16 March 2026

Much appreciated site visits to MAX IV and ESS

On the morning before the Swedish Big Science Forum officially began, participants were given a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and visit two of Lund’s world-leading research facilities – MAX IV Laboratory and the European Spallation Source (ESS).

These exclusive site visits offered valuable insight into the advanced technologies and scientific environments that are shaping the future of research in Europe and beyond.

Thank you

We at Big Science Sweden would like to extend our sincere thanks to ESS and MAX IV for offering participants this unique opportunity to go behind closed doors and experience two of the major Big Science research facilities in Lund.

The whole group gathered at ESS. Photo: Charlotte Carlberg Bärg.

Karl Åhnberg, Mechanical Designer at MAX IV

The European Spallation Source (ESS)

ESS, currently under construction, will become a multidisciplinary research facility based on the world’s most powerful neutron source, using particle accelerators and spallation technology. ESS will provide neutron beams up to 100 times brighter than those currently available, enabling groundbreaking research across a wide range of fields including the environment, health, materials and energy.

MAX IV Laboratory

MAX IV is a synchrotron light facility whose beamlines provide advanced X-ray spectroscopy, scattering, diffraction and imaging techniques. As the world’s most brilliant synchrotron light source, MAX IV enables scientists to study material structures atom by atom and to monitor chemical processes in real time. The facility plays a key role in enabling discoveries of new structures and materials at the nanoscale.