The workshop lasted three days and was focused on analyzing the R&D activities of both facilities in a number of selected areas, where mutual interest had been identified previously, such as soft X-ray beamlines, controls, radiofrequency, optics and metrology, among others. The Chinese delegation, led by Prof. Jianhua He, SSRF deputy director and leader of the Life science area, had the chance to know first-hand the ALBA facilities and share with ALBA staff a focused view of both labs' activities in areas of common interest. The meeting included the presence of several Spanish science industry companies, invited by ALBA (with the assistance of CDTI) in order to foster collaboration opportunities with the Chinese institution.
The meeting finished with a joint wrap-up session in which the ALBA director, Caterina Biscari, and SSRF deputy director, Prof. Jianhua He, stressed the interest of both institutions on exploring specific joint collaborations and stating the will of doing a second workshop, presumably within the first half of 2015, this time in Shanghai.
SSRF is one of the most important scientific facilities of China. It is a third generation synchrotron light source with operational parameters not far from those of ALBA. Furthermore, both facilities have come into operation with a difference of only a few years. Both projects have been challenging for the respective communities and in both cases the result has been a successfully operating facility, with the potential of becoming an excellence hub for science and innovation. SSRF, which started operations with an initial portfolio of seven beamlines, similarly to ALBA, is now strongly engaged in a rapid growth, involving many new beamlines for diverse applications.
Delegates from SSRF and ALBA management at the experimental hall.
