From October 23rd to 25th, 2024, the 7th Plenary Meeting of the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS) took place at HFML-FELIX in the Netherlands, drawing leading representatives from Europe’s top research facilities using synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers.
The highlight of this year’s meeting was project integration, including NEPHEWS (NEutrons and PHotons Elevating Worldwide Science), coordinated by the SOLARIS Centre. The project was featured in a main plenary session presentation by Piotr Piwowarczyk, Project Coordinator, highlighting NEPHEWS’ role in uniting European synchrotron and neutron resources to expand access to advanced research infrastructures. The presentation on NEPHEWS sparked considerable interest among attendees, underscoring its significance for building a collaborative European research landscape.
The SOLARIS delegation also actively participated in working group sessions, which focused on developing support programs for young scientists and fostering research innovation within NEPHEWS. Discussed strategies to broaden access to advanced infrastructure for young researchers both in Europe and beyond, aligning closely with NEPHEWS’ mission. Outlined the development of training and twinning programs, enabling early-career scientists to gain hands-on experience by collaborating with established research teams—a model that has already begun with the first NEPHEWS twinning program at SOLARIS.
The LEAPS plenary meeting, as an annual forum for knowledge exchange, serves as both a platform for addressing key challenges in synchrotron science and a space for fostering new collaborative opportunities between research institutes and industry. For the SOLARIS Centre, it was an invaluable opportunity to showcase Polish achievements in synchrotron-based research and strengthen ties with European partners. This supports NEPHEWS’ overarching mission of developing a worldwide research network through collaboration, training, and promoting advanced scientific studies.
For further details on the event, please visit the organizers’ website (link).
