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PRESS RELEASE: Austrian Minister of Education, Science, and Research visited CERIC premises in Trieste

Location
Trieste, Italy

On Monday, May 13th, a delegation led by the Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Science, and Research, prof. dr. Martin Polaschek, visited the premises of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium (CERIC) in Trieste. Joined by representatives from the Ministry and the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), the delegation had the chance to learn more about the endeavours undertaken within CERIC, with a particular focus on the collaborative efforts involving Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy, at the synchrotron facility Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste.

During the visit, Minister Polaschek and his delegation were provided with detailed insights into the operations of CERIC, emphasising Austria’s contributions through two synchrotron beamlines in Trieste: SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering) and DXRL (Deep X–Ray Lithography), and a laboratory at Technical University Graz. The cutting-edge techniques, fully accessible to CERIC users, offer invaluable capabilities in the examination of nanoscale structures of diverse materials and the fabrication of microdevices allowing the manipulation and analysis of nano-sized objects. These techniques are complementary to the over 60 techniques made available by CERIC to the international scientific community.

Minister Polaschek (on the right) with Heinz Amenitsch at the Austrian Small-Angle X-ray Scattering synchrotron beamline

Accompanied by notable figures such as Barbara Weitgruber, Director General of the Austrian Ministry, Florian Brandt, Austrian representative in the CERIC General Assembly, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Techn. Horst Bischof, Rector of the Graz University of Technology, and Ms. Andrea Höglinger, Vice Rector for Research, the delegation gained a comprehensive understanding of CERIC’s significant contributions to tackling key scientific and societal challenges.

Established with a vision to foster integration within the European Research Area, CERIC develops its mission to facilitate collaboration among laboratories specialised in material analysis, nanotechnology, and nanoscience. Through strategic partnerships with other excellent institutions across Europe, including universities and research centres in Italy (Universities of Salerno, Salento, and Naples, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra), and research infrastructures in Croatia (Ruđer Bošković Centre), Hungary (Budapest Neutron Centre), Poland (Solaris synchrotron), Slovenia (Slovenian NMR Centre), and Romania (National Institute of Materials Physics), CERIC continues to develop advanced research and offer open access to state-of-the-art research facilities and expertise on a global scale.

The visit of Minister Polaschek underscores the impact of CERIC’s collaborative approach on the advancement of scientific endeavours not only within Austria but also throughout the Consortium’s diverse member states. As CERIC commemorates its tenth anniversary this year, the Minister’s engagement reaffirms the pivotal role played by Austria in the Consortium’s inception and ongoing development.

Notably, Austria’s leadership in the formative stages of CERIC, through the coordination of the Salzburg working group, laid the groundwork for the Consortium’s establishment in 2014. This collaborative initiative, which brought together ministers from CERIC Member Countries, reflects a commitment to fostering scientific cooperation and innovation across borders.

Furthermore, in the Salzburg working group, Italy was represented by the region Friuli Venezia Giulia for the specific international activities that the Region carries out with Eastern European countries. In this framework, also the Central European Initiative (CEI), with which CERIC keeps collaborating throughout the years, has been a key actor. This collaboration continues to enrich scientific endeavours and promote cross-border cooperation in the pursuit of scientific excellence.

The visit of Minister Polaschek underlines the enduring spirit of collaboration and innovation fostered by CERIC, as it continues to drive transformative research initiatives on a regional and international scale.

 

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CERIC-ERIC is a multidisciplinary and multiprobe Research Infrastructure open for users in the fields of Materials, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology. It allows structural investigation, analysis and synthesis of materials, using photon, electron, neutron, and ion-based techniques.

 

PICTURES (Photo courtesy of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste): https://drive.ceric-eric.eu/d/5395031346494e66a12a/

CONTACTS: CERIC Press Office: press@ceric-eric.eu

Nicoletta Carboni, nicoletta.carboni@ceric-eric.eu | +39 338 17 61 632