Tag: LEAPS

LEAPS chairmanship transferred to Thomas Feurer

LEAPS chairmanship transferred to Thomas Feurer

Consortium set to increase influence in Brussels and broaden funding base

At the 8th LEAPS Plenary Meeting, Prof. Thomas Feurer was welcomed as the 2026 Chair of the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources. Feurer is also Chairman of the Management Board of European XFEL and succeeds Prof. Jakub Szlachetko from the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS in Krakow, Poland. 

“It is an honour to be chairing LEAPS,” said Feurer, who attended the meeting remotely. “I am looking forward to continuing the excellent work that has been done here in recent years.” A significant milestone for LEAPS under Feurer’s leadership will be its registration as an international non-profit association under Belgian law in spring 2026. “This will result in stronger visibility and influence in Brussels and beyond, enhancing our ability to form cross-sectoral partnerships in Europe”, Feurer explained.

As a non-profit entity, LEAPS will facilitate collaboration agreements in science and technology between its members and help coordinate funding. Feurer is looking to broaden the funding base for European photon science by pursuing multi-partner opportunities, including partnerships with industry consortia. While building an increased presence at EU level, he also intends to align LEAPS more closely with national roadmaps.

The LEAPS chairmanship was ceremonially handed over at the consortium meeting. Prof. Serguei Molodtsov, Scientific Director of European XFEL, accepted the symbolic baton on Thomas Feurer’s behalf. 

Read more on the European XFEL website

Image: Prof. Serguei Molodtsov, Scientific Director of European XFEL, accepts the symbolic chairmanship baton on Thomas Feurer’s behalf

Credit: Joanna Kowalik

Thomas Feurer elected as future Chairman of LEAPS

Thomas Feurer elected as future Chairman of LEAPS

At their annual meeting, the 16-member organisations of the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS) elected Prof. Dr Thomas Feurer, Chair of the Management Board of European XFEL, as their future chairman. LEAPS is a strategic initiative that brings together major European synchrotron radiation and free electron laser (FEL) facilities. Through joint efforts, LEAPS seeks to advance photon science and to maximize the impact of accelerator-based light sources in Europe. Feurer will succeed Jakub Szlachetko from the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, Krakow (Poland). The handover will take place at the next plenary session in October or November next year. Until then, he will enjoy the status of Incoming Chair.

“It is quite an honour for me to serve as the next LEAPS chair”, says Thomas Feurer. “Alongside the 16 members, I will focus on strengthening the network, supporting successful EU applications, and advancing FEL-oriented initiatives. I am excited to turn our shared vision of leveraging our 16 research infrastructures to address societal challenges into a reality.”

Read more on XFEL website

Image: Thomas Feurer from European XFEL elected Chairman of LEAPS

Credit: European XFEL

LEAPS holds its first plenary meeting

LEAPS holds its first plenary meeting

Synchrotron radiation source SESAME welcomed as associated partner

On 12 and 13 November, the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS), the association of European research lightsources, met at DESY for its first plenary meeting. More than 150 scientists from the 16 accelerator-based lightsources in Europe, which are members of LEAPS, travelled to Hamburg to do so. Among them were the directors of all institutions, representatives of eight national science ministries and research funding agencies as well as Philippe Froissard from the European Commission.
“The League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources has made great progress since its foundation a year ago, and I am convinced that this is the way to make our science with European lightsources shine even brighter in the future,” said Helmut Dosch, Chairperson of LEAPS, who opened the meeting together with LEAPS Vice-Chairperson Caterina Biscari from the Spanish synchrotron radiation source ALBA. The LEAPS consortium represents the interests of more than 25 000 users in total.
>Read more on the DESY website
and another article on the ALBA website. Please find here all news about the LEAPS initiative.

SESAME becomes the first associate of LEAPS

SESAME becomes the first associate of LEAPS

At its first Plenary Meeting that is being held at DESY on 12-14 November, the Members of LEAPS (League of European Accelerator-Based Photon Sources) unanimously decided to grant SESAME Associate status.

SESAME thus becomes the first Associate of LEAPS.

On signing the Declaration of Association to the LEAPS Consortium with Helmut Dosch, Chair of LEAPS and Chair of the DESY Board of Directors, Rolf Heuer, President of the SESAME Council, said that “it is a great honour for SESAME to be the first Associate of LEAPS; the scientific and technical development of SESAME and visibility of the Centre will greatly benefit from this association”.

>Read more on the SESAME website

Image: Schematic overview from SESAME, find more here.

Strengthening Europe’s leading role in science

Strengthening Europe’s leading role in science

Director Jean-David Malo, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission, received the strategy today at the Bulgarian Presidency Flagship Conference on Research Infrastructures.

“A world where European science is a catalyst for solving global challenges, a key driver for competitiveness and a compelling force for closer integration and peace through scientific collaboration.” This is the vision of LEAPS, League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources, on which the LEAPS Strategy 2030 is based.

“I believe science makes the world a better place and I’m very happy to be able to present this strategy today”, said Caterina Biscari, director of ALBA and Vice Chair of LEAPS. “I’m convinced it will be a major contribution in how to develop European research infrastructures in a cost-effective and sustainable way. I look forward to the upcoming discussions with the European Commission, with our national funders and with our extensive user community on how we, by joining forces, can boost European science and innovation”.

“By bringing together the community of national and pan European synchrotrons and free electron lasers facilities, the LEAPS initiative should be encouraged as it aims at structuring the European landscape of Research Infrastructures, coordinating strategic investments and facilitating transnational access”, said Jean-David Malo, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

The health, prosperity, and security of European citizens today and in the future depend on meeting increasingly demanding challenges. These can be found in energy and transport, health care and food safety, and sustainable living. This demands new technology, new treatments and a better understanding of the world around us, all of which point to an increased role and reliance on highly sophisticated analytical tools like accelerator-based light sources to provide the most incisive means of measuring and unravelling atomic and molecular structures of the world around us.

Europe hosts 13 synchrotron radiation facilities and six free electron laser facilities which all of them are founding members of LEAPS. They represent a multi-billion Euro investment with an annual operation budget of €700M serving more than 24 000 direct users.

>Read more on the ALBA website

Find out more
>Diamond Light Source has also published an article on the LEAPS Strategy
>DESY has also written about the joint strategy
> Find here the LEAPS website

 

 

LEAPS and FELs of Europe meetings at Elettra

LEAPS and FELs of Europe meetings at Elettra

On March 12-13 Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste hosted the 2nd meeting of General Assembly (GA) of the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS), a strategic consortium that includes 16 Synchrotron Radiation and Free Electron Laser (FEL) user facilities in Europe based in 10 different European countries .
This followed the LEAPS Launch Event in Brussels on November 13, 2017. The main topics of the GA meeting were the LEAPS Governance Structure and the LEAPS Strategy Paper to be forwarded to the EU Commission during the Bulgarian Presidency Conference on Research Infrastructures in Sofia, 22-23 March.

>Read more on the Elettra and FERMI website

Image: LEAPS General Assembly and Coordination Board group picture.
Credit: Fotorolli

LEAPS initiative is making progress

LEAPS initiative is making progress

ALBA is hosting the Coordination Board and Task Force meetings of the LEAPS Initiative, the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources.

LEAPS is a strategic consortium initiated by the Directors of the Synchrotron Radiation and Free Electron Laser (FEL) facilities in Europe. 19 facilities are taking part with the aim to offer a step change in European cooperation, through a common vision of enabling scientific excellence, solving global challenges, and boosting European competitiveness and integration.

These days, the ALBA Synchrotron is hosting the first face-to-face meeting of the Coordination Board with the participation of all facility representatives, followed by a meeting of the Task Force which is preparing a position paper to be submitted to the European Union at the end of March 2018. Rafael Abela, from the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, is chairing this task.

>Learn more about the LEAPS initiative

LEAPS initiative launched by European light source facilities

LEAPS initiative launched by European light source facilities

European XFEL founding member of the League of European Accelerator based Photon Sources (LEAPS)

European XFEL joined other European light source facilities and organisations today in Brussels to launch a new collaborative initiative to drive a more efficient, effective and collaborative use of light source technologies. The League of European Accelerator based Photon Sources (LEAPS) brings together 16 research organisations from across Europe, including European XFEL.  The light sources are ‘super-microscopes’ that produce exceptionally intense beams of X-rays, ultra-violet and infrared light enabling the exploration of samples in the tiniest of details. LEAPS consists mainly of synchrotron light sources such as DESY’s PETRA III, and free-electron lasers such as the European XFEL.

While European light sources have been working alongside each other for years, the LEAPS members strive for closer collaboration and cooperation. They share a common vision to drive forward the development of common technologies, to strengthen economies and create employment, and to support industries to make better use of available instruments and techniques. Together, they aim to inspire emerging technologies and innovations, and to foster a stronger skills base across Europe.

>Read more on the European XFEL website