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Following the ESS Scandinavia Round-Table in Latvia:With the support from the Baltic states we take the European Spallation Source forward (22/09/08)
With the support of Latvia and Lithuania, ESS Scandinavia is now gaining even broader support. At the ESS Scandinavia third Round-Table, the two Baltic countries announced their formal support for the Scandinavian bid to host the European Spallation Source, the next generation materials research facility.
Memorandums of Understanding are now being concluded between the Latvian, the Lithuanian and the Swedish Governments, with the aim of working towards building the ESS in Lund in southern Scandinavia. ESS Scandinavia now has the formal support of six countries, and negotiations with two additional countries will start soon.
The ESS Scandinavia third Round-table was held in Riga, Latvia, at the 22-23 September, with the aim of discussing how to take the ESS project forward, beyond December 2008. Consensus on the ESS siting is expected to be reached in the beginning of December, and presentation of the project could take place at the European Conference on Research Infrastructure in Versailles on 9-11 December.
- With the support from all of the Baltic states, as well as from Poland, Sweden and Denmark, we are already forming a powerful alliance. We are especially happy over the great interest from the Baltic states in the scientific and technical cooperation around the ESS, says Colin Carlile, Director of ESS Scandinavia.
- This Round-Table has shown that ESS Scandinavia is well-prepared to take the ESS project beyond the site decision, into the pre-construction phase. We are in the starting blocks, and now is the time for Europe to come to a decision!
The main conclusions from the Round Table are:
1. Setting the agenda for 2009, if Lund is chosen as the site:
- Optimising the timing of the construction.
- The start of an international organisation to manage the project.
- The funding package, including the new Risk Sharing Financing Facility of the European Investment Bank.
- From competition to cooperation: After the ESS site has been chosen, the current ESS site contenders will start cooperating in a way that all three will benefit.
2. Update of the Swedish financial offer:
The Swedish contribution to construction cost of 30 %, all in cash. Sweden’s aim is to reach a total of 50 % contribution to investment through the Nordic-Baltic Platform that is now being built up. Provided that Lund is chosen as the site, Sweden is also prepared to release 20-30 million € to launch the very necessary and urgent design review. Discussions with other countries on possible in-kind contributions have started.
3. Building ESS for the best science:
The scientific and technical output from the ESS will be strongly dependent on the ability of the host region to attract and retain international leading scientific expertise and to foster ideas and results in an innovation system. Therefore, the ESS must be built where it will generate the best science. That is:
- Where it will attract the best scientists.
- Where it can benefit from an already existing strong scientific, innovation and business environment.
- Where there is technical preparedness and project management competence to move into the construction phase.
4. Review of ESS technical design:
In February 2008, a consensus was reached on the ESS Scandinavia proposal to review the design of ESS, optimising it for long pulses and including recent technical advances made in other projects and laboratories. ESS Scandinavia has identified key issues to be addresses, recruited some of the key technical experts, and secured funding for the work. A Technical Advisory Group has been established to oversee the work, composed by international experts and chaired by Professor Kurt Clausen of PSI in Switzerland. Sweden also invites other countries to participate in the design review.
- We are happy that the other two ESS site contenders, ESS Bilbao and ESS Hungary, also have started to think about the design review. This provides a good ground for a future cooperation, says Professor Carlile.
- This Round Table has given a clear indication of the movement towards a cooperative phase, once the ESS site has been chosen. ESS Scandinavia launched the proposal of a “three winners” situation in Brdo, Slovenia, in March, and this idea has now received a broad support.
At the Round Table in Latvia, 33 participants from ministries and universities in 17 European countries took part, including representatives from CERN and the European Investment Bank. The next Round-Table will be held in Prague in the Czech Republic in April 2009.
OFFICE
ESS Scandinavia
Secretariat
Lund University
Stora Algatan 4
22 350, Lund
Fax
+46 222 83 14
Web
www.esss.se
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE CONTACT:
Professor Colin Carlile
Director
colin.carlile@esss.se
+46 761 33 33 99
Marianne Ekdahl
Communications Officer
marianne.ekdahl@esss.se
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ESS Preparatory Phase Project Website in preparation!
This Website is under construction.
It is the begining.
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Poland becomes third country to formally support ESS in Lund
Poland has become the third country to formally support the ESS Scandinavia proposal to build the European Spallation Source research centre in Lund in southern Sweden. The Government of Poland and the Government of Sweden have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to attract the ESS to Lund.
Poland will join the Nordic-Baltic Platform that ESS Scandinavia is currently assembling. Poland and Sweden will now try to set up joint technological and training opportunities for future cooperations, and together explore funding opportunities for the construction and operation of the ESS, which will be the world’s most powerful neutron source for materials science.
- We are delighted over the support from the Polish Government, says Professor Colin Carlile, Director of the ESS Scandinavia Secretariat at the Lund University. Poland is a large country at the heart of Europe, and its support will further strengthen the case for ESS being built in Scandinavia.
- Poland has a long history of advances in this scientific field, and a large pool of excellent young researchers. For a long time, we have benefited from friendly and professional contacts with scientists in Cracow, Poznan and Warsaw.
- We look forward to building the ESS together with Polish scientists!, concludes Colin Carlile.
For more information, please contact:
Marianne Ekdahl
Communications Officer
European Spallation Source Scandinavia
E-mail: marianne.ekdahl@esss.se
Office phone: +46 (0) 46 222 83 89
Mobile phone: +46 (0) 761 33 33 97
Homepage: ESSS
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| Last modified on 14/05/2008 |
