On 17-18 June 2025, HALRIC joined the inauguration of LINXS’s new home in the Science Village, right between two of Europe’s most powerful large-scale research infrastructures: MAX IV Laboratory and the soon-to-open European Spallation Source (ESS).
Founded in 2017 under the leadership of Peter Schurtenberger, LINXS is a unique advanced studies institute committed to maximizing the use of synchrotron and neutron scattering for cutting-edge research. With more than 200 participants from academia, industry, and public institutions, the two-day conference at The Loop in Lund marked the beginning of a new chapter for LINXS.
The programme showcased a wide range of cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary discussions, with inspiring presentations from figures such as Anne L’Huillier, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2023. At the heart of the event was a shared recognition of the strategic importance of co-location.
“LINXS is now ideally placed to help researchers make the most of this remarkable environment and in doing so contribute to the science and regional development that will continue for decades to come. (…) Key immediate priorities at LINXS are on the development of young researchers initiatives, facilitating data interpretation, analysis and throughput, as well as on improving the national and international collaborative base.”
Trevor Forsyth, LINXS Director
Photo: Hilde Skar Olsen
As LINXS Vice-Director Anna Stradner pointed out, LINXS is now perfectly positioned to act as a scientific nucleus between MAX IV and ESS. For HALRIC, this creates a fertile ground for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and increased innovation capacity across the Life Science sector.
MAX IV and ESS: pillars in HALRIC’s research ecosystem
As part of the HALRIC consortium, both MAX IV and ESS play central roles in facilitating research that makes use of advanced photon and neutron techniques. Several HALRIC pilot projects are already active at MAX IV, exploring applications in areas ranging from biomolecular imaging to materials analysis. While ESS is still under construction, the conference gave attendees a sneak peek at what will soon become the world’s most powerful neutron source.
The combination of these two infrastructures, along with LINXS’s advanced studies and user support model, offers unparalleled opportunities for cross-border collaboration. It also reflects the core of HALRIC’s mission: to accelerate innovation by connecting researchers, hospitals, and industry partners with the right technologies, expertise, and data solutions.
One in ten publications cited in patents
A compelling figure shared during the event by a team from LINXS and the Lund University Cooperation Office further underlined the impact of large-scale infrastructures: about 1 in 10 scientific publications based on research conducted at facilities like MAX IV is cited in a patent today. This is looking at papers published over a ten-year period, from 2014 to 2023. This is a powerful marker of innovation impact, and places output from synchrotrons on a par with global leaders such as MIT and Stanford.
The conference was also a valuable opportunity to connect in person with HALRIC colleagues and partners from across the Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak-Hamburg region. As LINXS embarks on this new phase in Science Village, we are excited to see how this environment will drive new collaborations, ideas, and innovations across borders and disciplines.