ELETTRA - SINCROTRONE TRIESTE SCPA

Their core work

Elettra operates a synchrotron light source facility in Trieste, Italy, providing advanced photon-based analytical capabilities — X-ray imaging, spectroscopy, crystallography, and tomography — to researchers across Europe and beyond. They serve as an open-access research infrastructure where external scientists conduct experiments in structural biology, materials science, environmental analysis, and cultural heritage studies. Beyond beam time access, they develop accelerator technologies, advanced detectors, and data services, and have applied their structural biology capabilities to drug discovery, including COVID-19 drug repurposing efforts.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), Elettra focused on building and consolidating European research infrastructure networks — joining laser and neutron source clusters (EUCALL, LASERLAB-EUROPE, BrightnESS) and contributing to ERIC governance structures. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward sustainability of research infrastructures, FAIR data practices, open innovation with industry, and applied science — including COVID-19 drug screening and DNA repair biology. The recent period also shows growing engagement with technology transfer and industry co-creation through projects like LEAPS-INNOV and IMPULSE.

Elettra is moving from pure infrastructure provision toward industry engagement, FAIR data services, and translating synchrotron capabilities into applied domains like drug discovery and materials innovation.

How they like to work

Elettra overwhelmingly participates as a partner rather than leading projects — coordinating only 2 of 24 projects (XLS and COBRAS), both relatively small. They work in large, multi-partner consortia (195 unique partners across 32 countries), which is typical for major research infrastructure facilities that serve broad user communities. This makes them a reliable, well-connected consortium member who brings facility access and technical expertise rather than project management ambition.

Elettra has collaborated with 195 unique partners across 32 countries, making it one of the most broadly connected photon science facilities in Europe. Their network spans from Western European national labs to Middle Eastern facilities (SESAME partnership), reflecting their role as an international access point for synchrotron science.

What sets them apart

Elettra is one of only a handful of synchrotron facilities in Europe that combines user-access beam time with active participation in accelerator R&D and compact light source development (XLS/CompactLight). Their direct involvement in COVID-19 drug screening (EXSCALATE4CoV) demonstrates an ability to pivot infrastructure capabilities toward urgent societal challenges. For consortium builders, Elettra brings not just beam time but a proven track record across 24 H2020 projects with deep connections to both the photon/neutron community and emerging FAIR data ecosystems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CALIPSOplus
  Largest single EC contribution (€966K) — a flagship project for opening European light source access to a broader scientific community
• EXSCALATE4CoV
  Applied Elettra's structural biology capabilities (crystallography, cryo-EM) to COVID-19 drug repurposing on an exascale computing platform
• XLS
  One of only two projects where Elettra served as coordinator — developing compact accelerator-driven light source technology (CompactLight)