Giovanni Losurdo appointed R&D coordinator for Einstein Telescope

Giovanni Losurdo, a professor of experimental physics at the Scuola Normale Superiore and an associate of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), has been appointed as the Research and Development (R&D) coordinator for the Einstein Telescope. This European project aims to create a third-generation gravitational wave observatory.

In his new role, Losurdo will identify technological priorities and necessary activities to mature the observatory's technologies. He will also act as a liaison between scientific groups, funding agencies, research infrastructures, and businesses. His appointment includes joining the Executive Board of the Einstein Telescope Collaboration, which involves over 2,108 scientists from 35 countries.

Italy is currently a candidate to host this major scientific infrastructure in Sardinia, specifically within the decommissioned Sos Enattos mine area. Losurdo brings extensive experience to the position, having been involved in the development of Virgo, the only European interferometer in the global network of gravitational wave observatories, since the 1990s.