The kick-off event for AstroCentPlus (AC+) - an important project for the further development of astroparticle physics in Poland - took place in Warsaw in mid-February. AC+ is funded by the EU ‘United in Excellence’ programme and aims to expand the AstroCent Institute at the Nicolaus Copernicus Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences as an international centre for cutting-edge research and innovation. DESY is contributing its expertise in innovation and technology transfer to this network.

The kick-off event for AstroCentPlus (AC+) - an important project for the further development of astroparticle physics in Poland - took place in Warsaw in mid-February. AC+ is funded by the EU ‘United in Excellence’ programme and aims to expand the AstroCent Institute at the Nicolaus Copernicus Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences as an international centre for cutting-edge research and innovation. DESY is contributing its expertise in innovation and technology transfer to this network.  

A central goal of AC+ is to strengthen networking between science and technological development. In addition to close collaboration with leading European research institutions, including DESY, the Łukasiewicz Network, a network of Polish research institutes with a strong focus on applications, will also be involved in the project. The aim is to further advance the transfer of scientific findings into innovative technological applications.

As a close partner of AC+, DESY particularly supports the commercialisation of scientific developments. With its many years of experience in technology transfer and innovation promotion, DESY is helping to ensure that findings from developments in astroparticle physics can also be transferred to industrial applications and technological developments.
At the kick-off event, Christian Stegmann, Director of Astroparticle Physics at DESY, presented DESY's activities in the field of innovation and technology transfer and emphasised the importance of international cooperation: ‘AstroCentPlus is a special opportunity to link research and innovation more closely. DESY looks forward to working with our Polish partners to develop ways to translate developments for science into commercial and technological applications.’
The event was attended by high-ranking representatives of the Polish government and the European Union, who emphasised the importance of AC+ for strengthening the European research landscape.

AC+ will create a platform that not only strengthens cutting-edge research in astroparticle physics, but also contributes to the development of innovative technologies and promotes long-term scientific and economic cooperation.
The ‘United for Excellence’ programme of the European Union is an initiative within the framework of Horizon Europe that aims to promote scientific excellence and the exploitation of knowledge at European universities. Research and innovation are to be strengthened through in-depth and geographically inclusive collaborations, particularly with universities in so-called ‘widening’ countries. A key objective is to increase the global competitiveness and visibility of European universities, particularly in key areas such as the green transition and the missions of Horizon Europe.