Developing new enabling technologies and strengthening a nationwide network of research laboratories for the Einstein Telescope (ET), the future gravitational-wave observatory: these are the main goals of MITI (Multimessenger Infrastructures and Technologies in Italy), a project funded with about €15 million by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under the National Programme for Research, Innovation and Competitiveness (PN RIC) 2021-2027. The funding will be allocated to six sections of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN): Perugia (coordinating institution), Cagliari, Rome, Naples, Genoa, and the INFN Southern National Laboratories.
Officially launching on 1 August, MITI builds on the legacy of the previous ETIC (Einstein Telescope Infrastructure Consortium) project, funded through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and completed on 30 June. ETIC focused on carrying out a feasibility study and site characterization for the Italian candidate site to host the Einstein Telescope – located near the former Sos Enattos mine in the province of Nuoro, in Sardinia – and on establishing and strengthening a national network of research and development laboratories dedicated to the future interferometer.
With a planned duration of 30 months, MITI will ensure continuity with ETIC, particularly by consolidating the research activities of the new laboratories established across Italy over the past two years within the framework of the NRRP project.
In addition to further enhancing these research infrastructures – which are dedicated to developing innovative technologies essential for ET – MITI will place a strong emphasis on technology transfer, actively involving industry in collaborative co-design processes and prototype development.
«Major research infrastructures begin to take shape long before construction starts», said Anna Maria Bernini, Italy’s Minister of University and Research. «They are born in laboratories, through the development of new technologies, the growth of expertise, the ability to transform research into innovation together with industry, and institutional cooperation. This is the purpose of the Ministry’s investment in the MITI project: to strengthen Italy’s research ecosystem and create the conditions for our country to play a leading role in major scientific challenges such as the Einstein Telescope».
«With the launch of MITI», commented Alessandra Todde, President of the Sardinia Region, «the Einstein Telescope candidacy and the imminent construction of the SUnLab laboratory once again represent an extraordinary opportunity for Sardinian companies willing to invest in technological innovation. The new laboratories will serve as a driving force for testing new technologies and enhancing the expertise of our businesses. The strong response to the Sardegna Ricerche call for proposals supporting Sardinian companies in the development of enabling technologies for ET demonstrates that our region possesses the skills needed to play a leading role in international projects, develop cutting-edge technologies, and create highly qualified jobs».
«The scientific ambition of the Einstein Telescope rests on three main pillars: selecting an ultra-low-noise site, constructing a large underground observatory, and developing new technologies to improve detector sensitivity. The MITI project connects these three pillars with Italy’s industrial and manufacturing ecosystem» added Michele Punturo, INFN Research Director and MITI Project Coordinator.
More specifically, MITI aims to develop several of the enabling technologies required for the Einstein Telescope through two complementary actions. The first involves strengthening the PLANET laboratory in Naples and the ETICO2 laboratory in Cagliari, both established under the ETIC project. These laboratories focus on developing technologies for seismic noise suppression in ET, generating squeezed states of light to reduce quantum noise, and designing advanced optoelectronic devices. These activities will also involve the CAOS laboratory in Perugia, the GALILEO laboratory in Genoa, and the ARC-ETCRYO laboratory in Rome. Meanwhile, the INFN Southern National Laboratories will serve as the national reference centre for expertise in civil engineering structures supporting large-scale research infrastructures.
The second action will focus on engaging Italian industry in the development of new ET technologies through mentoring programmes and collaborative initiatives, culminating in the establishment of an Einstein Telescope technology transfer centre at SUnLab (Sardinia Underground Laboratory) in Sardinia.
SUnLab will be the future multidisciplinary research centre built within the former Sos Enattos mining area, where construction is expected to begin shortly. The facility will host underground laboratories dedicated to research on Einstein Telescope technologies and low-noise physics experiments. It will also accommodate a large-aperture terrestrial telescope known as “MezzoCielo”, together with a geophysical observatory devoted to studying the geodynamics of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Earth’s internal structure. Beyond its scientific mission, SUnLab aims to become a reference hub for companies committed to research and innovation. This objective will begin to take shape within the framework of the MITI project and will form part of a broader national strategy to strengthen the industrial ecosystem in Sardinia and across Italy in preparation for the possible construction of the Einstein Telescope in the country.