Dear users,
It has been a great pleasure to invite and welcome you to the ALBA Users' Meeting, which took place from 3rd to 4th of September 2026 at the ALBA Synchrotron in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona). It was a unique opportunity to learn more about ALBA’s new capabilities to support you in your research and provide a platform for communication and exchange within the community and with the facility.
Following the formal approval of the ALBA II project in 2025, this meeting has been an excellent occasion to share key updates on how ALBA II will transform the facility, including the beamline upgrades and new scientific capabilities.
The meeting included an overview of the ALBA II project, the science which will be enabled and the new tools that ALBA II will deliver to the community. An important aspect, the collaboration with the community to create new capabilities within the user program, was introduced and explained on the example of new instruments, available within the InCAEM facility, including a new TEM, a scanning microscopy and a High-Performance-Computing (HPC) platform with preconfigured workflows. The opportunities which come with InnoFAB, a new state-of-the-art Lab-in-FAB with 200mm wafer capabilities, currently constructed in the direct neighborhood of ALBA were also discussed. Early-career researchers play a vital role in shaping the future of our facility. In this context, we introduced a new Early Career Distinction Award to recognize outstanding scientific work conducted using ALBA Synchrotron instruments.
The second day we showed the impact of ALBA II, specifically the Beamline Upgrade Program, from the user’s perspective. These parallel sessions combined technical perspectives on the upgrades with insights into the enhanced scientific possibilities they will enable, featuring invited talks and contributions from leading experts across a range of disciplines.
See you next year in Granada, 21-23 June 2027! Save the date
This meeting has been developed in close collaboration with ALBA staff and the AUSE members, with the aim of delivering a dynamic and community-driven program.
