On Thursday, 15 February 2024, the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source hosted at the Visitor Centre, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, a celebration of one of ISIS’s longest and most productive international partnerships. Since 1984, the Italy–ISIS collaboration has enabled researchers on both sides to pool expertise, share infrastructure, and push the boundaries of materials research. More than 4,000 Italian scientists have carried out experiments at ISIS, contributing to over 900 publications and co-developing twelve neutron or muon instruments, including INES, Vesuvio, and ChipIR. These instruments, and in-kind contributions from the Italian National Research Council (CNR) underscore the depth of this successful collaboration.
The event brought together senior representatives from government, academia and the user community, including Italy’s Ambassador to the UK, Amb. Inigo Lambertini, and CNR President Prof. Maria Chiara Carrozza. Talks highlighted how the partnership has evolved from individual experiments to a coordinated ecosystem linking large-scale facilities with national capabilities in Italy. A central pillar of this ecosystem is ISIS@MACH ITALIA (IM@IT), the Italian research infrastructure based in the Lazio region, which connects medium-range facilities with access to ISIS and supports users with training, proposal preparation and technique development. This model lowers barriers for new users—particularly SMEs—while accelerating collaborative projects at the atomic and nanoscale.
Speakers outlined recent achievements and looked ahead. ISIS presented the Endeavour instrument programme and plans for the next-generation facility, ISIS-II, while Italian partners reflected on advances across cultural heritage studies, molecular spectroscopy, muon science and instrumentation. Throughout the day, a common theme emerged: collaboration as a multiplier of impact. By co-designing instruments, sharing know-how and mentoring new users, the Italy–ISIS community is building a pipeline of talent and solutions that can address challenges from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to healthcare and preservation of heritage objects.
Meeting Programme highligts:
| 11:00 | Arrival and refreshments |
| 11:30 | Welcomes – Maria Chiara Carrozza, Mark Thomson |
| 12:15 | Partnership Overview – Carla Andreani, Andrew Taylor |
| 12:00 | ISIS: ISIS: Endeavour and beyond – Roger Eccleston |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Partnership successes: 13:30 – Cultural heritage studies – Antonella Scherillo 13:45 – Molecular Spectroscopy developments – Vicky Garcia-Sakai 14:00 – Muon Spectroscopy – Roberto de Renzi 14:15 – Instrumentation developments – Roberto Senesi 14:30 – In-Kind developments – Giuseppe Gorini, |
| 15:00 | Cake cutting and photos |
| 15:45 | Tours of ISIS |
As the collaboration enters its fifth decade, partners reaffirmed their commitment to expanding access, strengthening links between Italian laboratories and ISIS, and nurturing the next generation of researchers. With coordinated support for users and a shared roadmap for instruments and methods, the Italy–ISIS partnership demonstrates how long-term, cross-border cooperation can deliver science with real-world impact.
Clik here to read more about the Partnership over the past 40 years.
