The success of the pandemic strategy was due, in part, to close cooperation between the different scientific institutes, said Xavier Bettel during his visit to Research Luxembourg on Tuesday morning.
Luxembourg can boast a large public research sector for its small size, and past governments have endeavoured to make it more attractive for scientists from all over. These efforts paid off during the pandemic.
Around 1,700 scientists are employed in public research, with people from all over the globe collaborating in Luxembourgish labs. A lot of the fast reaction to the pandemic was possible because the research community decided early on to work closely together, said Paul Wilmes from Research Luxembourg.
One of the concrete examples was the Large Scale Testing, which allowed schools to remain open for longer than other countries’. Especially during last year’s autumn wave, this probably had a large impact on the number of infections, say researchers.
A study will look into this in more detail, says Paul Wilmes. Either way, it is clear that science plays a crucial role in today’s society, notably in Luxembourg.
Report in Luxembourgish:
