Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

World’s largest laser lab rocked by slew of disputes

Delays and disagreements plague final stages of the world-leading, €875-million Extreme Light Infrastructure being built across Eastern Europe.
  1. Alison Abbott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

When the European Union approved an ambitious €875-million project to build the world’s largest scientific laser facility, it was conducting its own pioneering experiment. Three former Communist countries would host the lasers, in a bid to boost science in the region. And, in an economic first, the research facility would be paid for with EU structural funds, which are typically used to build roads and power lines in poorer EU member states.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 569, 607-608 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01607-7

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 28 May 2019: This story has been updated with comments from Ferenc Krausz.

  • Correction 28 May 2019: An earlier version of this story included inaccurate figures for the cost of the ELI project and its constituent parts. These have been updated. It also stated that the Romanian site was the most expensive part of the project. In fact, the Czech site is the most expensive.

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links