Laserlab-Europe, a consortium of European laser research institutions, entered into a new phase of collaboration on March 15 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Representatives of the Slovak government, the European Commission and the Slovak Academy of Sciences attended the launch ceremony. The International Laser Centre/Medzinárodné Laserové Centrum of Bratislava is a key consortium member. One of its projects involves the establishment of powerful scientific lasers called “Extreme Light Infrastructure,” or ELI, in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. Laser devices being developed in consortium projects have applications in the life sciences and other areas.