Page 7 - ILL Annual Report 2019

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD
ON 11 December 2019 the new Commissioner of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, presented
Europe’s Green Deal to the European Parliament. It is an ambitious plan, to build a society that is not only prosperous and fair but equally resource-neutral and environmentally friendly. This is a goal that can only be welcomed. The scientific community, who in the past laid
the foundation for the technological progress that has made today’s prosperity possible, enthusiastically supports Europe’s Green Deal.
Given the urgency of the matter, it is evident that immediate and
bold action is required. Despite this urgency, the transition to a resource-neutral and environmentally friendly economy will not happen overnight. It will require sustained effort for decades to come. This is true in particular for our research endeavours, which must be further intensified. It was the scientific community who first rang the alarm bells and who immediately set to working on the problem of sustainable development. The technical solutions that sprang up from this research are what make the Green Deal’s immediate policy actions possible, whether in the form of high-efficiency solar or fuel cells, high-capacity batteries, low-consumption LEDs, the digital environment required for smart cities or innovative resource-efficient production processes.
The ILL is proud to have contributed to this success. Countless experiments performed over the decades on innovative materials and manufacturing processes have contributed to laying the materials research foundations of today’s technologies. This report again contains a number of examples that highlight this contribution, from very fundamental work on magnetism looking towards the digital world of the future, to research on energy materials closely related to pressing health problems.
To be ready for the challenges of the future, the ILL is currently
engaged in an important modernisation programme. This programme encompasses the renewal of a large number of instruments and guides; further upgrading of our auxiliary services, including laboratories, sample environment and digital infrastructure; and major maintenance work on our neutron source. While carrying out all this important
work, we will make sure that we provide our users with the maximum possible number of beam days. Successfully completed, these projects will make the ILL fit for the coming decade. In parallel, the ILL’s Associates are working towards the signing of the 6th protocol of the ILL’s intergovernmental convention, which will provide the contractual framework for operation of the ILL to the horizon of 2030.
Working towards a prosperous and fair society that does not put strain on our natural environment is a great reason to get up in the morning. Success will require the mobilisation of all available talent. At the ILL, we are determined to make it happen.
Helmut Schober
ILL Director
FOREWORD
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