It is a great pleasure to welcome neutron researchers from all over the world to Lund and to ESS, where they, in only a few years from now, will carry out world-leading research to address societal challenges - just as ILL does so successfully since five decades. With ESS providing unique tools and unprecedented performance, a vital scientific community and enhanced collaboration between all European facilities, all conditions are united for Europe maintaining the lead in this important research field.

I’m excited to hear about the latest scientific results from our research community and to also share news about the new experimental capabilities that will be available at the ILL early in 2023. It’s also an important opportunity for everyone to see for themselves the progress being made towards bringing the ESS into operation with further new capabilities later in the decade.

The ESS project will give Norway and the other member countries a fantastic new research infrastructure that can be used in many different areas. It is impressive to see how Norwegian researchers contribute to realising this mega-project.

Norway has provided strong and continuous support for the ESS project since the very beginning, and is an important contributor to the construction and operation of the world’s leading neutron source. Today we are very pleased to show Ole Borten Moe, Norway’s Minister of Research and Higher Education, the significant progress on site and some of the Norwegian contributions that will support ESS in delivering world class science for a better world.

I have high expectations for this project, where we, with complementary expertise, are joining forces to develop tools for ESS and for the batteries of the future.

The unique combination of X-ray and neutron tomography provides completely new insights into the relationship between the 3D material structure and 3D-distribution of lithium, allowing us to better understand how exactly the structure of the battery material affects lithium transport and storage. This enables the development and improvement of novel materials for solid-state batteries, which are considered one of the most promising battery types of the future.

Adding an X-ray source to the ODIN instrument will enable ESS to not only push the research boundaries of battery technology, but also in many other fields, such as medical implants, construction materials and cultural heritage.

Skanska has done an excellent job in the construction of the complex research infrastructure, in close collaboration with ESS, while at all times ensuring a safe work environment for all personnel on site. In line with the ambitious sustainability goals of ESS, Skanska has also established a green building site that will set an example of environmentally friendly construction.

ESS is based on collaboration, both as research facility and construction project. The close collaboration and mutual trust between Skanska and ESS have been a prerequisite for the project's success. Innovation and sustainability are important to Skanska, not only in how we work but also in what we deliver to our customers and to society. That is why today I am extremely proud to officially hand over the buildings of the world-leading research facility to ESS.

Spain, with its important neutron research community and long and deep commitment to building the world’s leading research facility using neutrons, is a key member country for ESS. The Target wheel, shaft and drive unit delivered today by our in-kind partner ESS Bilbao are proof of Spain’s advanced technological and industrial capacity.

Our researchers and science industry will benefit from the in-kind contributions delivered by ESS Bilbao to the world-leading research facility ESS,  and these deliveries positions Spain as a driver of European science. The Target system delivery is a milestone made possible thanks to our Industrial partners AVS, Nortemecánica and Thune Eureka, in excellent collaboration with our team and ESS.

Participating in the design, manufacture and testing of the target system for the leading neutron research infrastructure in Europe has validated ESS Bilbao as an international benchmark for target technologies. Thanks to the skills and efforts of our hardworking team, we rose to the challenge that we took on.

Our very competent colleagues at ESS Bilbao and their suppliers have, in close collaboration with ESS, fine-tuned the design and manufacture of the novel ESS Target wheel. After years of design discussions, calculations and an extensive number of tests, it is extremely gratifying to see this first-of-its-kind Target system finally arriving on the ESS site today.

We have worked hard to develop a new realistic project baseline, in close collaboration with our in-kind partners all over Europe. We have strong confidence in our ability to deliver a world-leading research facility based on the new plan and will take all necessary measures to succeed.

ESS Council is impressed by the efforts undertaken by all involved to establish this robust and resilient project plan, and we are convinced that ESS will be brought to completion accordingly. Council is working with the member states to provide funding of the additional costs.

We have committed to deliver a world-leading facility for materials research, and the start of the beam commissioning in the normal conducting part of the accelerator is a major step forward on the road to completion for ESS. Before the end of the year we will be accelerating proton beam at ESS, thanks to the efforts of our partners and staff.

I am extremely proud of all the hard work performed by our in-kind partners and our own physicists, engineers and technicians here at ESS, enabling us to hand over large parts of the normal conducting linac for commissioning. We have had to work under very special and challenging conditions during the pandemic, and yet we are ready to soon run the proton beam in the accelerator.

We are very much looking forward to start the commissioning process in the normal conducting linac together with all the teams involved. We have trained operators and shift leaders for a long time to be ready to operate the systems and eventually run beam.

Since the beginning, ESS has had a very strong sustainability focus, aiming to become one of the most environmentally sustainable research infrastructures worldwide. We decided even before the construction of the facility started in 2014 to use BREEAM as a backbone for our sustainability requirements. The Outstanding rating is proof that all our efforts and hard work, together with our partners, to build the facility in a sustainable way have been successful.

To reach the Outstanding level requires a long-term thinking and lot of effort from everyone involved, from designers and management to procurement and subcontractors, in order to handle every aspect in a sustainable way, such as waste management, transport and energy use. We are proud to see that this extraordinary teamwork has borne fruit, and believe that ESS will be used as a reference for sustainable building in the future.

I am happy that the ESS Council has appointed Professor Helmut Schober as the next Director General of ESS. Helmut Schober has a long-standing experience as neutron scientist and a deep knowledge in leading a European scientific facility. He will lead ESS in the transition from a construction site into an international leading research facility.

I am honoured to be appointed ESS Director General. ESS will be an absolutely necessary building block for preserving Europe’s long-standing, global leadership in neutron science. Its unprecedented capabilities will enable unique scientific insight into materials that will contribute to solving many of the pressing challenges our society is facing. Together with the ESS staff and our partners I will deploy all my energy to deliver a vibrant facility at the earliest possible date.

The delivery of the Monolith vessel demonstrates yet again the long-standing Spanish commitment to this world-leading research infrastructure in Europe. Spain has, through ESS Bilbao and in collaboration with our team here in Lund, delivered another key technical contribution, and more will follow - allowing ESS to advance science so that future generations can thrive.

Spain’s membership in ESS, the world’s most powerful neutron source, is fundamental for our country as a science nation, especially benefitting Spanish researchers and industrial suppliers. The shipment of the Monolith vessel marks a major milestone in the ESS project and I am very proud of the teams at ESS Bilbao and ESS, and wish to thank our industrial partners AVS for the engineering and Cadinox for the manufacturing.

The Monolith vessel is the result of several years of close collaboration with the competent and committed team at ESS Bilbao. Despite technical challenges and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, our partners in Spain have managed to deliver this advanced technical component, vital for the facility.

We have achieved this huge milestone after more than five years of hard work, and can today finally see the Monolith vessel on the ESS construction site. This has been an engineering challenge in terms of design, manufacturing, quality control, testing and logistics that has now been successfully completed.

The joint ESS-ILL User meeting is a unique opportunity to interact with the European neutron user community before ESS starts operation. We are building ESS with the scientists - for the scientists, enabling European users to maintain their leading position in neutron research.

While ESS progresses towards the start of its user programme, the ILL is delivering science, innovation, and cutting-edge capability based on its own upgrade programme. It is essential that we move ahead together, with our users, and the user meeting is an ideal opportunity. We will explore how the science we do today feeds in to the science of tomorrow.

Denmark is proud to host ESS, and its Data Management and Software Center in Copenhagen, which will provide high-performance computing for the scientific community. Collaboration and synergies between ESS and the Danish research community will facilitate the integration of the DMSC into our research and innovation ecosystem. Hosting ESS will benefit Danish science and industry and enable Denmark to maintain its strong position within research fields such as magnetism and life science.

As host country, Denmark plays an essential role for ESS and on behalf of all the 13 member countries I congratulate on this important milestone for ESS as a whole. On a personal note, as a former head of neutron scattering at the now closed research facility DR3 at Risø, it’s a great pleasure to see an important part of ESS on Danish soil.

The DMSC design focuses on reliability, scalability and efficiency. We provide a resilient data centre infrastructure, which is crucial to ensure that the researchers using the instrument stations at ESS can carry out their experiments without interruption in their pursuit of scientific breakthroughs.

The handover of the Long Instrument Hall is an important milestone on the path to deliver first science at ESS in 2023. We have moved from construction of the building to the first installations of scientific equipment, working closely with our partners in the member countries who are constructing most of this instrumentation. Together we are strongly determined to make ESS a landmark of European science.”

Together with our in-kind partners throughout Europe we are committed to deliver 15 neutron instruments that will enable outstanding scientific results. We have been working on the ESS instrument suite for many years, and several years of hard work lie ahead of us before completion, but this is a huge leap forward.

For me personally this is a very special moment, as before joining ESS I participated in the development of the engineering instrument BEER, that will be located in this very hall. Standing here today I envisage the Experimental Halls at ESS filled with state-of-the-art instruments and top scientists, delivering world-class research.

France is a leading scientific nation with great experience building and hosting large research infrastructures, and a vital and strongly committed member of ESS. The RFQ delivered from our partner CEA-IRFU is proof of the unique scientific and technological capabilities of French national research institutes and industry.

ESS is of great importance for France as a member country with one of the largest neutron user communities in Europe. CEA-IRFU is very proud to contribute at a high level to the construction of the world’s most powerful neutron source with strong involvement in the construction of the superconducting Linac, the RFQ and the beam diagnostics. The delivery of the RFQ is an important milestone, result of a collaborative effort with French industry.

IRFU is one of the world leaders in RFQ design and production, so it was natural for us to set up a partnership with them. Over the years we have overcome many challenges and I am extremely satisfied to see this technical masterwork delivered at ESS today.

The RFQ is made of five sections of four brazed poles in ultra-pure copper and stainless steel of about one metre each machined with a mechanical precision of a few tens of micrometres. The realisation of the quadrupoles took more than three years, involving more than 15 people in close collaboration with the industrial company Mecachrome.

The start of the construction of the ESS Campus is an important milestone on the road to completion of this unique research infrastructure, that will help to address some of the big societal challenges of our time. The ESS Campus will be the most public part of the site and we have focused on optimising the full experience for staff and visitors.

Our aim is to create a pleasant and stimulating environment at the ESS Campus, to facilitate the scientists’ research and contribute to scientific breakthroughs. In collaboration with Skanska, we work on meeting our high standards for the future buildings.

We are honoured to welcome the Italian President and Their Majesties to ESS today. ESS is a European research facility that will be world-leading of its kind, of which Italy is a committed member country, and a good example of Italy’s long-standing commitment to European collaboration within science and technology. Italy and Sweden, together with the other member countries, work to ensure that ESS will be a world-class research and innovation centre for scientists from all over the world.

ESS is a European flagship for science and innovation, built upon critical contributions from partners all over Europe. The commissioning of the Ion source is a key milestone for the project and demonstrates the excellent collaboration with our Italian in-kind partner INFN-LNS, who have delivered a technological masterpiece to ESS.

Thanks to its expertise and experience, INFN, with effective teamwork led by the Southern National Laboratories, has brought a contribution of excellence to ESS. The advanced technologies necessary for the realisation of the Ion source and LEBT constitute an innovation opportunity in frontier physics research where the Italian industry involved in the project delivered once again.

We are proud to be able to show ESS to the Security Council. We talked about technological development and global challenges, and how research and innovation can be used to meet today’s problems and crises

We’re honoured and pleased to host the UN Security Council today. ESS is a great example of international collaboration, with European nations pooling their resources to build the facility and staff members from no less than 50 countries. But ESS is more than just a symbol of cooperation – this visit emphasises the key role that scientific and technical innovation must play in helping to addressing the world’s pressing challenges, from energy sustainability to healthcare to better use of materials.”

We aim to set a new standard for big science facilities, and recycling our waste heat is key to that. E.ON will be an excellent partner for ESS as we seek to become one of the most environmentally sustainable research centres in the world.

E.ON has been involved in the process of developing the ESS energy management concept, and we have an exciting development work ahead of us regarding this energy solution.

IPAC is the showcase for the breath-taking progress in the field of Accelerator Science and Technology worldwide bringing together more than 300 representatives from companies, laboratories and universities. This provides a unique occasion for an exciting and fruitful exchange of ideas between industry and research institutes, across countries and domains, among younger and more experienced colleagues.

Accelerators are tools for discovery, as recently shown by CERN with the discovery of the Higgs particle. IPAC is the ideal meeting place for top scientists, engineers and industry keen to explore possible ways to improve the discovery potential of these fantastic machines.

I was delighted to visit the construction site of the European Spallation Source and to learn more about this impressive facility. The complexity of this important research project means we have much to gain from working together. I look forward to the results of continued collaboration between Canadian and Swedish innovators and researchers.