ESS Organisation

The European Spallation Source ERIC is a partnership of 13 European countries working together to build and operate a state-of-the-art research facility.

ESS member countries map

Map showing the 13 ESS member countries.

From 2010 until 30 September 2015, the European Spallation Source operated as a Swedish limited partnership, or AB, owned jointly by the Swedish and Danish governments.

As of 1 October 2015, the European Spallation Source is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). The ERIC legal framework was created by the European Commission in 2009 to facilitate the joint establishment and operation of pan-European research infrastructures like ESS.

The member states of the European Spallation Source ERIC are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The ESS Council is the governing body. Read more about the ESS Governance.

ESS has a number of advisory committees, which report to the ESS Council. Read more about ESS Advisory Committees.

Our vision is to build and operate the world’s most powerful accelerator-based neutron source, enabling scientific breakthroughs in research related to materials, energy, health and the environment, addressing some of the most important societal challenges of our time.

To do this, we commit to deliver ESS as a facility that:

  • Is built safely, on time and on budget
  • Produces research outputs that are best-in-class both in terms of scientific quality and in terms of socioeconomic impact
  • Supports and develops its user community, fosters a scientific culture of excellence and acts as an international scientific hub
  • Operates safely, efficiently and economically, and responds to the needs of its stakeholders, its host states and member states
  • Develops innovative ways of working, new technologies, and upgrades to capabilities needed to remain at the cutting edge

  1. Excellence
    We provide the world’s leading neutron science facility and world-class support for the science community. We advance the use of neutrons in science and technology by supporting and developing instrumentation and tools for the highest quality application of neutrons in research. We always aim for scientific, technical and operational excellence in the safest environment.

  2. Collaboration
    We are an integral member of European society and engage with the scientific and industrial communities to help build and operate ESS. In our everyday work and all our interactions, we seek to build and maintain relationships that create a shared sense of ownership among our stakeholders. Internally and externally we are committed to act and speak with one voice, as one ESS.
  3. Openness
    We perform our work in an open and transparent manner. In this way we build trust with our partners, our stakeholders and with each other. We are willing to collectively and directly address challenges and celebrate success. We demonstrate on all levels, internally and externally, that we stand for what we say in the way we act.
  4. Sustainability
    We act and make decisions with a long-term perspective and strive to safely and responsibly use natural, human and monetary resources. We take the full life cycle of ESS into account, and view sustainability from environmental, social and economic perspectives.