Alfa Laval will host ESS Innovation Day 2025 in Lund, Sweden, an event designed to deepen collaboration between industry and academia around the European Spallation Source (ESS). The annual gathering, now in its fourth edition, will bring together research leaders from global companies and universities to examine how neutron science can be applied to address industrial challenges and unlock new opportunities across multiple sectors.
ESS Innovation Day is organized by the ESS High Level Industrial Forum, an advisory body composed of senior industry leaders. The initiative reflects ESS’s commitment to building strong connections with both the scientific community and industrial stakeholders ahead of the research facility’s completion and scientific launch in 2027.
“By the end of 2027, ESS will have completed its construction project and launched its scientific program. To ensure readiness for this pivotal milestone and to fully harness the returns on our investment in this world-class research facility, we must intensify our engagement with future users—both within the scientific community and industry,” said Helmut Schober, Director General of ESS. “A close and collaborative dialogue is essential to ensuring that ESS’s unparalleled tools deliver the insights into materials needed to maintain European competitiveness and contribute to addressing the major challenges of our time.”
Alfa Laval sees the event as a vital step in bridging academic research with real-world applications. “At Alfa Laval, we believe that collaboration between industry and academia is key to solving complex challenges. ESS Innovation Day 2025 marks an important step in harnessing neutron science to drive practical, groundbreaking solutions needed to successfully manage the transition across many industry verticals,” commented Julien Gennetier, Vice President of Alfa Laval’s Energy Division.
This year’s program includes presentations showcasing practical industrial applications of neutrons and a high-level panel discussion on How to develop and deliver outstanding R&D teams. The panel features Professor Mene Pangalos, former Global Research Director at AstraZeneca; Emma Adlerton, Executive Vice President, Group Affairs at Alfa Laval; and Laurence Mott, former Global Research Director at Tetra Pak, who recently joined the ESS High Level Industrial Forum.
The Forum itself comprises leading figures from science and business, including Lars Börjesson, Professor at Chalmers University; Håkan Björklund, Ph.D. and Chairman of Asker Healthcare; Professor Mene Pangalos, former Global Research Director at AstraZeneca; Björn Savén, Chairman of Jarla Invest; Maria Strömme, Professor of Nanotechnology at Uppsala University; Johan Söderström, Executive Advisor to the CEO at Hitachi Energy; and Laurence Mott. Together, they provide strategic advice to ensure ESS becomes a valuable tool not only for scientists but also for the industries driving Europe’s competitiveness.
