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1993 ESS Council is formed. The organisation consists of 18 major laboratories in 11 European countries.
1997 ESS scientific form and technical data is presented, but Europe is not ready to make a decision. The concept is adopted by the USA, which begins to construct its own spallation facility – Spallation Neutron Source.
1999 OECD recommends that a new generation of high-intensity neutron sources should be built – one in North America, one in Asia and one in Europe. Japan and the USA will have their facilities up and running in 2006-2008.
2001 ESS Scandinavia is formed by Scandinavian neutron scattering organisations. The organisation wants to arouse interest amongst researchers, authorities and industry and trade for placing ESS in the Öresund region.
The parameters for an even larger ESS are presented. Neutron researchers in Scandinavia – at Chalmers, Risö, Studsvik and Kjeller – start working on the Scandinavian placement option. Inquiries are made about being host. ESS Scandinavia agrees that Lund is the best option.
2002 European countries submit proposals for the location. Five proposals are submitted in total; two in Germany (Jülich and Leipzig), two in Great Britain (Oxford and Yorkshire) as well as Lund.
2002/2003 The studies for ESS basic technical design and scientific motivation are concluded.
2005 In a report from the former Minister for Finance, Allan Larsson, the Swedish government recommends offering to be host for ESS. The report is sent out to 83 consultative bodies. About 50 support the proposal, 15 offer no viewpoints, less than 10 question or object to the proposal.
2006 The Basque Country declares it is prepared to work to be host with Bilbao as the location.
2007 The Swedish government delivers a declaration of intention about offering to be host for ESS. That is the starting signal for ESS Scandinavia’s negotiations with European governments and research institutes. Phase 1 of three in the negotiations is completed and phase 2 is initiated.
Most rival location options have fallen away. Spain and Hungary have started to work in collaboration and will later announce which location they will recommend: Bilbao or Debrecen.
2008 ESS Scandinavia’s negotiations continue.
2009 On 28th May the decision is made to build ESS in Lund. The ESS Steering Committee has its first meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark in October with 13 partner countries represented. Among them is Spain, former contender for hosting ESS. The Pre Construction Phase begins.
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