Construction of one of the most efficient super lasers in the world started yesterday in Dolní Břežany, a small town just outside Prague. The ELI Beamlines center, worth CZK 7bn, will be funded by the European Union. The new center is designed to attract experts from around the world and stop brain drain in the Czech Republic. The new laser will be operational in 2016, with full performance to be reached in 2019. “I consider it a very important stimulation for Czech science, or its international integration, also because this will be the biggest and most important scientific installation in the Czech Lands,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas during Tuesday’s cornerstone ceremony, which was also attended by Education Minister Petr Fiala. The center will focus on research related to cancer treatment, medical imaging and diagnosing. The laser will also be used for the development and testing of new materials and the handling of radioactive waste.
