Do you want to keep up to date? Subscribe to our newsletter. 1mail every 2months! |
 |
Cerdanyola del Vallès, 4th December 2023. ALBA, ESRF, CDTI and LEAPS organised a Big Science supplier forum last 1st December 2023 at the ALBA Synchrotron, as part of the European project LEAPS INNOV.
Around 120 people, representing more than 70 companies (60% from Spain, 40% from abroad), with a large percentage of SMEs, attended the event. Companies remarked that it was very useful to know in advance the main investments needed for the upgrade of the synchrotrons during the next decade.
Caterina Biscari, director of ALBA, opened the event by introducing Xavier Massó - Deputy Director General for Research of the Generalitat de Catalunya – and Roberto Trigo - Head of Large Facilities and Dual Programmes Department of the CDTI- who gave their institutional welcome. In the following round table, members of research institutions, administrations and companies debated on how to optimize the connection between industry and research infrastructures for harmonizing innovation and production of new technologies, also making use of the available public instruments offered by national and European policy makers. European projects such as LEAPS-INNOV, AIDAinnova and I.FAST are excellent examples of this collaboration and open the door to bigger initiatives in the future. Discussions clearly emphasized the crucial role of all the different entities involved: research infrastructures, private companies, national ILOs, CDTI and public European funding to achieve the common goal.
There were dedicated presentations from five representatives from lightsources that are upgrading their facilities in the next years. ALBA, PETRA IV (DESY), Diamond, Elettra and Soleil introduced the technological challenges that are facing: new type of magnets, radio frequency or vacuum systems but also innovative civil constructions.
The poster and networking session and the visit to ALBA's beamlines and experimental hall closed the event. "Research infrastructures are key for industries' development. By working together, we can help each other to define the needs of our future projects", said Alejandro Sánchez, head of the Industrial Liaison Office at ALBA.
The LEAPS-INNOV project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101004728.
