On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the fourth and final InnovaXN Plenary event was held in a hybrid format at the ESRF Auditorium (EPN campus). The event brought together students and supervisors from the ESRF and the ILL, facilitating face-to-face cross-disciplinary discussions and networking.

The event began with a welcome speech by Michael Krisch, ESRF Director of Research for Life Sciences ad interim, who provided a brief overview of the InnovaXN Programme. Co-funded by the European Commission and based on ESRF-EBS, the programme welcomed 38 students between 2019 and 2021.

“This plenary event also represents the core of our daily mission: science, cooperation and working together for a better future, driven by curiosity and understanding. It’s increasingly about the next generation, who are seated here. Our role is to ensure a bright future for our students,” stated Michael.

Amongst the 38 PhD students, six have already defended their theses and passed with flying colours.

Before concluding his speech, Michael Krisch reminded the audience of the formal conclusion of the InnovaXN project, scheduled for September 2024. He presented the event agenda and invited students to participate in a Menti questionnaire. The questionnaire aimed to gather feedback on the PhD project, a pioneering Marie Curie doctoral programme at ESRF and ILL involving industry, and to analyse the collected comments together.

This initiative sparked open and constructive discussions among students, supervisors and the InnovaXN Scientific Directors, Michael Krisch (ESRF) and Jacques Jestin (ILL). The discussions focused on identifying areas for improvement, successful factors and the role of industry in the doctoral programme.

Anastasia Molokova and Wenke Müller opened the core session by presenting their thesis projects. The audience engaged actively with both presenters, showing keen interest in their research results and outcomes. Anastasia’s thesis project was titled “Elucidating the Deactivation of Cu-CHA Industrial DeNOx Catalysts by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy,” while Wenke’s focused on “Solution Behavior of Hair Dyes in the Presence of Surfactants.”

The session continued with a series of clips where 16 InnovaXN students from Cohort 2, both ESRF and ILL, presented their research projects in five-minute pitches. These presentations showcased the doctoral programme’s broad range of topics and sectors.

After the student presentations, ILL Scientific Director Jacques Jestin delivered the closing remarks. He thanked all the students for their inspiring presentations and highlighted the successful collaboration between ESRF, ILL, and the EU-funded Marie Curie project. Jestin emphasised several key factors contributing to this success, including:

♦ Gathering young, motivated scientists at the EPN Campus in Grenoble.

♦ Utilising large-scale facilities like ILL and ESRF as key contributors.

♦ Offering workshops, courses and training opportunities that enhanced both soft and hard skills, valuable for future careers.

♦ Connecting high-level research to societal challenges, such as health, energy and sustainability.

♦ Recognising the critical role of industry through the secondment programme, providing students with parallel experiences outside the campus, often abroad, with project partners.

“For all these reasons, the InnovaXN PhD programme has proven to be a vital tool in bridging the gap between academia, industry and society by combining fundamental research with innovation,” stated Jacques.

He extended his gratitude to the students, academic and industrial supervisors, committee members and the support team who brought InnovaXN to life and ensured its smooth and successful execution.

The event, which hosted approximately 50 participants, concluded with an aperitif and poster sessions held at the entrance of the ESRF central building, providing a relaxed atmosphere for further discussions and networking.

Group picture – 4^th and Final InnovaXN Plenary Event, 4 June 2024, EPN Campus (ESRF).