Denmark’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology visited the ESS Secretariat together with Members of the Danish Parliament this Tuesday. In the visit, Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen and the MP:s were informed about what the ESS will mean to Danish research and innovation.

Eight Members of the parliamentary Committee on Science took part in the visit, among them the Committee Chair Marianne Jelved and the Member Helge Sander, the former Minister of Science.

ESS Director for Science Christian Vettier was hosting the visit, and told the participants about ongoing progress of the ESS project. He also underlined the strong and ancient ties between the two countries on both sides of the Öresund strait, not the least within research:

-    Large scale research laboratories existed in the Öresund region already 500 years ago, with the observatory of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe at Ven island, Christian Vettier told the audience. The ESS will build on a long tradition.

During the visit, Associate Professor Lise Arleth of Copenhagen University informed about future possibilities for the Danish scientific community at ESS, notably within life science and energy technology. Associate Professor Kim Lefmann of the Niels Bohr Institute informed about the setting-up of the ESS Data Management Center i Copenhagen, and the increasing importance of advanced computing within modern research.

Lars Montelius, Director of Öresund-org and Professor of nano science, encouraged actors on both sides of the Öresund strait to use the newly started Öresund Materials Innovation Community to strengthen the materials science community in order to fully exploit the potential of the future ESS and MAXIV.