PHYSICAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING
/
SINGLE-SITED
ESS
European Spallation Source ERIC
website
headquarters
European Spallation Source ERIC
Lund, Sweden
legal status
Established (ERIC, AISBL, GmbH, Others)
type
single-sited
access
physical, remote
description
European Spallation Source ERIC (ESS) is a research facility under construction in Lund, Sweden, with its data management and software center situated outside Copenhagen, Denmark. When completed, ESS will be the world’s most powerful accelerator-based neutron source to study the structure and behaviour of matter from the atomic to the macroscopic level, unlocking discoveries and driving innovative solutions to tackle global challenges, from energy to healthcare and sustainability. ESS became a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) in 2015, supported by 13 member countries through cash and In-Kind contributions, with technical components built at more than 40 European research institutes and with the contribution of know-how from more than 100 laboratories and experts worldwide. When in full operation, the ESS facility will be used by thousands of researchers every year from academia and industry specialising in many fields including magnetism, structural biology and materials chemistry.
TIMELINE & ESTIMATED COSTS
Roadmap Entry
as project: 2006
as landmark: 2016
Total investment
3138 M€
Design Phase
2011-2013
0 M€
Preparation Phase
2008-2012
80 M€
Implementation Phase
2013-2027
3058 M€
Operation start
2028
140 M€/year
POLITICAL SUPPORT
Lead
DK
SE
Member
CH
CZ
DE
EE
ES
FR
HU
IT
NO
PL
UK
IMPACTS
From cancer treatments to catalysts, energy storage to environmentally friendly plastics, advanced materials are key to addressing global challenges, generating substantial innovation and driving sustainable economic development. Making such advances depends on a detailed understanding of material properties and the associated interactions at the atomic and molecular level. Neutrons are the ideal exploratory technique for understanding the microscopic structure and dynamics of a wide range of materials. Once fully operational, ESS with its extensive suite of world leading instruments and powerful computing capabilities will support the community in sophisticated experiments that enable scientific discovery and innovative applications across many disciplines including health, energy, security and engineering - contributing to some of the most important societal challenges of 21st century.
Before world-scale scientific impact from ESS is realized, its construction has a direct economic impact by generating growth and jobs, fueling innovation potential in the Öresund region and across the EU.
SERVICES
ESS will offer various neutron scattering methods that can be used in life science, soft matter, chemistry and biomaterials from the atomic to the macroscopic scale. One of the largest advantages using neutrons is the ability to study hydrogen atoms, which could for example be helpful when studying enzyme mechanisms or imaging of hydrogen-rich materials, e.g. for studying water uptake in plants. The Deuteration & Macromolecular Crystallization (DEMAX) team at ESS already supports the neutron research community by providing deuterated molecules and support for protein crystallography. The most commonly user neutron scattering techniques that rely on DEMAX support include small angle neutron scattering, neutron reflectometry, neutron protein crystallography, spectroscopy, spin-echo, and powder diffraction.
Interconnections
COOPERATION WITH OTHER RIs
ESS has 13 member states that contribute to the construction of ESS via financial and In-Kind contributions, exchanging knowledge and know-how across Europe. ESS works with more than 40 European partner institutions under the in-kind model. Each partner brings their knowledge, personnel, and experience to the construction in the form of technical components, design documentation, personnel needed to perform installation and testing, or other services.
When in operations, ESS will continue to identify and promote more opportunities for in-kind contributions in the member states. Available in-kind opportunities to the ESS Initial Operations phase are listed in the In-Kind Cost Book for Initial Operations.
ESS is continuously working to establish a strong foundation via involvement and leadership in several European grant programmes, engages in outreach activities, with the aim to formalise global collaborations. ESS is involved in a number of projects funded by European, regional and national funding agencies. Since 2010, ESS has been involved in more than 50 grants funded by the European Commission, Swedish funding agencies (such as Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council) as well as the regional funding agencies NordForsk and Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak. Various initiatives and research programmes already showcase the impact the facility is having on the broad spectrum of potential users across academia and industry.
https://europeanspallationsource.se/partnerships