The place where ESS is built must fulfil a number of criteria:
Good geographical location, with excellent international, regional and local public transport
Well-developed research and innovation activity with internationally-recognised research services
Competitive, research-based commercial and industrial scene
Good living environment and excellent standard of living
English-speaking local population
Hence, the Öresund region has entirely the right conditions to be host for the ESS facility. There are 12 universities in the local area with highly qualified researchers. Perfect soil conditions and a good infrastructure are other valid reasons. Furthermore, Skåne offers a very attractive living environment for visiting foreign researchers.
The MAX-Lab research facility, which already exists in Lund, is another strong reason. The three most distinguished European neutron research facilities – ILL in Grenoble, ISIS outside Oxford and PSI in Switzerland – are located together with synchrotron facilities, since the two technologies complement each other and are most often used by the same researchers. A new research facility, MAX IV, is being planned at MAX-Lab that will have strong synergies with ESS. Together, ESS and MAX IV will form a world-leading centre for material and biological matter research.