EuPRAXIA Early Implementation Phase Project

EuPRAXIA is a distributed, compact, and cutting-edge accelerator facility based on plasma technology, and it was included in the 2021 update of the ESFRI Roadmap.In its initial phase, the consortium—comprising European research institutes and industrial partners—will construct an electron-beam-driven plasma accelerator in the metropolitan area of Rome, hosted by INFN at Frascati National Laboratories. This initiative will bring technological innovation, opportunities for spin-off companies, advanced scientific applications, and a dynamic international user community to central Italy.Recently, the EuPRAXIA Collaboration Board selected ELI-ERIC as the host institution for the second pillar of the facility, namely the Laser-Driven Pillar, which will complement and reinforce the distributed research infrastructure model.The Early Implementation Phase will build upon the achievements of the Preparatory Phase Project, with a focus on organizational development. Its primary objective is to lay the foundation for establishing a new legal entity. Furthermore, it will define a comprehensive business and financial plan, as well as refine the governance structure of the facility.Additional areas to be addressed include data management, collaboration with industry, and the further development and implementation of the outreach and dissemination strategy initiated during the Preparatory Phase. EuPRAXIA will serve users in ultra-fast science, e.g. on high-resolution medical imaging, deeply penetrating positron annihilation spectroscopy for materials and with Europe’s most southern free-electron laser (FEL). It will offer fascinating capabilities for research on biomolecules, viruses and microscopic processes. EuPRAXIA will thus be a transformative step in the development of ultra-compact accelerators and applications.