On October 16, the first Management Committee and Kick-Off meeting of COST Action ENRICH (European Network for radiation-detection based Research and Innovation addressing increasing societal Challenges – CA24131) was held in Brussels, with funding of over €600,000 over four years. During the meeting, Alessandro Scordo, Level I Technologist at the INFN Frascati National Laboratory, was elected and appointed Chair.
With an initial network comprising representatives from 25 European countries, but with ample prospects for expanding this number, ENRICH aims to create a European network of researchers and stakeholders engaged in experiments and applications based on X-ray and gamma-ray detection, overcoming the current lack of interdisciplinarity that limits the exchange of knowledge and technology transfer from large-scale facilities to smaller laboratories and industries.
In fact, numerous researchers work daily on the development of photon detectors and their readout electronics, as well as in various fields of application including astrophysics, nuclear and atomic physics, materials science, optics, medicine, cultural heritage, food safety, fraud detection, and many others. However, the community remains fragmented, with sub-communities (e.g., nuclear physics or synchrotron users) often operating in separate silos.
ENRICH aims to bring these different communities together, promoting collaboration between sectors and disciplines to accelerate scientific and technological progress in the field of radiation detection.
In line with the spirit of inclusiveness of COST Actions, ENRICH will pay particular attention to young researchers and participants from so-called Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) through mentoring programs, training in proposal writing, and dedicated initiatives.
“The scientific results of ENRICH’s activities will help strengthen European industrial competitiveness by addressing some of the major social and technological challenges facing Europe, such as energy independence, food security, rapid medical diagnosis, and much more.” says Alessandro Scordo. “Thanks to ENRICH, the Frascati National Laboratory will confirm its role as a benchmark in the international technological research landscape in the development of X-ray and gamma detectors and electronics and their application in many scientific fields.”