representatives of the
host countries (Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary) constitute an
international non-profit association under the name of
"Extreme-Light-Infrastructure Delivery Consortium International
Association (ELI-DC)". ELI-HU Research and Development Non-Profit
Limited Liability Company represents Hungary and ELI-ALPS in this
ELI-DC, which was formally established on 11 April 2013. It is the first
pan-European multidisciplinary network to research the potential of
state–of- the art laser technology.
