As part of the energy transition from lignite coal to renewable energies, the German federal government decided to fund the establishment of two new research centres in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, selected through a competitive call. One of the centres, the “Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik” (DZA, German Centre for Astrophysics, https://www.deutscheszentrumastrophysik.de/en), was formally inaugurated in January 2026. Its staff will grow from currently 110 to around 1,000 by 2038. The scientific mission includes gravitational wave and radio astronomy, digital transformation, technology development, and the study of the societal impact of a large new research centre on the region. The DZA is planning to build a new underground research facility in Germany, located east of Dresden at a depth of 200 m – the "Low Seismic Lab" (LSL). The construction of the LSL aims to be completed in 2032 and will focus on technology development for the future Einstein Telescope, but applications in nuclear astrophysics, astroparticle physics, and industry are also foreseen. The talk will explore the scientific aims of the DZA and the LSL.
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Michèle Heurs
Professor
Leibniz University Hanover, DESY and DZA
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