EU Commissioner visits laser center in Szeged

The EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, paid a visit the EU-funded super laser center being implemented in Szeged, southern Hungary, on Friday. The EU’s large-scale project also hosted by Prague an Bucharest will create world-class research environment in central Europe.

Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania won a joint bid for the European Union’s Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project in October 2009. In Hungary, the project, known as Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ALPS) of the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), is hosted by the University of Szeged. Prague in the Czech Republic and Bucharest, Romania are the other two venues of the project.

The Hungarian news agency MTI quotes Commissioner Cretu by saying that European Commission is committed to supporting the region to help its development and the expansion of employment, adding that a large part of the super laser project’s cost of EUR 850 million has been provided from the EU’s regional development fund.

Corina Cretu also held talks with Szeged Mayor László Botka and she voiced herd support for the completion of the infrastructure development project of a multipurpose bridge allowing vehicle, train, bicycle and pedestrian traffic over the Tisza river.