Dear users,
It is a great pleasure to invite and welcome you to the ALBA Users' Meeting, which will take place from 3rd to 4th of September 2026 at the ALBA Synchrotron in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona). It will give you a unique opportunity to learn more about ALBA’s new capabilities to support you in your research and provides 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 will provide an excellent occasion to share key updates on how ALBA II will transform the facility, including the beamline upgrades and new scientific capabilities.
We will start on the morning of September 3rd with 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, will be 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. We will also discuss 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. Early-career researchers play a vital role in shaping the future of our facility. In this context, we are introducing a new Early Career Distinction Award to recognize outstanding scientific work conducted using ALBA Synchrotron instruments.
On Friday 4th we will show the impact of ALBA II, specifically the Beamline Upgrade Program, from the user’s perspective. These parallel sessions will combine 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.
You can have a look here at the draft program we are preparing for a successful meeting.
We warmly encourage contributions from the user community to showcase the excellent research carried out at ALBA, through both oral presentations and posters. Please consult the important dates for abstract submission.
This meeting is being developed in close collaboration with ALBA staff and the AUSE members, with the aim of delivering a dynamic and community-driven program.
We very much look forward to welcoming you to Barcelona in September!
