newsletter september 2021 Outstanding ideas always find their way. Similar concepts for a novel neutron research facility have been developed in various places in Europe. Following a good tradition of ELENA foundation On September 10, 2020, ELENA was founth collaboration in Europe, with ELENA ded by members from ESS-Bilbao (Spain), IFE we have found a way to combine our (Norway), INFN (Italy),JCNS (Germany), LLB (France) and Mirrotron (Hungary). The mem efforts and achieve the best possible bers agreed to cooperate and initiate collabora tions, conferences, workshops, and meetings to results. create an effective eco-system for research and applications in all areas of science and industry Prof. Dr. Thomas Brüeckel, around these neutron sources. Jüelich Centre and Chairman There are already several proects ongoing inj of the ELENA Association. Europe ranging from small local sources at uni versities or industrial companies (e.g., the Mirro tron project), via mediumsize regional sources (e.g., the projects of ESS-Bilbao, IFE and INFN) Europe has traditionally led the field for more than 40 towards high brilliance facilities (the SONATE years and achieved a strong position in neutron scien and HBS projects of the LLB and JCNS, respec ce, with a community of more than 5,000 scientists. tively). The well-established European network of neutron ESS Bilbao is proposing ARGITU, a unique and sources is threatened by the slow disappearance of ol versatile localcompact accelerator-driven neu der research reactors. There is a clear understanding tron source that would undoubtedly place the that a renewed hierarchicalnetwork of small-to-me Basque country at the forefront of research in dium-sized facilities is needed in the future. Several neutrons within Europe and will serve as a mag ongoing European projects clearly demonstrate that net for attracting talent, thus fostering its neu neutron sources based on low energy (up to 100 MeV) tron R&D ecosystem. proton accelerators provide an attractive option to re place ageing research reactors. of research with neutrons, we are very fortunate in Eu- Advantages rope: we host the world’s leading neutron source, the ILL in Grenoble, and look forward to the commissioning of There are severalclear advantages of these type of the future flagship, the ESS in Lund. The latter will enable sources:they are scalable,the capitaland operation entirely new types of experiments. However, this major costs are smaller than comparable reactor-based facili investment, to which many countries contribute, can only ties, they do not need nuclear licensing, and due to thebear fruit if it is underpinned by a network of national or lower security requirements, they can be set up and regional sources. Within ELENA, we are working together operated in a flexible manner. for a bright future of research with neutrons by contribu- In the words of Prof. Dr. Thomas Brüeckel, “in the fieldting to the creation of a new ecosystem of European neu- tron research facilities.” 19