Last week, we were thrilled to welcome our esteemed colleagues from JCNS, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), for the kick-off meeting of an exciting new collaborative agreement. This partnership marks the beginning of Europe’s first HICANS Platform (High Current Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources).

During this immensely productive session, we delved into the recent advancements and status of the Argitu and HBS projects. We explored how to seamlessly integrate the high current proton accelerator system, currently under construction at ESS Bilbao, with the target-moderator-reflector unit that has been successfully built and operated at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Together, we are ensuring our plans and timelines stay on track while identifying key risks and opportunities for future success.

This cutting-edge collaboration is forged within the framework of the ELENA partnership and will soon include LLB as a third partner, bringing its vast experience and invaluable contributions to future neutron instruments. Our collective aim is to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a full high current accelerator-driven neutron source in Europe, paving the way for the next generation of neutron technology. We plan to have this combined system operational by 2026 at the ESS Bilbao site in Spain.

A special thank you to Karen Friese, Thomas Gutberlet and Paul Zakalek for your invaluable contributions to this groundbreaking agreement.

Stay tuned for more thrilling updates as we continue to lead the way in particle accelerators, neutron science, and scientific innovation! Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.