Issue 54

March 2026

Welcome to the spring edition of Accelerating News!

We kick off the first edition of 2026 by looking at the future leaders of accelerator physics.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics recently launched a brand new initiative to appoint 'accelerator ambassadors' with the goal of promoting engagement and education in the field of accelerator accelerators. We speak to the six new ambassadors to find out about their projects, and how they envisage the future of the field. 

In good news for Europe's accelerator community, the EPITA project has won €10million in EU funding and will over the next four years work closely with industry to develop innovative technologies to improve the performance and sustainability of particle accelerators and facilities. The project is a follow-up to I.FAST. 

In an exclusive interview, EPITA project coordinator Toms Torims talks about the importance of the project for European competitiveness, how the technologies being developed could change the face of the accelerator landscape, and why he is excited to finally see the physical creation of ideas that he and many others have worked on for decades. 

Elsewhere, we look back at the successful HEARTS@CERN irradiation campaign that took place in December 2025 and saw 16 companies and research institutes test electronic components for use in space. 

We also have a look at a new version of the Beam Gas Curtain monitor that will be used for CERN's high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, and learn about how an Italian engineer became a CERN Accelerator School teacher. 

Finally, we look ahead to a new Challenge Based Innovation event taking place in Sarajevo in September, dedicated to applications of particle accelerators for society that could be of interest for regions such as the Balkans.