ESS Scandinavia is working to ensure ESS will be built in Lund, but today, is an organisation undergoing change. In 2007, the secretariat at Lund University was established and, in 2010, the secretariat will be transferred into a limited liability company, European Spallation Source ESS AB. One of the secretariat’s tasks is to set up an international organisation for ESS, conduct the Design Update and, starting 2013,  build the facility.
ESS Scandinavia was first formed as an association in October 2000 by the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian neutron scattering societies. The ESS Scandinavia Consortium was formed in March 2002 as a result of other actors linking up who also wanted to work to ensure ESS was built in Skåne. In addition to the neutron scattering societies, the consortium also consisted of all the universities and colleges in the Öresund region, a number of other leading universities and research institutes in Scandinavia as well as Region Skåne, Lund Municipality, Copenhagen Capacity and the Öresund Committee. In 2002, the consortium submitted the official expression of interest for building ESS in Skåne.
On behalf of the government, former Minister for Finance, Allan Larsson, has studied the interest for locating ESS in Sweden. In his report, Allan Larsson recommended that the government put Sweden forward as host for ESS on the basis of ESS Scandinavia’s proposal.