On July 6, 2018, a CALT Project (Center for Advanced Laser Techniques) opening conference was held on the premises of the Ministry of Science and Education in Zagreb. The conference gathered more than 80 participants from the academic community as well as national institutions and companies interested in research based on advanced laser techniques.

In a welcome address, the attendees were addressed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Education Tome Antičić, Dr. Sc., then Mr. Dragan Jelić, B.Sc., Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds and Ms Iva Kovač, Assistant Director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for European Union Programmes and Projects. After the welcome address, the Director of the Institute of Physics Marko Kralj, Dr. Sc. presented the Institute of Physics, after which Project Manager Damir Aumiler, Dr. Sc. presented the CALT Project and the future activities of the CALT Center to the participants of the conference.  

A presentation by Prof. Tommaso Calarco, Dr. Sc., Project Manager of The Quantum Support Action under the H2020 FET Flagship program on Quantum Technologies followed, and then a presentation by Prof. Claes-Göran Wahlström, Dr. Sc., the leader of the LaserLab-Europe consortium, which assembles 33 leading institutions in laser-based interdisciplinary research.

CALT – Advanced Laser Technology Center is a strategic project of the Republic of Croatia in the field of scientific infrastructure. It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Competitiveness and Cohesion Operational Programme. The main objective of the CALT Project is to improve the existing and develop new scientific and research infrastructure based on the advanced laser techniques at the Institute of Physics. For that purpose, the building of the Institute’s first wing will undergo full reconstruction by adapting it to the contemporary requirements of scientific and research work. It will then be equipped with the state-of-the-art scientific equipment based on the advanced laser and optical systems, thus creating an environment for successful and functional performance of activities of the CALT Center to be established at the Institute. Future activities of the Center are focused on research, education and the provision of open access to equipment, with emphasis on socially relevant issues through planned research activities related to the environment, food, health, energy and security. The total value of the project is HRK 121,304,417.38, of which grant in the amount of HRK 121,297,812.38 and the project will be implemented in the period from August 1, 2017 to 31 January 31, 2021.