The SINQ++ Workshop was held at PSI on 29 - 30 April 2026 to develop and test the emerging Science Case that will define the future of SINQ. Around 120 participants took part, with strong representation from Swiss research institutions, international neutron facilities, and scientific communities that either already rely on neutron methods or see clear future opportunities for their use.
The practical purpose of the meeting was to gather community input on the scientific priorities, capability gaps and strategic opportunities that should shape the next phase of SINQ’s development. Discussions were organised around the first version of the SINQ++ Science Case, made available shortly before the workshop, in which the community sets out how SINQ could be strengthened as a next-generation platform for Swiss and European neutron science. Across the two days, speakers underlined the continuing importance of SINQ as a national research infrastructure. They also placed it in the wider European context, where a resilient network of complementary neutron facilities remains essential for scientific access, training, method development, and long-term capability.
From the discussions, several common themes emerged. Future science will not be enabled by flux gains alone, but by coordinated improvements across the facility, including enhanced source performance, new instruments and dedicated stations, advanced sample environments, quantitative data workflows, and stronger support for increasingly complex experiments. These needs were expressed across a wide range of fields, including quantum materials, energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, soft matter, environment, life and food sciences, cultural heritage and paleontology, radiation hardening of semiconductors, and nuclear and fusion technology and materials.
At the workshop, positive feedback was received on the community-driven nature of the Science Case and on the breadth of science described. The discussions also helped identify where the Science Case can be further sharpened, prioritised and more explicitly linked to specific capabilities.
The next step is to consolidate this feedback into a more focused Science Case for SINQ++, which will feed into the next Swiss Neutron Science Community Roadmap. This will provide a clearer basis for future decisions on how SINQ should develop, and how it can continue to serve the Swiss and European research landscape over the coming decades.
Further information and the detailed program can be obtained from the workshop website.
