Aug 28, 2026
Lusatia and Sardinia Sign Agreement for a Joint Bid
In Nuoro (Sardinia), representatives from German and Italian research institutions signed the cooperation agreement.
Lusatia and Sardinia will jointly submit a bid for the Einstein Telescope (ET). On July 17, 2026, leading German and Italian research institutions met in Nuoro (Sardinia) and agreed to cooperate on the joint construction of the Einstein Telescope. The plan calls for two L-shaped gravitational wave detection facilities – one in Lusatia and one in Sardinia.
The candidate regions of Lusatia and Sardinia are steadfastly continuing their joint path toward the Einstein Telescope (ET): On July 17, 2026, in Nuoro (Sardinia), leading German and Italian scientific institutions signed a cooperation agreement, thereby deciding to submit a joint bid for the European research infrastructure. On the German side, the collaboration is led by the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The Italian partners include the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The agreement forms the basis for scientific collaboration within the framework of the so-called “double-L” configuration, in which the Einstein Telescope is to consist of two complementary L-shaped interferometers – one in Lusatia and one in Sardinia. The STARK project “Feasibility Study for the Einstein Telescope in Lusatia” is being carried out at the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics at TUD.
Saxony’s Minister of Science, Sebastian Gemkow:
“This is another step forward in our partnership as site candidates for the realization of the major European project, the Einstein Telescope. Sardinia and Saxony are working together on a vision for this unique research infrastructure. The agreement signed between leading Italian and German scientific institutions supports our joint bid for a shared underground gravitational-wave detector and promotes cooperation across national borders.”
Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TU Dresden:
“The cooperation agreement is an important milestone on Lusatia’s path to becoming a site for the Einstein Telescope. It underscores the European spirit of this unique research project and reflects our commitment to shaping scientific excellence across national borders. As a University of Excellence, TUD contributes its strengths in the fields of high-performance computing, AI-supported data analysis, optoelectronics, and precision measurement technology. At the same time, the ET offers a great opportunity to further develop these key technologies both scientifically and technologically. “We wholeheartedly support this joint European bid.”
Christian Stegmann, scientific co-director of the feasibility study for the future Einstein Telescope in Lusatia at TU Dresden:
“In the future, we will work even more closely together in Europe on the Einstein Telescope. This collaboration extends far beyond the actual research infrastructure at the two sites in Lusatia and Sardinia. It connects science, innovation, and people across Europe.”
Alessandra Todde, President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia:
“Today marks an important step forward in our bid to host the Einstein Telescope on our island. Thanks to the Italian and German scientific communities, we have strengthened our partnership with Saxony; today, they reaffirmed the agreement signed in Rome in January to pursue a joint bid.”
Antonio Zoccoli, President of the INFN:
“We are convinced that implementing the Einstein Telescope in the form of two L-shaped interferometer detectors creates the best conditions for the project’s success. This vision goes beyond the collaboration between the two candidate sites and paves the way for a truly European research infrastructure that involves all partners in the development of a significant distributed network for gravitational-wave research.”
On the German side, the signing ceremony was attended not only by Christian Stegmann but also by State Secretary Heike Graßmann from the SMWK and Angela Rösen-Wolff, Vice-Rector Research and Technology Transfer at TU Dresden. The Italian delegation was accompanied by Alessandra Todde, President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.
Also in attendance at the signing were Hubertus Rietscher, mayor of the municipality of Ralbitz-Rosenthal, as well as Emanuele Fenu, mayor of the city of Nuoro, and Mario Calia, mayor of the municipality of Lula. Their municipalities are among the potential ET sites in Lusatia and Sardinia. The mayors support the scientific project and intend to accompany it in the future through joint community activities.
With this agreement, the partners are sending a clear signal regarding their joint effort to build a leading European research infrastructure. The Einstein Telescope is one of Europe’s most important research infrastructure projects and is also one of the priority large-scale projects of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The cooperation agreement builds on the memorandum of understanding signed by the Free State of Saxony and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia in January 2026.
Background: Einstein Telescope
The Einstein Telescope (ET) is the planned next-generation European research infrastructure for the detection of gravitational waves. With significantly higher sensitivity than today’s detectors, it is expected to provide new insights into the formation of black holes and neutron stars, the evolution of the universe, and fundamental questions in physics. There are currently three internationally recognized candidate regions for the construction of this research infrastructure: Lusatia, Sardinia, and the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. The site selection decision is expected in the second half of 2027.