On Thursday evening at a meeting of research ministers in Brussels, the Swedish candidacy to build the European research facility ESS received support from a clear majority. It is now clear that the ESS will be built in Lund, Sweden.

Sweden was supported by seven countries – Germany, France, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Latvia – with a further two, Italy and Switzerland, voting with the majority. One country supported another candidate country.

- This clear majority for Sweden means that the siting of the ESS now is decided. This is a great step for European science, and for tomorrow’s scientists, says Colin Carlile, Director of ESS Scandinavia.

- We heartily thank our fellow site contenders Spain and Hungary. Without this strong competition there could not have been a decision on the ESS. Now we must all work together in the neutron community of Europe to build the next generation neutron source. The Scandinavian ESS team has been working for this decision since 2000, but now the real work will begin!, concludes Colin Carlile.

The European Spallation Source, ESS, will be the world-leading research facility using neutrons for materials research and life science. It will be one of Europe’s largest research centres, and co-located with the next generation synchrotron MAX IV.