High Pressure, High Impact: Reflections from the 2024 IUCr Workshop in Lund

The 2024 IUCr Commission on High Pressure Workshop was held in Lund, Sweden. This hybrid event brought together over 80 participants, including both in-person and remote attendees, representing 15 countries. The local organizing committee, consisting of scientists from ESS and MAX IV, was chaired by Damian Paliwoda, who coordinated the logistics and organization of the event.

The workshop was officially opened by Giovanna Fragneto, the ESS Science Director, who, in her opening lecture, presented the power and capabilities of ESS, the brightest neutron source on our planet. While all synchrotrons, XFELs, and neutron facilities allow high-pressure researchers to investigate materials under extreme conditions, this edition of the workshop focused specifically on neutron high-pressure crystallography.

The programme included a full-day tutorial on neutron scattering methods, with special attention given to data management and data standards.

A dedicated session on Women in High Pressure addressed the crucial issue of gender balance. The lively discussion produced many suggestions for reducing gender gaps in future workshops and other scientific initiatives. Participants also had the opportunity to visit either MAX IV or ESS, allowing them to witness the recent developments at both facilities. Finally, it should be emphasized that, to facilitate the participation of early-career researchers, the IUCr generously offered bursaries to subsidize travel expenses for some delegates.

In the opinion of all participants, the workshop was a great success and significantly contributed to the advancement of high-pressure crystallography, particularly emphasizing neutron scattering experiments.

Mikhail Feygenson, Head of the Diffraction and Imaging Division at ESS, reflected on the workshop's impact: "The meeting was highly engaging. The field of high-pressure research is both vast and exciting, encompassing a diverse range of topics, from novel magnetic structures to unique ice formations that can only exist under extreme pressures, and of course, Earth science. We are confident that high-pressure research will thrive at ESS, particularly with the use of the new diffractometer, DREAM, which enables high-flux neutron diffraction and total scattering studies."