EuPRAXIA Consortium Convenes in Czech Republic for General Meeting

The 2025 General Meeting of the EuPRAXIA Preparatory Phase (EuPRAXIA-PP) project, which took place from Wednesday 29-Friday 31 October, has drawn to a close. The three-day meeting was held at the project’s recently announced laser-driven accelerator site, ELI, specifically the ELI Beamlines facility, in Dolní Břežany, just outside Prague. This annual gathering of the consortium provided a valuable opportunity to review project progress. This year, particular attention was put on the Technical Design Reports of the two EuPRAXIA pillars (laser and beam driven) and their implementation status.

Participants at the EuPRAXIA PP General Meeting.

At the meeting, colleagues gathered to align scientific, engineering and facility planning efforts across Europe.  The focus was on establishing collaboration between the EuPRAXIA National Nodes, technological clusters and EuPRAXIA pillars as well as exploring funding options that will support the implementation of the Project across both pillars.

Leaders from each of the 16 work packages delivered progress updates, with ample time factored in to discuss the developments in each of these. Four Invited talks were given across the three days. These covered photon science at ELI-ERIC, sustainability at large research infrastructures, PACRI and EuPRAXIA’s technical design reports and China’s laser plasma accelerator-based free electron laser programme. Invited speakers provided interesting insights and opportunities for dialogue around topics of particular importance to EuPRAXIA moving forwards. Participants also had the opportunity to tour the laser and experimental halls at the existing ELI Beamlines facility.

The meeting saw the Collaboration Board come together for one of their bi-annual meetings, offering a space for strategic decision making to help the project advance. Additionally, the board of financial sponsors assembled, reviewing the project’s financial viability.

Dr Pierluigi Campana, Coordinator of the EuPRAXIA PP Project commented that “Organizing the 2025 EuPRAXIA GM in ELI-ERIC was a tribute to the decision to host here the laser-driven site. We all had the opportunity to appreciate the lively atmosphere of this unique infrastructure, where the second site of EuPRAXIA will be built.”

This General Meeting took place at a pivotal moment for EuPRAXIA PP, as the project moves from conceptual studies towards concrete implementation. Achieving coherence between the two pillars and securing funding is key for the project’s feasibility and timeline. As well as considering immediate next steps, the meeting also gave the consortium an opportunity to look to the future, reviewing plans for the establishment of a succession of the current collaboration framework.

The meeting served as a technical forum and a strategic coordination platform, helping EuPRAXIA to move one step closer to achieving its mission of delivering a compact, cost-effective accelerator infrastructure that supports scientific excellence and innovation throughout Europe.

For more details about the meeting, please visit the event page.