Interactive ILO workshop in Budapest

Jun 30, 2019
The ESS Network of Industrial Liaison Officers (ILOs) held a strategic workshop in Budapest between 24-25 June 2019. The event was a part of activities carried out within Work Package 4 of BrightnESS²: Innovation and Industry.

BUDAPEST - The first interactive workshop of the ESS ILO Network was organised by the European Spallation Source (ESS) in collaboration with Wigner Research Centre for Physics, (Wigner RCP) which hosted the first day of the event on its premises. The Hungarian partners also arranged a tour of the Budapest Neutron Centre (BNC). BNC operates a research reactor and its mission is to provide research opportunities to neutron scientists in Central Europe.

The workshop itself was opened by Péter Lévai, the Director General of Wigner RCP. Work Package 4 of BrightnESS², which focuses on innovation and industry, invited the ILO Network to contribute to a discussion on updating the procurement rules within the legal ERIC framework boundaries, work towards finalisation of the Terms of Reference and explore long-term education activities, in-kind contributions during operations, and co-creation opportunities between ESS and industry.

To demonstrate the value of collaboration between ESS and its in-kind partners, Ute Gunsenheimer, the Head of External Relations and EU projects at ESS, presented a case study developed by ESS together with ESS Bilbao with the aim to analyse the scientific, economic, technological and social impact of Spanish in-kind contributions.

The ILOs also got an update on the Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILOs Association (PERIIA Network), which has recently been established to act as the key intermediary between the European industrial suppliers and Big Science organisations for matters related to procurement, innovation and tech-transfer opportunities.

The main purpose of the ILO Network at ESS is to improve access to reliable and effective suppliers for the benefit of ESS and of the industries and laboratories in ESS partner countries. Thanks to a very constructive workshop in Budapest, the ILO Network finalised and agreed the ESS ILO Network Terms of Reference detailing the scope, composition, tasks and ways of working between ESS and the ILO Network. The network will meet again on 4-5 September 2019 in Lund.

Partners: 
ESS, Wigner RCP