This Monday (6 October), ESS welcomed Christina Egelund, Denmark’s Minister for Higher Education and Science, and expert delegates from Denmark’s higher education sector during the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
During her visit to ESS, Minister Egelund reflected: "I am very impressed by the work being done at ESS. It will be immensely significant for Europe’s competitiveness and create great opportunities for Danish research and innovation. I look forward to following its development."
The visit highlighted Denmark’s significant involvement at ESS, as one of its host states, and home to the ESS Data Management and Software Centre (DMSC) in Lyngby, Copenhagen, as well as a key contributor to ESS’s technology and science.
In his welcoming speech, ESS Director General Helmut Schober expressed his gratitude for Denmark’s support for ESS: "As one of the two host states, Denmark has taken on a vital role and is making an outstanding contribution to the European Research Area, which comes with considerable responsibility. This commitment is deeply valued by the European neutron community."
During the site tour, the Minister and her delegation visited key areas, including the Target station, and the BIFROST instrument. BIFROST has particularly close ties to Denmark, as it is funded through Danish contributions and developed in collaboration with experts from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). BIFROST enables studies of material dynamics across a broad range of energy and momentum scales. Its name, inspired by Norse mythology – Bifröst - refers to the mythical bridge connecting realms, symbolising the instrument’s ability to bridge scientific disciplines and link micro and macro perspectives in material sciences.
During the visit, Jane Hvolbæk, Head of Department at DTU Physics and Denmark’s delegate to the ESS Council, presented the latest trends in data analysis and explained how DMSC is designed to support the full research journey at ESS. She highlighted its strategic location at the heart of DTU while showcasing the strong collaboration between DMSC, Danish universities, and European counterparts in developing advanced data management tools, including AI, for efficient user support.
Lise Arleth, Professor of Experimental Biophysics at the Niels Bohr Institute and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Copenhagen, provided a retrospective on ESS’s journey from a Danish research-policy viewpoint, shared insights into how existing international facilities for X-ray and neutron research are used, and looked ahead to the global and national challenges ESS can help address.