The symposium is organized and funded as a part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 project SYLINDA (Synchrotron Light Industry Applications). SYLINDA aims to boost the R&D capabilities of the SOLARIS Centre, a newcomer to the synchrotron family located in Kraków (Poland), through cooperation with experienced project partners: ALBA Synchrotron (Spain), Hochschule Niederrhein (Germany) and University of Bonn (Germany), with support from internationally renowned specialists. In particular, SYLINDA is dedicated to increasing the scientific excellence and attractiveness of ASTRA - a new bending magnet beamline at SOLARIS for X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at tender and hard X-ray energies (1-15 keV) - for academic and industrial users investigating low atomic number elements (e.g. K, Ca, Cl, S, P, Si, Al and Mg).
The Symposium was conceived as a gathering of the world's top experts in using and developing XAS and related experimental techniques on a daily basis, particularly in order to discuss and exchange experience in the field of industrial XAS applications, but also to map the challenges faced by the custodians of such research infrastructure both in technological development and in responding to broader social, environmental and economic challenges. Equally important is an exchange of knowledge about the best tools for acquiring and analyzing experimental data, as well as discussing opportunities for future interdisciplinary collaboration. Moreover, this Symposium will be an opportunity to share the contributions of the SYLINDA project to applied research projects with industry partners. The organizers of the symposium hope that expert advice from the participants will help to establish SOLARIS as a valued member of the community of synchrotron light sources with unique characteristics and services.
More information about the SYLINDA Project can be found at www.sylinda.eu.
