Swedish Research Minister Helene Hellmark Knutsson Visits ESS
Host country reinforces support for ESS. Today was the current Swedish research minister's first visit to the pan-European research infrastructure under construction in Lund.
LUND — Swedish Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson visited the European Spallation Source (ESS) today.
“The minister’s visit to ESS is valuable for many reasons,” commented ESS Director General and CEO Jim Yeck. “It provided her the opportunity to see first hand the real progress, to meet with the international leadership team, and to reinforce the strong support to ESS from Sweden as host for the facility.”
“ESS will be important for Sweden and Europe,” said Knutsson, “and will increase opportunities for Swedish research and business. That is why Sweden as a Host Country stands wholeheartedly behind the research facility.”
The visit took place this morning at the ESS construction site on the outskirts of Lund, where progress on the facility advances daily. The research minister was received by, among others, Mr. Yeck, Chair of the ESS AB Board Sven Landelius, and ESS Strategic Advisor Pia Kinhult. Sweden, as a Host Country, is contributing 35 percent of the ESS construction cost of €1.843 billion.
“If we are to strengthen Swedish research and put Sweden on the world map, we have to invest in research infrastructure,” stated Knutsson. “ESS is the largest and one of the most important investments for Sweden.”
Topics of discussion during the visit included the planned organisational transition of the ESS AB to a so-called ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), expected to be implemented this summer. The research minister was also given an overview of the ongoing construction and the progress of the project as a whole.
“ESS Host Countries Sweden and Denmark deserve recognition and respect for their commitment to delivering a European research facility that will benefit science and society at large,” said CEO Jim Yeck following the minister’s visit.
ESS is a pan-European project to construct the world's most powerful facility for materials research using neutrons. The scientific experiments that will take place at ESS will solve many riddles, and provoke new ones, related to the structure and behavior of materials, including those used in pharmaceuticals and the life sciences.
Construction of the facility began in September of last year. The first scientific instruments are expected to go online in 2020, and ESS is planned to be in full operation by 2025.
Julia Öberg, Press officer ESS 0721-79 23 11
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