Often described as a large technical jigsaw puzzle, the ESS project involves over 40 partner institutes in the 13 Member States, collaborating to design, build, and operate one of the world's leading research facilities using neutrons for scientific research.
A series of visits to the ESS site celebrated their contributions, offering partners a chance to see firsthand the fruits of their work.
Over the last two years, through six visits, ESS welcomed In-Kind Partners from the following Member States: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, and Spain. Each visit was organised to provide a comprehensive overview of the facility and the significant contributions made by these partners and their suppliers. The visits included workshops, presentations and guided tours of the ESS site in Lund, offering the partners a firsthand look at the impact of their work.
The events were organised by the ESS In-Kind Management team to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions, offering partners a chance to see firsthand the fruits of their labour.
In total, nearly 250 people working on the ESS project from their home countries have now visited Sweden to see ESS and its components in context. Of the 250 visitors, about half were in science and engineering, a quarter in finance/legal, and a quarter in HR/Admin/Comms. 60% were men, and 40% were women.
Mark Robinson, Head of the ESS In-Kind Management, emphasised the importance of the visits:
“These visits have been crucial for fostering closer collaboration and understanding among ESS partners. They provided an invaluable opportunity for administrative, design, and engineering teams to see the results of their long-term efforts and allowed partners to engage deeply with the ESS project and understand their vital role in its success. The visits were intentionally targeted at those crucial support staff who do not normally get a chance to visit the site; the cooperation of the In-Kind leadership teams to support these events was much appreciated.”
Voices from recent visitors from ESS Bilbao:
Izaskun Lezcano Hidalgo, Responsible for Safety & Quality, ESS Bilbao, Spain
"After working on this project for over 14 years, visiting the facility for the first time was amazing. Seeing the components I've only seen on my screen now put together in real life, the size and enormous structures, was truly impressive."
Begoña Asumendi, Head of Finance Division, ESS Bilbao, Spain
“Thank you very much for your welcome at ESS, it was a real pleasure to visit the facility in situ. The whole ESS Bilbao team was very grateful and impressed. It was great to finally get to know the project for which we are dedicating so much effort.
We are really looking forward to seeing everything in operation!”
Sira Cordon, Press Officer/HR, ESS Bilbao, Spain
”Thank you so much for your kind treatment during our visit in Lund.
I'm thrilled I was able to come back and see the huge progress and our ESS Bilbao In-Kind contributions in place.”
