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2018 UPDATE: The ILL between 2005 and 2018
also upgrading significantly the facilities and capabilities of the institute (the ILL2020/Millennium programme and the subsequent Endurance programme).
This period was also one of expansion in terms of Scientific Members. Whereas in 2004 there were 6 Scientific Members,
this had grown to 11 by 2010. It is undeniable that this expansion led to an enrichment of ILL’s scientific life by introducing new communities across Europe. However, the increase to around 20% in the Scientific Members’ contribution to the budget introduced
a number of complications in the determination of financial and scientific policies that were no longer defined uniquely by the three Associate countries.
The European neutron landscape was also undergoing major changes. Not only were some major national sources entering their final phase of operation (ORPHEE at Saclay, BER-II in Berlin) but the formidable European Spallation Source (ESS) project moved from the planning to the construction phase. The ESS, planned as the (international) successor to the ILL, was viewed with mixed feelings by ILL staff and ILL users. However, it is clear that without the future promise of the ESS, the ILL risked losing a number of national communities; in the longer term,
the ESS would provide unparalleled possibilities for European scientists.
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