European technology agencies unite to develop software for photonics

The ESRF, the European synchrotron located in Grenoble, and DESY, the German Elektronen-Synchrotron, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their collaboration to develop software, data and computing technologies focused on photonics. The agreement was signed before the 86th meeting of the ESRF Council, hosted by DESY in Hamburg, last week.

Both parties operate high-energy synchrotron facilities; the two research centres will be combining their complementary expertise to build what they describe as “a sustainable European software ecosystem that can support current and future generations of synchrotron and photon science facilities – a collaborative effort designed from the outset to welcome broader participation from research infrastructures across Europe.”

Specifically, the ESRF and DESY are combining their expertise to advance shared solutions for beamline control, data acquisition, data analysis and scientific computing — with the ambition of creating the foundations for a community-driven European ecosystem that can evolve sustainably and respond to the growing needs of photon science.

DESY and ESRF share a long-standing partnership across multiple scientific and technological domains. This year, as the ESRF celebrates six years of successful operation of ESRF-EBS, the first of a new kind of fourth-generation high-energy synchrotrons, and as DESY progresses with the PETRA IV upgrade towards the brightest of synchrotron facilities, this new MoU is said to reflect the strategic complementarity of the two research infrastructures.

Their joint announcement states, “Together, we bring expertise spanning facility operation, instrumentation, software engineering, data management and scientific computing, creating a strong foundation for the development of common solutions for the benefit of the wider scientific community.”

Shaping software for photon science

Through this MoU, DESY and the ESRF intend to deepen their collaboration in the development of software, data and computing capabilities that are becoming essential components of modern research infrastructures. By aligning their expertise and coordinating development efforts with other research centres across Europe, they aim to establish the critical mass needed to accelerate innovation and strengthen the long-term sustainability of key software platforms.

“The synergy between the ESRF and DESY is key to address the increasingly complex scientific and technological challenges of our time,” said Jean Daillant, Director General of the ESRF. “By combining our complementary expertise and working alongside partners across Europe, we can create a sustainable software ecosystem that will support scientific excellence, accelerate innovation and strengthen Europe’s ability to develop and maintain the technologies that are critical for scientific discovery and innovation.”

Britta Redlich, DESY Director for Photon Science, added, “Strong partnerships are essential for addressing the complex challenges facing modern science. Through our collaboration ESRF and DESY are creating a sustainable foundation for software and technology development that will enable scientific breakthroughs, foster innovation and strengthen Europe’s research ecosystem. Open to other facilities and partners, the collaboration demonstrates that Europe’s leading research infrastructures can achieve greater scientific and technological impact by working together than by acting alone.”

Beyond software

The shared ambition extends beyond the development of software itself. DESY and the ESRF are seeking to foster a European ecosystem in which research facilities can jointly develop, deploy, maintain and continuously improve common solutions. By promoting wider adoption, interoperability and shared ownership, they aim to reduce fragmentation, increase efficiency and ensure that strategic software capabilities remain sustainable and accessible to the scientific community in the long term.

The collaboration will focus on several strategic areas, including:

• Beamline control systems, including the BLISS (BeamLine Instrumentation Support Software) software environment
• Data acquisition, processing, analysis and curation infrastructures
• Scientific computing and data management technologies
• Joint software development activities, training and knowledge exchange

As Europe develops two of the world's most advanced fourth-generation synchrotron facilities, ESRF-EBS and DESY´s PETRA IV, the collaboration between the ESRF and DESY demonstrates how complementary research infrastructures can achieve greater impact by working together. The agreement builds on a shared vision that strategic software capabilities should be developed collectively, sustained over the long term and made available for the benefit of the broader photon science community.