ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab shares Einstein Telescope knowledge with businesses
The Einstein Telescope is a cutting-edge research facility under development, designed to detect gravitational waves with unprecedented precision. The project brings together a wide range of key enabling technologies, including photonics, cryogenics, ultra-high vacuum systems, and data analysis. These technologies are not only essential to science but also increasingly relevant to sectors such as high-tech manufacturing, construction, installation engineering, and logistics. Yet businesses in these areas often struggle to access the latest technological know-how. The Smart Skills Lab seeks to close that gap by developing training programmes.
Perfect place
'We are developing the training programmes in stages,' explains project leader Professor Stefan Hild from Maastricht University. 'From simple instructional videos and interactive online tools to hands-on workshops in our laboratories and cleanroom.' ETpathfinder, where many of the technologies for the Einstein Telescope are developed and tested, also serves as a practical learning environment.
During the first year, eleven postdoctoral technology experts will familiarise themselves with the techniques used in ETpathfinder. In the second year, and together with vocational and higher professional education, they will translate this expertise into accessible and practical training content. 'We’re starting with a variety of technical domains,' Hild continues. 'This will result in dozens of training options, allowing companies to tailor their learning packages to specific needs.'
Usable knowledge
A digital learning platform will make the materials widely accessible. Businesses can engage with the content independently or with guidance. Innovation workshops, site visits, and applied training sessions will ensure that knowledge transfer is not just theoretical but immediately usable. In this way, SMEs gain access to advanced technologies previously reserved for research institutions.
The project also addresses the growing shortage of technically skilled professionals. By linking hands-on education to real-world innovation, the Smart Skills Lab contributes to a more resilient and future-proof labour market. The knowledge developed within ETpathfinder will remain valuable, regardless of where the Einstein Telescope is eventually built.
Open Universiteit
The Open Universiteit is responsible for the pedagogical design and quality of the knowledge modules, ensuring they are accessible and relevant for SMEs. It supports the experts in developing training materials and contributes to the digital learning platform with design profiling tools, enabling companies to quickly find suitable modules. In addition, the Open Universiteit ensures continuous improvement through feedback loops and learning analytics. It also uses Agentic AI and Large Language Models to make complex knowledge interactively accessible for a wide variety of learner profiles.
The ETpathfinder Smart Skills Lab receives over €2 million in funding from the European Interreg programme, which promotes cross-border cooperation. The consortium partners are contributing a matching amount. Thanks to this support, regional businesses can rapidly benefit from the technological spin-off of fundamental scientific research, transforming our curiosity about the universe into tangible innovation and economic progress here on Earth.
Overview of all 17 partners
Netherlands
Maastricht University - Maastricht
Open Universiteit - Heerlen
Eindhoven University of Technology - Eindhoven
Vista College - Maastricht
LIOF - Maastricht
Province of Limburg - Maastricht
Fontys University of Applied Science - Eindhoven
NWO - Amsterdam
Zuyd University of Applied Science - Heerlen
Belgium
KU Leuven - Leuven
UC Leuven - Heverlee
Universiteit Antwerpen - Antwerps
POM Limburg - Hasselt
SyntraPXL - Hasselt
University of Gent - Gent
Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Brussels
Germany
RWTH Aachen - Aachen
