BUDAPEST: The government has approved a HUF 40 bln investment for the second phase of the construction of a superlaser center in Szeged, southeastern Hungary, according to a decree published in the newest issue of the official gazette Magyar Közlöny. The investment will be fully funded by the EU, and is now designated a “major project” according to funding rules.
The budget of the first phase of the project was previously set at HUF 37 bln and has now been lowered to HUF 29.5 bln. The government decided the superlaser centre operator ELI-HU will receive HUF 163m of funding in 2015, HUF 335 mln in 2016, HUF 423 mln in 2017 and HUF 263 mln in 2018.
Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania won a joint bid for the European Unionʼs Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project in October 2009. The University of Szeged is hosting the project in Hungary.
