Infrastructure for the Einstein Telescope: dual inauguration of an ultra-fast network and cutting-edge laboratories
On 9 July, the University of Cagliari hosted the inauguration of two strategic research infrastructures, significant not only for Sardinia but for the entire national research and academic community.
The result of a collaborative design effort involving institutions, universities and research bodies, the new facilities were made possible through funding from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under Mission 4, within the framework of the TeRABIT and ETIC projects, both led by the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN).
The first milestone was the launch of a regional optical fibre ring spanning approximately 1,100 km, developed by GARR and integrated into the national research and education network GARR-T. Thanks to this achievement, Sardinia now benefits from high-performance connectivity (1.6 Terabits per second aggregate intra-island capacity) and four high-capacity submarine links (400 Gbps each) connecting it to mainland Italy. This places the island firmly within the hub of international research networks.
The second infrastructure inaugurated was the ETIC laboratories at the Department of Physics of the University of Cagliari, developed in collaboration with INFN. These state-of-the-art labs will focus on the development of enabling technologies—particularly in the fields of optics and optoelectronics—essential to the future Einstein Telescope gravitational wave observatory, for which Sardinia is a candidate host site in Europe (in the former Sos Enattos mine area, Nuoro province).
The official presentation of the two infrastructures took place during the event “Towards the Einstein Telescope: the results of TeRABIT and ETIC”, attended by representatives from institutions, academia and the research sector.
The day also provided an opportunity to reflect on the role of scientific infrastructure and advanced connectivity in fostering national development and in strengthening Italy’s bid to host the Einstein Telescope.
Maurizio Tira, President of GARR:
The completion of Sardinia’s optical fibre interconnection is a source of great satisfaction, as it has long been one of our objectives. Today, the island is fully integrated with the national backbone and benefits from cutting-edge connectivity, enabling high-performance access to both national and international destinations. This is a key step forward not only for the research community and its excellence projects, but also for universities, culture, and the broader development of the region.
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