The ESS in Lund
– its effects on regional development
The ESS, like MAX IV, will be a world leader in its field and
­together these two facilities will be a hub in the European
­research infrastructure and a unique opportunity to create
a stimulating research environment.
The ESS will contribute to growth in the region and to
strengthening the research and development brand of the
­Öresund Region and Sweden. The effects on growth will partly
be direct based on the amount of money that is invested in
Skåne, partly more long-term and indirect as a result of the
significance of the facility for the climate of innovation, techno­
logical developments, branding of the region and possible
spin-off effects. How great the indirect effects will be is, however,
dependent on how well we succeed in integrating the ESS and
exploiting the long-term effects it can provide.
Today, Skåne is one of the foremost growth regions in
Sweden and the opening of the ESS and MAX IV could be an
opportunity to accelerate growth in the region. If the ESS and
MAX IV are to be springboards for future growth then a large
number of players in the region have to work actively
and strategically.
Society for Science – Science for Society
The ESS is a European research project. The decision on what is
to be built, how it is to be financed and where it is to be located is
made by negotiations at government level between a host country
and the countries that intend to use the facility.
The ESS will be a jointly financed European research facility.
Building the ESS in Lund will cost around 1.38 billion euros while
the running costs are estimated to be 100 million euros per year.
A decision on where the ESS should be built is expected during
the first half of 2009. Planning is expected to start around 2011.
The first neutrons can then be produced in 2018/2019 and the
facility completely up and running in 2023.
As a continuation of the developments that have taken place at the
MAX-lab, there is a proposal that the next generation’s synchrotron radiation facility is built – MAX IV.
MAX IV will be the most powerful synchrotron radiation
facility in the world. MAX IV will make possible new advances
in a wide range of areas such as biomedicine, medicine, material
technology, nanotechnology, energy research, geology and environmental science.
The ESS and MAX IV complement one another in their study
of various materials and can thus create significant synergy effects.
Together the ESS and the MAX IV will create a centre that is a
world leader in material science and form a hub in the European
research infrastructure.
is a national Swedish laboratory studying
synchrotron radiation. Research is also carried out at the MAX-lab
into accelerator physics and a branch of nuclear physics that uses
energy-rich electrons.
The MAX-lab in Lund
What are the ESS and MAX IV?
 How scientists can better understand many of the illnesses
for which there are no cures today.
is planned to be a world
leader for material research and life sciences where neutrons are
to be used to screen a wide range of materials from proteins and
plastics to medicines and molecules at the atomic level.
Neutrons are used today by scientists in a wide variety of fields
– chemistry, biology, engineering, archaeology, environmental
technology, energy, life sciences. Neutrons have been used to find
advanced solutions to materials that are found in many objects
around us – cell phones, consumer products, packaging, detergents, aircraft wings and car engines. They have been used to make
processes for cleaning water and soil, and to make environmentfriendly paints.
The ESS will also make it possible for scientists to acquire know­
ledge that is impossible today. Unlike existing neutron sources, the
ESS will primarily be used as a more powerful tool for life sciences.
The ESS is expected to contribute to knowledge on things like:
The European Spallation Source (ESS)
 How transport can be made more effective and less energy
demanding.
 How catalysts can be improved.
MAX IV
SCIENCE CITY
Technology and research laboratories
Overview of the location of the ESS
and MAX IV in north-eastern Lund
Visitors’ centre
 Superconductors for energy transmission without losses.
Target station
 Tailor-made materials with nano techniques.
Travel terminal
To Lund C: 10 mins.
To Copenhagen Airport: 30 mins.
 How consumer products such as detergents and cosmetics
can be improved and made more environmental friendly.
 How batteries can be improved for example for electric cars.
Linear accelerator
 How biofuels can be made from agricultural waste instead
of from cereals.
 Understand the powerful greenhouse gas methane which is
primarily bound up on the seabed but which is a tremendous climate threat and an enormous energy reserve.
 The new proteins that are expected to be a major part of
tomorrow’s medicines.
Neutron source
 How historical objects like fossils, coins and glass can be
understood and how valuable works of art can be preserved
for the future.
 How human DNA functions in living cells.
 New medical implants that are tolerated better by the body.
Source: ESS Scandinavia
 How gene therapy can cure serious virus infections.
Photo: Stadsbyggnadskontoret Lunds kommun
LED display
Examples of the benefits of neutron research
Photonic materials
Digital camera
CCD chip
Cosmetics
Glasses
Artificial lenses
TiO2 Nano particles
Photonic polyms
Optic materials
Cell phone
SWA structures
Bicycle frame
Carbon polymers
Artificial hip
Biocompatible fibres
Pacemaker
Lithium batteries
VISION 2030
Society for Science – Science for Society
 The ESS and MAX IV have been the bases for several
and building projects in the region. New landmarks see
If this vision can be realised it requires a creative imagination, a totally committed regional
of the researchers who have been awarded Nobel
the light of day and are discussed in an increasingly
management and an interactive community that melds global opportunities with regional
Prizes. This has meant among other things that the
globalised world. Visiting the region gives an infusion of
entrepreneurship!
results from the facilities break all records for income,
energy and confidence in the future!
social benefit and goodwill in relationship to the costs
 The Öresund Region remains the place for prestigious
Society for Science, which lays the foundations for a
incurred. It has also meant concrete growth in the form
investments in various types of research infrastructure.
research culture that gives payback through Science
of new companies and jobs in all aspects from manu-
The region gives impetus to prosperity and growth,
for Society, that is to say research in the service of
facture of components for the facilities in Tollarp and
and is a world leader through its international materials
Man and Nature. The region with its renowned Öresund
Östra Göinge to new cutting-edge companies within
research institute. The ESS and MAX IV are multidimen-
University and its two fixed links symbolises ‘regional
bio-tech. This is mainly due to the innovation system
sional springboards that enable the Öresund Region to
internationalisation’ and a bridge between the commu-
finding new, creative functional forms of cooperation
step into the Europe of the future with all flags flying.
nity, trade & industry and research built on the attitude
where not least Ideon 3.0 and Lund University Innova-
that each needs the others. The concept of Helix Lund,
tion Capital have succeeded in attracting international
via Helix Skåne and Helix Öresund, develops into Helix
risk capital. This is also highly positive for the Öresund
Baltic as a result of the extensive links with Hamburg.
Region’s high ambitions for providing skilled workers
 The ESS and MAX IV make the Öresund Region a more
interesting, attractive and well-positioned knowledge
innovation community with a justifiable world reputation
based on relevant scientific excellence.
 The Öresund Region is distinguished by a uniquely
visionary, innovative and practical cooperation between
various sectors in society based on entrepreneurship
at all levels from basic research to commercialisation
of future technologies within many scientific fields, not
least energy, the environment and the life sciences.
 The Öresund Region is a clear example of how a
­dynamic and integrated innovation system creates a
 By investing in the ESS and MAX IV new advances and
scientific breakthroughs have been achieved which
and integrated worker immigration.
 That the attraction of the Öresund Region as a brand
has led to insoluble problems being solved! The most
has increased and developed into one of Europe’s
concrete expression of the facility’s public successes is
most interesting and respected is quite natural at the
that sustainable developments within the environmental
same time as its drawing power is continually ampli-
and energy fields have been made possible through
fied through creative investments in the infrastructure,
the results obtained from being able to study individual
public services and the arts. The attractive architec-
hydrogen atoms in the ESS.
tural and social design that characterise the facility
has rubbed off in the form of many major investment
 Because Sweden dared commit itself to both the
ESS and MAX IV at the end of 2008, the region has
developed and grown exponentially. There is continual
discussion in the international media of a practical
academic entrepreneurial region that is accelerating,
expanding, investing, innovating, commercialising and
integrating.
 What everybody is discussing is the ‘story’ that has
developed around the Öresund Region as a centre of
learning and growth, and is now also renowned for
its intellectual and imaginative tourism and interactive
Science Centre that has developed thanks to the ESS
and MAX IV.
The springboard to the vision
The whole ESS and MAX IV process is a balancing act between the
ability of ESS and MAX IV to deliver scientific excellence on the one
hand, Science for Society, and on the other the community’s creation of
the necessary requirements for ESS and MAX IV, Society for Science.
2030
The question everybody is asking is:
 How could one get so much more than
“just ­research” from two facilities?
It is all about collaboration and co-design, in other words cooperation. A short description of just how value creation (contribution) is
expected to flow between the community and the ESS and MAX IV
is given below.
Science for Society
Society for Science
The ESS and MAX IV in cooperation
The efforts of the community
in cooperation
Growth
Contributions from the ESS and MAX IV to the
­surrounding community:

Contributions from the community to the ESS and MAX IV:
An international, world-class materials research
centre in the Öresund Region that focuses on
future business areas including Space, Telecom,
The answer to this question from all the leading
players in the region is:
 We dared to put aside our own special interests
and agendas and concentrate on what was best
for the ­region as a whole in everything from
­attitudes to cooperation to planning models
and the creation of ­legi­timate regional leaders
in all sectors of the ­community who relate the
story of the future.

Developing the innovation system even further.

Well constructed communications and infrastructure
that make the region fast, environmentally adapted
Nano-tech, Bio-tech, Clean-tech and Medicine.

and time saving.
Create the conditions for interdisciplinary

­research in the service of society and mankind.

Exciting meeting places and challenging architecture that give the region an identity and make it
A unique research environment constructed that
attractive.
attracts world-class researchers to the region

that, in turn, will attract capital, companies and
A well planned and thought out child care and
schooling system in the right locations. High
other entrepreneurs.
quality international schools.

Education capacity in the region that emphasises
natural sciences and technology and collaborates
with the facilities and services them and the rest of
society with the relevant skills in the correct volumes.

An exciting international World Citizen Village
where there is a high density of network/relations,
The slogan is:
culture/leisure, talent/skills, discovery/application
 “What’s in it for us”, not “what’s in it for me”
words A World Leading Knowledge Hub.
in academics, business, associations etc.; in other
11
Effects in the long term 2018–2040
technicians. It is therefore of great importance to increase the
interest in technical education and that the country’s colleges and universities turn out a sufficiently large number of
engineers.
Following the completion of the construction of the facility there
are primarily two factors that will affect growth in the region; the
first are the running costs; these costs are estimated to be approximately SEK 1 billion per annum.
Although the second is more difficult to quantify, it is also the
most interesting in respect of the spin-off effects or spill-over; in
other words will the facility attract other companies to the region
to be close to the facility?
 Since education has been internationalised and there is now
an international market for students and scientists, it is
equally important to become one of the most attractive places
to study and do research in order to retain the newly qualified
students in the country and to attract students and researchers
from the rest of the world.
Effects on the property market
The effects of the ESS on growth and various sectors
Effects during the pre-construction 2009–2011
The growth effects of the ESS fall into two main categories. The
first is a direct result of financial investment that will create new
job opportunities as well as a demand for goods and services, and
secondly a rather more difficult to estimate effect that is the result
of the facility’s importance for technological developments, the
innovative climate and the possible spin-off effects.
In the estimates that have been made, the long-term effects are
considered to be the greatest. If the ESS leads to long-term positive
effects on the innovation system, and the creation of technological
solutions that can be converted into competitive companies and
products, the effects of the facility can be relatively large. If this
does not turn out to be the case, the effects on the region’s growth
will be marginal. In other words, it is of significant importance as
to how the facility is received by the local community.
Assuming that the transfer of knowledge and technology
between the research world and the business sector works so that
discoveries are converted into new products and production processes, the ESS could result in:
It is fair to assume that the final decision about the siting of the
ESS facility in the Municipality of Lund will affect expectation
values, for example an increase in land values based on expectations of future exploitation.
The initial decisions concerning the acquisition of the nece­
ssary land are affected by the general expectations of growth in the
region and municipality. The ESS facility can be a positive trigger
to acquire additional land in this geographically attractive area.
 0.08 per cent higher GRP/year
 An increase in the number of jobs by 700 /year
 The scope of the research at the ESS and MAX IV can open
the way for the creation of research and businesses in new
fields in the region.
 Assuming this increase in growth, the effect on the housing
market would be an increase in demand of about 500 homes per
year in Skåne as a result of the ESS. This can be seen against
the background of an average increase of 3,500 homes per year
over the past decade, nearly 4,700 over the last five years and
a goal of 5,000 homes per year in the regional development
programme.
Effects on the public services
 The ESS could mean an increase of some 200 foreign children
and adolescents. This creates a need to expand the international
kindergarten and school as well agreements between the municipalities in Skåne.
 An increase in the number of office workers would mean an
increase in demand for office space. If 50 per cent of the total
increase in fulltime jobs of over 7,000 per year comes from
office workers this means an increase in demand of around
7,000 m² of office space per year because of the ESS. This can be
compared with the annual demand for office space by LTH and
Ideon which is put at 12,000 m²; this includes Sony Ericsson.
Effects during construction 2011–2018
Effects on the infrastructure
The cost for the ESS facility is budgeted at 1.38 billion euros. A
large part of this investment will benefit the region in the form of
wages etc. Parts of the facility will be manufactured outside the
region. We assume that 30 per cent of the investment will be spent
in the region.
Over and above the direct investment there will be multiplier
effects as a large portion will be in the form of wages that will
benefit the economies of other parts of the region. This means that
the effect of the investment in the facility will be greater than the
actual investment sum.
 Based on the assessment that 23,000 new fulltime jobs, on
average 700 per year, are created in Skåne then this means
that, given that the transport system is expanded at the rate
required to cope with the increase in traffic even without the
ESS, the planned traffic system can cope with the increase
in travelling generated by the ESS. A major expansion of the
infrastructure is necessary even without the ESS and will be even
more necessary with the ESS.
 “The town/region that has the most ballets, theatres and
symphony orchestras wins” (Arthur Bienenstock, Professor
at Stanford University working at SNS and former scientific
research advisor to Bill Clinton). The municipalities believe
that the arts in each town and region are of an international
standard. It is important to maintain and develop the arts that
in this context are competitive and internationally acceptable.
Are there cultural activities that in this context are competitive
and internationally acceptable?
 The ESS projects will mean the holding of international
events, exhibitions and conferences that will demand various
cultural programmes.
 The region of Skåne also has great natural attractions such as
Brösarpsbackar, Stens huvud, Hovs Hallar, Ales stenar as well
as the close proximity of the sea which from an international
perspective are both exotic and exciting.
Effects on research and development
 Building the ESS makes great demands on the community in
general to supply the facility with highly skilled scientists and
 23,000 more jobs by 2040
 An accumulative higher GRP of SEK 214 billion by 2040
12
13
Various scenarios
The future
Qualitative
Innovative cooperation
Quantitative
Growth
NB! This growth is dependent
on the innovations system
in the region functioning.
Vision
Actively cooperating community
0.08 % higher GRP/year,
SEK 214 billion until 2040
Cross border regional leadership
700 more fulltime jobs/year
Cooperation between
the ESS and MAX IV
Exploit the ESS as an active catalyst
Joint ownership of the vision
Strategic communication
externally/internally,
nationally/internationally
500 more dwellings/year
Society for Science
ESS
MAX IV
The region
Science for Society
7,000 m² higher demand
for office space/year
Major upgrading
of the infrastructure
Expansion of the
international school
Experiences from similar facilities
 According to the plans, the ESS will be the world leader
for this type of facility from technological and scientific
points of view. But other criteria such as level of service
and cultural capital will determine researchers’ choice of
facility to do their work.
 It is quite clear that the ability to attract skilled staff
from various disciplines is decisive.
 The purchase of technical equipment etc that is needed
for the running of the facility is generally purchased locally. The Institut Laue-Langevin in France, for example,
has an annual purchasing budget of approximately 80
million euro; 75–80 per cent is purchased within the
country and the greater part in the immediate region.
 Contingency plans are required for:
 The facilities – such as the ESS – that are financed by
several countries run greater risks of becoming enclaves
with a lesser degree of exchange with the surrounding
community. Openness and cooperation are two key
ingredients for success.
 One example of a facility’s direct effects on the community is that local and regional suppliers benefit and there
is an upswing in the business visitor/tourist industry.
Present position: strong
Position, skills, brand, infrastructure
14
15
–
Communication investments
–
Long-term territorial brand building
–
Clarification to meet local opinion – not least with
respect to matters related to the environment
Conclusions

The community cooperating practically

The effect of the ESS on growth in the regional economy is
estimated to be 0.08 per cent per annum, or, in other terms,
an accumulated GRP of SEK 214 billion by 2040; this is
providing that all the stakeholders cooperate, that is to say the
various sectors of society.

Cross-border regional leadership
Cooperation between ESS and MAX IV
The ESS and MAX IV illustrate that 1+1=11, that is to say there
is a marked synergy effect. This is primarily about positioning
the region and Sweden as a future, state-of-the-art research
player that can help solve a number of the big questions about
the environment, energy and technology that will result in
sustainable, long-term solutions.


The Continuing process
 The global cooperative community of the future requires a
high level of interaction, cooperation and joint production
by the key players from the various sectors of the community
(e.g. region, municipality, state, private companies, nonprofits
and committed citizens).
In order to create the optimal conditions for Society for Science,
the ESS areas/issues that are judged to be the most urgent should
be identified. Region Skåne, the municipalities of Skåne and other
public authorities as well as Danish representatives are invited to
participate in the work together with residents, members of the
academic and research communities, the business community and
other organisations to a continuous process that is characterised by
part ownership, interaction and concretising.
The region’s attractiveness is a key question
Skills gravitate to creative environments. In global competition the skills at the facility will be almost as transitory as
global financial capital. It therefore follows that the matter
of how to hold on to people who have strategic cutting-edge
skills and keep them in the region is vital, this is a knowledge
assurance factor. The appearance and function of the community will play a major role in this area.
Catalyst for growth
Deliberately use the ESS/MAX IV process as a strategic catalyst for regional growth in close cooperation between all the
players in society. Special focus should be put on the players
that are connected to the various universities in the region.

Creating an attitude for success
Externally/internally – The benefit of the ESS facility (that is
to say how the results of the research work carried out in the
facility will affect both research and the daily lives for people
in the future) have to be communicated to the community on
a wide front.
National/international – The connection between the national
and regional/local levels have to be strengthened so that Sweden, the Öresund Region and Lund shall get the maximum
possible return on the investment. The international dimension is also important. This applies to the different facilities in
cooperation with other similar facilities as well as the possibility of acquiring new international capital. In a closer perspective it is about cooperation in the Northern European region,
that is to say Lund, Copenhagen and Hamburg. Without
taking prestige into account, intra-organisational cooperation
between the Municipality of Lund, Lund University, ESS and
MAX IV is necessary in order to create a better concentration
of effort at the national and international levels.
A clear and legitimate regional leadership has to be created
that manages the coming ESS and MAX IV processes – irrespective of the sector of the community. Regions and municipalities in Sweden and Denmark have a responsibility to create
value for themselves and other players by acting strategically
in the process.

Strategic communication
Joint ownership in the vision

A committed joint ownership in a common vision is a premise
for success with this/these mega-projects. In the future all the
different players who have an interest in the ESS and MAX IV
need to coordinate their own visions and strategies with the
ESS vision to maximise effectiveness.
The ESS and MAX IV are megaprojects that strengthen the
local and regional attractiveness
The ESS and MAX IV are good examples of the type of mega­
project that is needed for Sweden to strengthen its international
competitiveness and to boost the legitimacy of Skåne and the
Öresund Region as a Global Knowledge Innovation Zone.
16
 It is necessary to create engagement and participation in an
interactive and mutual future process based on three key
dimensions:
–
Focus on attractiveness and the brand
–
A society that facilitates scientific excellence
– Society for Science
–
A research structure (ESS/MAX IV) that delivers technical and scientific breakthroughs in the major questions
– Science for Society
In conclusion
The greatest risk with the ESS project is that the players in the
region (irrespective of their level in the community) do not
exploit all the opportunities that the facility, in combination with
MAX IV, generates.
 The players in the region need to have a joint picture of what
makes the difference, stands out and attracts attention, and
what goes without saying in a leading knowledge region that is
exposed to international competition.
 A wider discussion and support are needed on acquired
experience and current research within the field of strategic
regional development.
 Allow future visions and strategies within the region to create
new, exciting logics and sometimes with new concepts that
have a unique, fresh content.
 A new focus on social and intellectual capital is needed based
on the dimensions knowledge capital (the individual), structural capital (the organisation’s support system) and relationship capital (social intelligence or organisational intelligence).
17
The project
As commissioned by Region Skåne, PricewaterhouseCoopers has
carried out a study on the expected effects on regional development as a result of siting the ESS in Lund. The project has been
jointly financed by Region Skåne, Malmö City, the Municipality
of Lund, Helsingborg City, the County Administrative Board in
the County of Skåne and EU’s regional fund.
Our time frame is to set our sights on 2020 with 2040 on the
horizon. To get a better understanding of what we are looking at,
if we turn the clock back to 1976 we would be setting our sights
on 1988 with 2008 on the horizon. During this time there has
been an oil crisis, improved EU collaboration, the fall of the Berlin
Wall, a global IT revolution and the opening of the Öresund Link.
Malmö has changed from an industrial city to a knowledge and
service industry centre. Over and above this, what nobody believed
could ever happen has happened, a global finance crisis. This fact
is unlikely to have any marked affect on life in 2040 and the longterm decisions that are now being taken, but, in the short-term,
the establishment of the ESS facility will be even more important
for the region.
The quantitative analysis is primarily done in three stages.
The basis is the historical growth pattern of the region and a
future growth forecast for the whole region without including the
­effects of the ESS. Using this, the anticipated effects of the ESS on
­primarily growth in various sectors, including the housing market
and infrastructure, are studied.
The qualitative analysis has its origins in an analysis of the
world situation, a questionnaire, interviews and seminars that
have resulted in a proposal for a common view of how the ESS
(together with MAX IV) affects the development of the region in a
number of fields.
The two tracks in the process are conditional on one another.
The vision cannot be realised if the assumptions and measures that
are indicated quantitatively do not occur and are implemented
combined with a qualitative interactive process.
The aim of the report is
 To produce a common vision of how the ESS can contribute
to developments in Skåne and the Öresund Region with its
sights on 2020 and with 2040 on the horizon.
 To clarify what opportunities and challenges building the ESS
in Lund means for the region.
 To create the basis for a constructive discussion of common
visions as well as various scenarios and strategies for action
through a broad and transparent process.
 To give Region Skåne, the municipalities in Skåne and other
players information for strategic preparedness for action.
 To increase regional involvement in, and understanding of, the
establishment of the ESS in the region by employing a trans­
parent development process with a high level of participation.
The overriding question: What are the possible and likely effects on
regional development of the building of the ESS?
How has the study been carried out?
The study has been made in two parallel tracks – one qualitative
and one quantitative.
The quantitative analysis describes the effects the siting of the
ESS in Lund can have on various sectors. For a number of these
sectors, the starting point is, in what way will the ESS affect the
innovation climate, economic growth and employment. Other
sectors are more concerned with what will be required with respect
to functionality and attractiveness.
18
THE EFFECTS ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHEN BUILDING
THE EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE (ESS)
Project manager Charlotte Lindström, Department for Regional ­Development,
Region Skåne Project secretary Therése Nilsson, Department for Regional
Development, Region Skåne Text and analysis Öhrlings ­Price­waterhous
e­Coopers English translation Mark Wells Layout ­Informationsfabriken,
­Helsingborg Printers Ljungbergs, Klippan No. of copies 3,000 Published by
Region Skåne, ­Department for Regional Development (2009)
POLITICAL CONTROL GROUP
Region Skåne Christine Axelsson, Pia Kinhult Municipality of Lund
Anders Almgren, Mats Helmfrid Helsingborg City Mats Rosdahl, Sven-Åke
­Tannerstig Malmö City Julia Janiec, Patrick Reslow
PRODUCTION TEAM
Municipality of Lund Jan-Inge Ahlfridh, Inga Hallén, Matts Hansson, ­Christer
­Källqvist, Fredric Palm, Peter Sörbom Helsingborg City Stellan ­Folkesson,
Helen Mårtenson County Administrative Board in Skåne Elin ­Henriksson
Lund ­University Marianne Ekdahl Malmö City Jan Haak, Magnus Hultgren,
Kristina Ohlsson ­ Region Skåne Douglas Almquist, Jerker ­Bjurnemark, Carina
Johnsson, Ola Richardsson
This is an abridged version of the report The ESS in Lund – its effects on regional
development. A complete copy of the report is available at www.skane.se/ess
www.skane.se/ess
EUROPEISKA UNIONEN
Europeiska regionala
utvecklingsfonden