EPACE Kick-off Meeting
15. & 16. December 2025, DESY, Hamburg
On December 15 and 16, the EPACE Kick-off Meeting brought together around 35 participants from all consortium countries — marking the first time the entire team met in one place. The event gathered the 15 selected PhD students, their supervisors and co-supervisors, as well as the Principal Investigators who will be driving the programme forward.
Throughout the two days, participants exchanged ideas, shared their research ambitions, and learned more about the vision behind EPACE. Wim Leemans, Director Accelerator Division, DESY, offered fascinating insights into DESY’s cutting-edge technologies and innovations, including PETRA IV, FLASH2020+, and recent high-impact publications. While Francesca Calegari, Lead of the Attosecond Science division at CFEL, DESY, provided thoughtful perspectives and inspiring advice in promoting women in science.
The 15 doctoral students were introduced to the structure, timeline, and main goals of the EPACE programme and took part in an interactive training session on innovation and entrepreneurship led by DESY’s Start-up Office. The meeting not only set the scientific and collaborative tone for the years ahead — it also sparked excitement and a strong sense of community among all participants.
Picture: Marta Mayer, DESY
