2018 Activity Report

2018 Activity Report 1 January – 31 December Org.nr. 768200-0018 European Spallation Source ERIC 2 3 Content 12 TOWARDS FIRST SCIENCE 4 INTRODUCTION 12 Reflections by Andreas Schreyer, 28 EMPOWERING SCIENCE THROUGH SERVICE Director for Science, ESS 4 Shifting focus forward. 28 Reflections by Agneta Nestenborg, Director for John Womersley, 15 Top 3 highlights Project Support and Administration, ESS and Ralf Director General, ESS 16 Achievements 2018 Trant, Associate Director for Environment, 6 You always need that vision of Safety, Health & Quality, ESS what’s better, Helmut Schober, 31 Top highlights Director General, ILL 32 Achievements 2018 36 Neutron research is helping us develop better batteries, which is so important, Kristina Edström 38 CONVENTIONAL FACILITIES BEYOND ALL CONVENTION 38 2018 reflection by Kent Hedin, Head of Conventional Facilities, ESS 41 Top 3 highlights 20 TURNING ON THE ION SOURCE 8 WELCOME TO OUR WORLD 20 Reflections by Roland Garoby, Technical Director, ESS 9 How we operate 23 Top 3 highlights 10 Revealing facts on an atomic level 24 Achievements 2018 42 STATUTORY REPORT 26 Good science is always rewarded. Santo Gammino, 44 ESS Expenditures Reach Across Europe Director of Research, INFN-LNS 46 Highlights 2018 48 Governance, Management and Advisory Committees 54 Statutory Administration Report 62 Notes 4 5 Shifting our focus forward by the Director General Have you ever wished you could have been in the room separate tasks. The new schedule was We drive ourselves hard – “relentless officially approved in June and keeps us progress” some external experts have the day NASA switched on the first screen at Mission on track to deliver first science to outside called it. I call it passion and purpose. We Control? Or when Louis Pasteur began his experiments users in 2023. are pulled, not pushed, toward our goal. We each know this is our opportunity to with fermentation that eventually led to the discovery Defining collaboration be part of something to benefit humanity With unforeseen change, of course, of bacteria? At ESS, we’re convinced we witnessed a – a scientific facility 20–50 times more comes extra costs. As we discuss the powerful than anything that exists in the historic first moment in 2018 – a moment that will, in a financial impact with our member world today. Here, scientists won’t just countries, we’re optimistic for an few years, enable scientists to create their own world- be able to do things better. They’ll be able agreement during 2019 as to how extra changing firsts. to do radically new things, focused on contributions will be made by the solving practical, everyday needs. European partners, and how sustainable In 2018, we turned on the first section of Relocating nearly 500 people didn’t funding for the period 2019–2025 will be That’s our focus forward – delivering first the ion source for what will become the change anybody’s job description or the secured. In the meantime, all partners science in 2023. From planning and world’s most powerful particle accelerator. day-to-day work, but it did change the provided the full funding requested for preparing individual dishes, we have Measuring 500 metres when fully focus and mindset of our organisation 2019, enabling us to continue full begun to put the whole meal together. operational, we now have the first two because it’s clearer why we’re here. You steam ahead. What a smorgasbord it will be. metres of the particle accelerator only need to look out of the window, The measure of support we have from delivering a low-power beam of protons. especially now as we’ve passed the the member countries is defining a whole Built in Italy as an in-kind delivery and halfway mark in construction with 55% new era of scientific collaboration as, officially inaugurated with a visit from complete at the end of 2018. together, we deliver the biggest Sweden’s King and Italy’s President, this greenfield investment Europe is making Planning to adapt is an important milestone for our broad JOHN WOMERSLEY Of course, creating something that’s in science right now. European collaboration. DIRECTOR GENERAL, ESS never been done before is full of Glance back, focus forward A whole new view challenges. Design of the target building It’s tempting to just look up and see the We’ve been witnessing “firsts” at ESS for – the heart of ESS, where neutrons will mountain we have yet to climb. Yet, this years, but 2018 marks a significant shift. be made – had to be upgraded to comply report is our moment to pause, look back, Powering up the ion source is a technical with updated safety and security and realise that we’ve already scaled milestone, of course. Yet equally requirements, newly set in place multiple Everests – through terrain no important is the psychological milestone internationally after studies of the one has ever travelled before. There’s no that ESS now has operational equipment impact of the earthquake and tsunami map to follow. No guidebook. We are in place, and is not just a building site. on Fukushima in Japan. creating it. This psychological shift is reinforced by To minimise the impact of delays from our move into temporary offices next to The commitment of everybody at ESS is this and future changes, we completely the facility, which was also completed truly something to celebrate. People revisited our project planning – a major during 2018. work beyond their comfort zones, endeavour involving over 25,000 because we’re on a mission here. 6 7 “You always need that HELMUT SCHOBER vision of what’s better” DIRECTOR GENERAL, ILL SS will be important for the future many PhD students able to work on site of neutron research, but that won’t whether from the local schools or other Ebe the only benefit once it’s online. universities from the member countries. It will also be the latest addition to a new These numbers alone are enough to scientific hub in Lund, and this is make a positive impact in Grenoble, but something that can have a huge positive then there are the scientists that visit impact on the region. Grenoble was a every year to conduct experiments. pioneer in this respect as the city became “There are around 800 experiments home to the ILL, as well as the European carried out every year,” says Mr. Schober. Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and “This translates to roughly 1,500 people the European Synchotron Radiation visiting the ILL, where some stay for a Facility (ESRF), and the ambition is that couple of days, and others stay for ESS joins MAX IV and the Science Village weeks. This benefits everyone involved city, and all the way to the university on “Competition is good,” adds Mr. Schober. to bring this same level of success to – we get top scientists coming to the other side, so everything is well “Everyone strives to do their best, and southern Sweden. Grenoble, which boosts both knowledge connected. Again, this is mutually then we share, because we know that “Our most important contribution to and enthusiasm, and local businesses beneficial, as the accessibility works well together we can drive the whole field Grenoble is the enormous increase in feel the benefit of more people being in for the city and for the science hub. forward. We always need to push the city. The member countries then get ourselves, and keep that motivation, but international visibility,” explains Helmut The most important part of the service the benefits of the work that’s done here collaboration is also absolutely necessary Schober, director of the ILL. “In the 60s the ILL offers though, is the reliability. by being able to access the results, as we need to optimise how we use our Grenoble was extremely ambitious, “We put a lot of emphasis on this,” says findings and methodologies.” resources. We need to avoid doing things creating research centres, a university, Mr. Schober. “As the work and the beam that have already been done, and instead a national research lab, and many other The ILL benefits the area and the member time is planned so far in advance, we focus on the exciting opportunities in important things, but they really wanted countries in such a variety of ways that it can’t just call to say it’s been moved two front of us. That way we ensure the best recognition on a global scale. That’s would be unwise to try to attach a figure weeks due to maintenance. We work to returns on investments, and consistently where the addition of the ILL really to it, in terms of return on investment. have 100% reliability and predictability, push performance.” changed things.” More than purely financial returns, the ILL and this is why we’re still number one. has an impact on expanding knowledge The services we offer can be seen as a ESS will only add to this competition and This all led to the transformation of and understanding all over the world. ESS chain, and a chain is only as strong as its collaboration, and the hope is that it will Grenoble into a global powerhouse of is already experiencing these benefits, weakest link. I’m proud to say we have no drive the field even further, and faster important research, where the the ILL is with many employees having trained at weak links.” than ever before, as Mr. Schober just one of many important facilities. some point with the ILL. concludes: The ILL is constantly evaluating what “Here in Grenoble we’ve created a science © C.

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