The so called ‘Higgs Boson,’ for which British Professor Peter Higgs won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, was only proved in 2012 at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland.
CERN is a fantastic example of what we can do when we come together in the spirit of scientific endeavour. As facilities and instruments become more sophisticated, powerful and also therefore more expensive, it is more important than ever that we work together to pool our limited resources.
I am delighted therefore that the UK Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, today announced a significant UK contribution to the new European Spallation Source (ESS) to be built in Lund in Southern Sweden.
Before speaking at the UK’s Jodrell Bank facility, the Minster said “Investment in science is a crucial part of this government’s long-term economic plan. It’s about investing in our future, helping grow new industries and create more jobs”
This investment is great news for Sweden and the UK.
As the most powerful neutron source in the world, the new €1.8bn facility will give scientists a major new tool in the study of life sciences, energy, ICT, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics.
The UK will be contributing around 10% of the construction costs of the new facility, but UK contribution goes way beyond this in terms of expertise. The ESS will build upon the pioneering work done at ISIS in Oxfordshire, today Europe’s only pulsed spallation source. The announcement made today also includes details on complementary use of this existing, world-class facility – another fine example of UK-Sweden cooperation.
The ESS is expected to be used by around 2-3,000 scientists from Europe every year. Only by investing in science and technology, investing in our future, can we push the boundaries of our knowledge, unlocking new products, treatments and services.
Perhaps in years to come, one of my successors will be blogging about the fantastic Nobel Prize winning discoveries made at the ESS, and the revolutionary technologies it has enabled!