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Unpreparedness and risk in Big Science policy: Sweden and the European Spallation Source

Hallonsten, Olof LU (2015) In Science and Public Policy 42. p.415-426
Abstract
The politics of European collaborative Big Science are inherently uncertain. The European Spallation Source (ESS) for materials science, planned to be built in Sweden with a collaborative European funding solution that was recently finalized is the most recent example. Sweden has so far invested around one billion SEK (&E110 million), taking a significant risk given these uncertainties and given Sweden’s complete lack of experience in hosting such big labs. Tracing the Swedish government’s investments in the ESS project, this article shows that so far, the Swedish ESS bid seems to be generally well funded, but that a long-term plan for the funding and a contingency plan for increased costs seem to be absent. This adds to the seeming... (More)
The politics of European collaborative Big Science are inherently uncertain. The European Spallation Source (ESS) for materials science, planned to be built in Sweden with a collaborative European funding solution that was recently finalized is the most recent example. Sweden has so far invested around one billion SEK (&E110 million), taking a significant risk given these uncertainties and given Sweden’s complete lack of experience in hosting such big labs. Tracing the Swedish government’s investments in the ESS project, this article shows that so far, the Swedish ESS bid seems to be generally well funded, but that a long-term plan for the funding and a contingency plan for increased costs seem to be absent. This adds to the seeming unprepared- ness of Sweden and elevates the already quite high level of risk for Swedish science and science policy of investing in the ESS. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Big Science, European research policy, Sweden, European Spallation Source, research funding
in
Science and Public Policy
volume
42
pages
415 - 426
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84930858437
ISSN
1471-5430
DOI
10.1093/scipol/scu064
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bfb05449-84d7-45d2-a941-65896a12dd63 (old id 5469943)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:53:01
date last changed
2022-01-27 21:38:14
@article{bfb05449-84d7-45d2-a941-65896a12dd63,
  abstract     = {{The politics of European collaborative Big Science are inherently uncertain. The European Spallation Source (ESS) for materials science, planned to be built in Sweden with a collaborative European funding solution that was recently finalized is the most recent example. Sweden has so far invested around one billion SEK (&E110 million), taking a significant risk given these uncertainties and given Sweden’s complete lack of experience in hosting such big labs. Tracing the Swedish government’s investments in the ESS project, this article shows that so far, the Swedish ESS bid seems to be generally well funded, but that a long-term plan for the funding and a contingency plan for increased costs seem to be absent. This adds to the seeming unprepared- ness of Sweden and elevates the already quite high level of risk for Swedish science and science policy of investing in the ESS.}},
  author       = {{Hallonsten, Olof}},
  issn         = {{1471-5430}},
  keywords     = {{Big Science; European research policy; Sweden; European Spallation Source; research funding}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{415--426}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Science and Public Policy}},
  title        = {{Unpreparedness and risk in Big Science policy: Sweden and the European Spallation Source}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3646283/5469944.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/scipol/scu064}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}