During the meeting, ESS Director General Helmut Schober provided an overview of the latest progress in the construction of the ESS facility, in line with New Project Plan rolled out in January 2022.
The overview showcased installation, testing and commissioning of parts of the accelerator, target and instruments, in close collaboration with In Kind partners. Among others, an important achievement is the recent installation of the target wheel and moderator reflector plug, key components of the target system, the very heart of the ESS facility.
“For the Council it is very reassuring to see project-progress made in the last months as well as the emphasis given to the close collaboration with the in-kind partners”, comments Andrea Fischer, ESS Council Vice Chair. “This positive momentum set the scene for the Council approval of the funding of the next project phase.”
“We continue to make good progress, holding the dates for major project milestones”, says Helmut Schober. “It is imperative for ESS, in Lund and at DMSC in Copenhagen, and at our In-kind partner institutes, to stay focused on the overall goal to deliver a world class facility according to the schedule set by the New Project Plan, as done so far.”
During the meeting, the Council appointed Johanna Brandenburg as Chair of the Administrative & Finance Committee (AFC) and Laura Woodward as AFC Vice Chair, for a period of two years, starting 1 January 2024, Fiamma Garcia Toriello as In-Kind Review Committee (IKRC) Chair and Tania Claudio Weber as IKRC Vice Chair, for a period of two years, starting 1 January 2024.
The Council re-appointed ESS Technical Director Kevin Jones for an additional period of two years, starting 1 September 2024, and welcomed the newly appointed Director for Administration, Anders Ihr, who will start his mandate on 2 January 2024.
The Council approved the Budget for 2024, the Currency Policy and the Amount and Sharing of funding for the New Project Plan, subject to national approval.
Throughout the presentations and discussions, Council and Management focused on readiness for operations as an integral part of the project and of utmost importance for the future ESS.
In this framework, the Director General presented updates related to the ESS Data Management and Software Centre – DMSC, whose permanent location will be, as of April 2024, at the Danish University of Technology DTU, at the Lyngby campus, north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
It was highlighted how DMSC, led by the newly appointed head of ESS DMSC division Thomas Holm Rod, will play a key role in enabling scientific experiments and in converting the outcome of these experiments into scientific knowledge and knowhow of the highest impact.
Among other measures adopted to develop operational readiness, ESS Science Director Giovanna Fragneto introduced the new organisational structure for the ESS Science Directorate and its management, strengthened in view of both hot commissioning of the instruments and preparation of the scientific programme. As of January 2024, the Science Directorate will introduce three instrument divisions, associated with the current instrument classes:
- Large Scale Structure Division (including instruments: LOKI, SKADI, ESTIA, FREIA, NMX)
- Spectroscopy Division (including instruments: BIFROST, CSPEC, MIRACLES, T-REX, VESPA)
- Diffraction and Imaging Division (including instruments: DREAM, MAGIC, ODIN, HEIMDAL, BEER, TBL).
"Science as a top priority is being embedded within the culture across the entire ESS organisation. In particular, scientific activity is high for staff in the Science Directorate”, says Victoria Garcia Sakai, chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). “At this stage of the project, active and continuous engagement with the scientific community, current and new groups, is extremely important to showcase the breadth of capabilities and unique characteristics that ESS will provide.”
The ESS Council and Management discussed the recent review organised by ESS to assess the ongoing preparation for Steady State Operations (SSO), focusing on organisational structure, cost and scope, as well as opportunities for consolidation and increased efficiency.
"Building ESS is challenging. But transitioning to and then operating as a world leading science facility is even more challenging, so it is critical that we start planning and preparing already now”, states Council Chair Robert McGreevy. “The Steady State Operations review, and all the work done by ESS to prepare for it, has provided a very helpful basis from which to take this next step in the ESS journey.”
This work will continue at the next Strategy Council meeting and beyond, providing guidance for further refinement work, leading to a robust planning.
“The ESS Management will continue to work with the Council and rely on their guidance in developing a facility ready for operations”, concludes Helmut Schober. “This will allow ESS to become an integral part of the European Eco-System of research facilities, sharing the goal of enabling science and innovation for sustainability.”
The next meeting of the ESS Council will take place at ESS in Lund on 19-20 February 2024.