PaNOSC · Project

Cloud Platform That Lets Companies Access and Analyze Synchrotron and Neutron Data Remotely

digitalPilotedTRL 7Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you send a sample to a giant X-ray or neutron lab — one of those huge facilities that can see atoms. You get back massive files of raw data, but you need special software and serious computing power to make sense of it. PaNOSC built a cloud system that lets you search, access, and analyze all that data from your browser — like Google Drive meets a scientific workbench. It connects 13 major European research facilities so their data is easy to find, share, and reuse instead of sitting locked on local servers.

By the numbers

European research facilities connected in federated data platform

Countries represented in the consortium

Project deliverables completed

Industry partner ratio — entirely research-driven consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies that rely on synchrotron and neutron experiments for drug development, materials testing, or quality analysis face a bottleneck: the raw data is massive, locked behind facility-specific systems, and requires specialized software to interpret. Researchers often need to be physically on-site or wait weeks for data processing. There is no single place to search across Europe's major photon and neutron facilities for relevant datasets or analytical tools.

The solution

What was built

PaNOSC built a federated cloud platform connecting 13 European photon and neutron research facilities, including a searchable metadata catalogue integrated with the European Open Science Cloud, Jupyter-based analysis notebooks, remote desktop services, and containerized analysis tools. They delivered 41 project outputs including a publicly accessible demonstrator with open datasets and a software catalogue meeting EOSC quality standards.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharmaceutical companies using synchrotron crystallography for protein structure determinationMaterials science firms analyzing alloys, composites, or coatings with X-ray or neutron techniquesScientific instrument manufacturers building data analysis softwareContract research organizations offering materials characterization servicesResearch data management platform vendors targeting scientific facilities

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

enterprise

Target: Drug discovery companies using synchrotron crystallography

If you are a pharma R&D team that sends protein crystals to synchrotron facilities for structure determination — this project built a federated data catalogue and Jupyter-based analysis services that let you access your experimental results remotely, reprocess data without on-site visits, and search across 13 European facilities for comparable datasets. Instead of waiting for facility visits or shipping hard drives, your researchers analyze results from their desks.

Advanced Materials & Chemicals

mid-size

Target: Materials characterization and testing companies

If you are a materials company that uses neutron scattering or X-ray diffraction to test alloys, polymers, or coatings — PaNOSC developed remote desktop and container-based analysis services that let you run facility-grade software in the cloud. The platform connects data from 13 partner facilities across 9 countries, so you can compare your results against open datasets without negotiating access at each site individually.

Scientific Software & Data Platforms

SME

Target: SaaS companies building research data management tools

If you are a software company building data management or analysis platforms for research institutions — PaNOSC created open-source APIs, a federated metadata catalogue integrated with the European Open Science Cloud, and a software catalogue with quality standards. These components, documented across 41 deliverables, provide ready-made building blocks for commercial platforms serving photon and neutron science communities.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does it cost to use the PaNOSC platform and services?

The platform was developed as open research infrastructure, not a commercial product. Services are provided locally by the participating research facilities and through the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Access costs would depend on individual facility policies and EOSC service agreements.

Can this scale to handle industrial volumes of data?

The system was designed specifically to handle the challenge that 'raw data tends to be larger and larger' at major research facilities. It provides cloud-hosted analysis through Jupyter notebooks, remote desktops, and containers/VMs. The infrastructure connects 13 facilities across 9 countries, suggesting it handles significant data volumes.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

PaNOSC was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) focused on open science and FAIR data principles. The software catalogue was integrated with the EOSC database with defined quality-of-service requirements. Specific licensing terms for individual tools should be checked with the coordinating facility, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France.

Is the platform still operational after the project ended in 2022?

The project closed in November 2022, but the services were designed for integration into the permanent EOSC catalogue. The 13 partner research facilities continue operating, and the data infrastructure was built to persist beyond the project timeline. Current availability should be verified at panosc.eu.

How does this integrate with our existing lab information systems?

PaNOSC built federated services on top of existing local metadata catalogues and data repositories at each facility. The API-based approach, documented in their demonstrator deliverables, was designed for integration with the EOSC ecosystem including discovery, authentication, authorization, and accounting. This suggests standard interfaces that could connect with enterprise systems.

Do we need specialized staff to use these tools?

The project acknowledged that experimental data 'quite often required special skills for being correctly exploited.' To address this, PaNOSC developed training programs at each site and workshops on scientific data management. The Jupyter-based notebook services and remote desktop applications aim to provide a familiar interface for researchers.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a purely research-driven consortium with 13 partners across 9 countries but zero industrial participants and zero SMEs. The coordinator is the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France, one of the world's leading synchrotron facilities. The consortium includes 8 research organizations, 1 university, and 4 other entities — representing the major European photon and neutron facilities. The absence of industry partners means the platform was built by scientists for scientists, which is both a strength (deep domain expertise) and a limitation (no built-in commercial pathway). Any business adoption would require bridging from the research community to industrial users.

EUROPEAN SYNCHROTRON RADIATION FACILITYCoordinator · FR
INSTITUT MAX VON LAUE - PAUL LANGEVINparticipant · FR
CESNET ZAJMOVE SDRUZENI PRAVNICKYCH OSOBthirdparty · CZ
STICHTING EGIparticipant · NL
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUMparticipant · IT
EXTREME LIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE ERICparticipant · CZ
FYZIKALNI USTAV AV CR V.V.Ithirdparty · CZ
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONthirdparty · UK
ELI-HU KUTATASI ES FEJLESZTESI NONPROFIT KOZHASZNU KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAGthirdparty · HU
EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE ERICparticipant · SE
DEUTSCHES ELEKTRONEN-SYNCHROTRON DESYthirdparty · DE
EUROPEAN X-RAY FREE-ELECTRON LASERFACILITY GMBHparticipant · DE
INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA SI INGINERIE NUCLEARA-HORIA HULUBEIthirdparty · RO

How to reach the team

European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France — reach the data management or industry liaison office

Order a report on this consortium See EUROPEAN SYNCHROTRON RADIATION FACILITY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect your R&D team with ESRF's data platform or explore how photon/neutron facility data can accelerate your materials or drug development? SciTransfer can arrange a technical introduction.

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