The European Spallation Source (ESS) joins EIROforum as its newest member.
The European Intergovernmental Research Organisation forum (EIROforum) brings together some of Europe’s largest research organisations, combining their resources, facilities, and expertise to support European science. Members support collaboration across disciplines and countries, advise European policymakers and strengthen Europe’s global scientific competitiveness.
The European Spallation Source (ESS) has joined EIROforum as its newest member, following a discussion and vote during the Director General assembly held on 12 February 2026.
The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research facility based on a next-generation neutron source that will allow scientists to probe the atomic structure and behaviour of materials further. ESS will enable scientific advances in research related to materials, energy, health and the environment, addressing some of the most important societal challenges of our time. The facility, owned by 13 European countries, is being built with extensive contributions from many European in-kind partner institutions and is projected to be operational in 2028.
“We feel privileged to join EIROforum, and I would like to thank the EIROforum Directors-General for their confidence in ESS,” said Helmut Schober, Director General of ESS. “Being part of this network will be invaluable for our continued progress on the journey to producing world-leading science for the coming decades. ESS has come a long way since construction started on an open green field, back in 2014. Today, we have transitioned from design, construction and installation into a fully fledged neutron facility: virtually all the technical equipment needed for neutron production is in place, and several instruments are prepared to begin their first scientific experiments. In addition, the path is set for a credible User programme that will underpin neutron science research in Europe and beyond. Our progress is the result of close and lasting collaborations with many European partners, and we are thus committed to the EIROforum mission of strengthening European research.”
ESS joins eight existing EIROforum members, which together represent extensive expertise in basic research, as well as the management of large, international infrastructures, facilities and research programmes. EIROforum members include some of Europe’s leading organisations in the life sciences, particle physics, nuclear research, astronomy, space sciences, neutron science and more. It also includes some of the most advanced providers of scientific services and core facilities, such as beamlines, satellites, and X-ray laser facilities, among others. As EIROforum’s ninth member, ESS will join these partners in their mission of promoting the quality and impact of European research.
Current Chair of EIROforum, EMBL Interim Director General Ewan Birney said, “We are delighted to welcome ESS to join EIROforum. Intergovernmental organisations delivering large research infrastructures at scale for the benefit of Europe face similar challenges and opportunities in a changing world. ESS brings shared understanding and experience and we look forward to working alongside them to maximise the benefit of science for Europe and the world.”