ExPaNDS · Project

Unified Data Search and Analysis for Photon and Neutron Research Facilities

digitalTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine dozens of major research labs across Europe, each with giant machines that shoot beams of light or neutrons at materials to study their structure — but every lab stores its data differently, like having a library where each branch uses a different catalog system. ExPaNDS built a common catalog and search language so scientists and companies can find, access, and reuse experimental data from any of these facilities through one portal. Think of it as creating a universal search engine and shared dictionary specifically for beam-line experiment results across Europe.

By the numbers

partner institutions in consortium

countries represented

total project deliverables completed

demo deliverables including prototypes and working services

industry participation ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies that use photon and neutron research facilities — for drug discovery, materials testing, or quality analysis — face a fragmented data landscape. Each facility stores experimental results in its own format with its own catalogue system, making it time-consuming and expensive to find, retrieve, and compare data across multiple labs. There is no common language or search system that works across facilities.

The solution

What was built

ExPaNDS built a federated data catalogue system with standardized APIs for both ICAT and SciCat platforms, a V1.0 ontology released as a live EOSC service for consistent metadata description, analysis service prototypes for remote data processing, and an e-learning platform demonstrator — totalling 56 deliverables across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharmaceutical companies using synchrotron beamlines for structural biology and drug designMaterials science firms commissioning neutron scattering experiments for product developmentScientific instrument manufacturers needing standardized data interfacesResearch data management software vendors targeting large-scale facilitiesEngineering consultancies that broker access to national research infrastructure

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

enterprise

Target: Drug discovery companies using synchrotron facilities for protein crystallography

If you are a pharma R&D team that commissions experiments at synchrotron beamlines to study protein structures — this project built standardized data catalogues and APIs (ICAT and SciCat) that let you search and retrieve your experimental datasets from any participating facility through one portal instead of navigating 11 different data systems. With 56 deliverables including a common ontology, the project makes it possible to compare and reuse datasets across facilities.

Advanced Materials & Chemicals

mid-size

Target: Materials characterization companies using neutron scattering

If you are a materials company that sends samples to neutron research facilities for stress testing, composition analysis, or quality validation — this project created federated data analysis services and a unified metadata catalogue. Instead of requesting data exports from each facility separately, you can access results from experiments across 8 countries through EOSC-compatible services, reducing data retrieval time and enabling cross-facility comparison.

Scientific Software & Data Management

SME

Target: Companies building laboratory information management systems (LIMS)

If you are a scientific software vendor looking to integrate with large-scale research facilities — this project released open APIs for both ICAT and SciCat catalogue systems, plus a published ontology (V1.0) that standardizes how photon and neutron experiment metadata is described. These open standards let you build integrations that work across multiple national facilities rather than customizing for each one individually.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost my company to access these data services?

The project was built on open data and FAIR principles, meaning the catalogues, ontology, and APIs are designed for open access through EOSC. Based on available project data, no commercial licensing fees are mentioned. However, accessing specific facility beam-time and associated data may still require separate agreements with each research infrastructure.

Can this scale to handle our industrial data volumes?

The system was designed to handle data from national-scale photon and neutron research infrastructures across 8 countries, which generate massive experimental datasets. The federated architecture with ICAT and SciCat APIs was demonstrated working across 11 partner institutions. Industrial users would access existing infrastructure rather than deploying their own.

What about IP and licensing for the tools developed?

ExPaNDS was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), and its deliverables — including the ontology, API specifications, and analysis service prototypes — were developed under open science principles. Based on available project data, the tools are intended for open community use through EOSC, though specific licensing terms for each component should be verified with the coordinator.

Is this actually working or still experimental?

The project delivered concrete working systems: Analysis Services Prototypes, a released V1.0 ontology as an EOSC online service, and demonstrated ICAT and SciCat catalogue systems with APIs compatible with federated EOSC services. An e-learning platform demonstrator was also delivered. The project closed in February 2023 with 56 completed deliverables.

How does this integrate with our existing data systems?

The project specifically built API compatibility between ICAT and SciCat catalogue systems and the EOSC federated services. The common ontology provides a standardized vocabulary for metadata. Integration would happen through these published APIs rather than requiring changes to your internal systems. The architecture feeds into the OpenAIRE infrastructure for linking scholarly resources.

Are there regulatory or compliance benefits?

ExPaNDS directly addresses FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), which are increasingly required by EU funding bodies and research policies. If your company works with publicly funded research data, using FAIR-compliant services helps meet data management obligations. The project also developed standard relationships between datasets, publications, instruments, and authors via ORCID.

Consortium

Who built it

The ExPaNDS consortium of 11 partners across 8 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 6 research organizations forming the core. Led by DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron), one of the world's leading particle accelerator centres in Germany, the team has strong scientific credibility. However, with only 1 industry partner, 0 SMEs, and a 9% industry ratio, this is fundamentally a research infrastructure project built by scientists for scientists. The single university partner and 3 other organizations round out what is essentially a public-sector consortium. For a business looking to leverage these results, the lack of commercial partners means there is no ready-made vendor or integrator — you would need to work directly with the research facilities or build on the open APIs yourself.

DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESYCoordinator · DE
SYNCHROTRON SOLEIL SOCIETE CIVILEparticipant · FR
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
CONSORCIO PARA LA CONSTRUCCION EQUIPAMIENTO Y EXPLOTACION DEL LABORATORIO DE LUZ SINCROTRONparticipant · ES
STICHTING EGIparticipant · NL
ELETTRA - SINCROTRONE TRIESTE SCPAparticipant · IT
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN FUR MATERIALIEN UND ENERGIE GMBHparticipant · DE
DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTparticipant · CH
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM DRESDEN-ROSSENDORF EVparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Coordinator is DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) in Germany — a major national research facility. Contact their technology transfer or industry liaison office.

Order a report on this consortium See DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the ExPaNDS team to explore how their data services could streamline your access to photon and neutron facility data? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help translate their technical capabilities into your business context.

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