ARIES · Project

Advanced Accelerator Components and Superconductors Ready for Medical and Industrial Use

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Particle accelerators are the workhorses behind cancer treatment machines, airport security scanners, and chipmaking tools — but they're expensive and hard to improve. ARIES brought together 42 organizations across 18 countries to build better accelerator parts: more efficient power sources, stronger superconducting wires, and tougher materials that can handle extreme conditions. Think of it like upgrading the engine, wiring, and body panels of a Formula 1 car, except the car is a billion-dollar scientific instrument that also treats cancer patients. They produced working prototypes of key components and made superconducting wire 50% faster to manufacture than before.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved

EUR 10,000,000

EU contribution

100m+

length of high-temperature superconductor produced

800 A/mm²

target engineering current density at 4.2 K

50%

faster superconductor production output vs 2015

carbon-based composite samples produced

metal-diamond composite samples produced

total project deliverables

industrial partners in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Particle accelerators are critical infrastructure for cancer treatment, industrial inspection, and scientific research — but their core components (power sources, superconducting magnets, beam-resistant materials) are expensive, slow to manufacture, and hard to improve. Companies building accelerator-based products face long development cycles and limited supplier options for high-performance parts. The gap between cutting-edge research prototypes and commercially available components slows down the entire industry.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a high-efficiency klystron prototype, a complete electron gun with power modulator (manufactured and beam-tested), over 100 metres of high-temperature superconductor wire achieving 800 A/mm² at 4.2 K with 50% faster production than 2015 benchmarks, 50 carbon-based composite samples, 30 metal-diamond composite samples, a dielectric acceleration structure, plasma acceleration charge density improvements, and an e-learning course — 53 deliverables in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Proton therapy and medical accelerator manufacturers (Varian, IBA, Mevion)Superconducting wire and magnet producers (Bruker, THEVA, SuperOx)Industrial accelerator integrators for sterilization and materials testingAdvanced composites manufacturers serving extreme-environment applicationsResearch facility operators planning new accelerator installations

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical equipment manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Manufacturers of proton therapy and radiotherapy systems

If you are a medical device company building particle therapy systems for cancer treatment — this project developed a high-efficiency klystron prototype and electron gun with power modulator that deliver more reliable beam generation. The 42-partner consortium tested these across multiple accelerator test stands, giving you validated component designs that could reduce development time for your next-generation treatment machines.

Superconductor and magnet manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Companies producing superconducting wire and magnets for MRI, fusion, or energy

If you are a superconductor manufacturer struggling with production speed and current density — this project produced at least 100 metres of high-temperature superconductor wire hitting 800 A/mm² at 4.2 K, with production output 50% faster than in 2015. These specifications were achieved with minimal stabilizer material, directly addressing your cost and throughput challenges.

Advanced materials and composites

mid-size

Target: Companies producing specialty materials for extreme environments

If you are a materials company supplying components for high-energy physics, aerospace, or industrial applications — this project produced 50 samples of carbon-based composites and 30 samples of metal-diamond composites tested under high-energy impact and luminescence conditions. These validated material recipes could open new product lines for radiation-hard or extreme-thermal applications.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access these technologies?

ARIES was an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with EUR 10,000,000 in EU contribution, coordinated by CERN. Licensing terms would depend on CERN and the specific partner that developed each component. RIA projects typically produce open-access publications, but hardware IP may require negotiation with the consortium.

Can the superconductor production scale to industrial volumes?

The project demonstrated production of at least 100 metres of high-temperature superconductor with 800 A/mm² current density, achieving 50% faster production than 2015 benchmarks. This is a meaningful step toward industrial scale, but full commercial production volumes would likely require further investment and manufacturing line optimization.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP from RIA projects is typically owned by the partner that generated it, with access rights for other consortium members. With 42 partners across 18 countries including CERN, universities, and 6 industrial partners, IP ownership is distributed. Specific licensing would need to be discussed with the relevant partner.

Are any of these components ready for integration into existing systems?

Several components reached prototype stage: a klystron prototype was built and tested, an electron gun with power modulator was manufactured and beam-profiled, and dielectric acceleration structures were constructed. Based on available project data, these are validated prototypes rather than drop-in commercial products, so integration engineering would be needed.

What regulatory approvals would be needed for medical applications?

Accelerator components used in medical devices like proton therapy systems must meet medical device regulations (EU MDR). The ARIES prototypes were developed for research validation, not clinical certification. Any company integrating these designs into medical equipment would need to run their own regulatory approval process.

Is there ongoing support or follow-up work?

The project ran from 2017 to 2022 and is now closed. However, CERN and the major partner laboratories continue accelerator R&D. The e-learning course developed as a deliverable remains available, and the consortium's 42-partner network across 18 countries provides a strong base for continued collaboration.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight consortium led by CERN, the world's premier particle physics lab, with 42 partners spanning 18 countries. The mix of 16 universities and 15 research institutes provides deep scientific credibility, while 6 industrial partners (including 2 SMEs) at 14% industry ratio signal that commercial translation was part of the plan — though still research-dominated. The geographic spread across Western and Eastern Europe (from Switzerland to Latvia, Malta to Sweden) means the technology knowledge is well-distributed. For a business looking to access these technologies, the CERN coordination means you're dealing with an institution that has decades of experience in technology transfer and industry partnerships.

ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRECoordinator · CH
COSYLAB LABORATORIJ ZA KONTROLNE SISTEME DDparticipant · SI
UNIVERSITAET SIEGENparticipant · DE
RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATEparticipant · LV
FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERGparticipant · DE
SYNCHROTRON SOLEIL SOCIETE CIVILEparticipant · FR
JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITAT MAINZparticipant · DE
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
INSTYTUT CHEMII I TECHNIKI JADROWEJparticipant · PL
CONSORCIO PARA LA CONSTRUCCION EQUIPAMIENTO Y EXPLOTACION DEL LABORATORIO DE LUZ SINCROTRONparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITE DE GENEVEparticipant · CH
BRUKER HTS GMBHparticipant · DE
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITEIT TWENTEparticipant · NL
ION BEAM APPLICATIONS SAparticipant · BE
GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUR SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG GMBHparticipant · DE
UPPSALA UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICASparticipant · ES
IST-ID ASSOCIACAO DO INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E O DESENVOLVIMENTOparticipant · PT
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN FUR MATERIALIEN UND ENERGIE GMBHparticipant · DE
KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIEparticipant · DE
POLITECHNIKA WARSZAWSKAparticipant · PL
RHP TECHNOLOGY GMBHparticipant · AT
JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAINparticipant · DE
POLITECNICO DI TORINOparticipant · IT
HUN-REN WIGNER FIZIKAI KUTATOKOZPONTparticipant · HU
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITA TA MALTAparticipant · MT
Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciencesparticipant · SK
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELDparticipant · UK
EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE ERICparticipant · SE
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESYparticipant · DE
HEIDELBERGER IONENSTRAHL THERAPIE (HIT) BETRIEBS GESELLSCHAFT AM UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM HEIDELBERG MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNGparticipant · DE
INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA SI INGINERIE NUCLEARA-HORIA HULUBEIparticipant · RO
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEAREparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The coordinator is CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the relevant technology transfer contact.

Order a report on this consortium See ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the superconductor production method or accelerator components? SciTransfer can connect you with the right ARIES partner for your specific application — contact us for a tailored briefing.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0