ELI Annual Report 2025–2026

ELI Annual Report 2025–2026 Highlights a Year of Growth and Scientific Progress

ELI continues to grow as an integrated European research infrastructure, strengthening its scientific programme, expanding its international community and developing new capabilities across its facilities. The 2025–2026 period marked further progress towards a mature and fully operational organisation serving researchers, partners and society.

During the past year, ELI welcomed Slovakia, Montenegro and Poland as Observer countries, expanding its network to include ten participating countries. The organisation also continued to strengthen its unified governance and management systems, supported by new leadership roles, shared digital infrastructure and a coordinated approach to operations across its facilities.

The ELI User Programme reached new levels of scale and maturity. Across the first eight User Calls, researchers submitted 879 proposals, with 560 experiments awarded beamtime. More than 2,000 researchers from 43 countries have contributed to proposals, while the experimental portfolio has grown from 10 instruments in the first call to more than 40 today.

The report also highlights scientific results from a broad range of fields, including attosecond physics, materials science, particle acceleration, radiobiology, plasma physics and advanced photon sources. Major technology milestones included the L4 ATON laser reaching a peak power of 5.1 petawatts, continued performance improvements for L3-HAPLS, the production of isolated attosecond pulses and advances in high-power laser optics.

Collaboration remained central to ELI’s development. During the year, ELI was selected to host the laser-driven pillar of EuPRAXIA, advanced scientific cooperation with Switzerland and Canada, and launched the 4U-PI project to support the development of user-ready laser-driven ion and neutron sources.

The report also presents progress in innovation and technology transfer, including the establishment of ELI Impact Lab and new proof-of-concept projects connecting ELI’s scientific expertise with applications in healthcare, cultural heritage, industry and emerging technology markets.

Sustainability continued to be an important part of ELI’s long-term development. A new 5 MW solar power plant with more than 13,000 panels was completed at one of the facilities, while work continued on a digital twin for building management and on an organisation-wide ESG framework.

Alongside its scientific and technological activities, ELI expanded its education, training and public engagement programmes. The ELI User Meeting welcomed nearly 200 participants, the ELI Summer School brought together more than 110 students from 22 countries, and public outreach activities attracted thousands of visitors through open days, laboratory tours and science events.

The 2025–2026 edition of the ELI Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the organisation’s latest developments, including:

• organisational growth and expanding membership
• user programme activities and scientific results
• strategic partnerships and European projects
• laser technology and innovation
• sustainability and technology transfer
• education, training and public engagement
• governance and financial information

The full report in an online version is available by clicking on the cover image below.

Enjoy reading!