Horizon Europe Funding Supports Liverpool’s Role in Plasma Accelerators, Digital Twins and Sustainable Research Facilities

Horizon Europe Funding Supports Liverpool’s Role in Plasma Accelerators, Digital Twins and Sustainable Research Facilities

(IN BRIEF) The University of Liverpool has secured more than €1 million in Horizon Europe funding through its involvement in four newly awarded projects focused on shaping the future of European research infrastructures. The funding is part of a broader €25 million programme involving leading laboratories, universities, research facilities and industrial partners across Europe. Led at Liverpool by Professor Carsten P Welsch from the Department of Physics and the Cockcroft Institute, the projects cover plasma accelerator infrastructure, future accelerator technologies, AI-generated digital twins and sustainability tools for major scientific facilities. EuPRAXIA will advance distributed plasma accelerator research infrastructure, while EPITA will develop breakthrough accelerator technologies and strengthen industry collaboration. TwinRISE will create trustworthy digital twins for research, healthcare and energy infrastructures, and iRIS, coordinated by CERN, will develop AI-powered methods to improve the environmental performance of research facilities. The awards reinforce Liverpool’s leadership in accelerator science, particle physics and international research collaboration, supporting Europe’s next generation of major scientific infrastructures.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 9-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — University of Liverpool has secured more than €1 million in Horizon Europe funding through its role in four newly awarded European research infrastructure projects. The funding forms part of a wider €25 million programme bringing together leading laboratories, universities, research facilities and industrial partners across Europe.

The four projects will support the development of future research infrastructures in areas including plasma accelerator technology, accelerator innovation, AI-generated digital twins and sustainability tools for major scientific facilities. At the University of Liverpool, all four projects are led by Professor Carsten P Welsch from the Department of Physics and the Cockcroft Institute.

The awards strengthen Liverpool’s position in accelerator science, particle physics and research infrastructure development, while supporting Europe’s efforts to build more advanced, sustainable and industry-connected scientific facilities.

One of the projects, EuPRAXIA, is a major European initiative focused on establishing a distributed research infrastructure based on plasma accelerator technology. Plasma accelerators use waves in ionized gas to accelerate particles over much shorter distances than traditional accelerator systems. This approach could enable more compact research facilities for applications in science, medicine and industry. Liverpool has been involved in EuPRAXIA for more than 10 years and will lead dissemination for the project, while continuing related work on beam and plasma diagnostics, facility design and optimisation.

The second project, EPITA, or Enabling Partnerships for Innovation and Accelerator Technology Advancement, will develop a portfolio of breakthrough technologies for future accelerator-based research infrastructures. The project aims to help Europe create accelerator systems that are higher performing, more sustainable and more cost-effective, while strengthening the continent’s high-tech industrial supply chains. The University of Liverpool will lead the work package focused on co-creation with industry.

The third project, TwinRISE, will develop trustworthy AI-generated digital twins for research, healthcare and energy infrastructures. Digital twins are advanced virtual models of physical systems that can be used to test new ideas, predict performance, reduce downtime and support safer decision-making before changes are made in real-world environments. Liverpool will lead training, capacity building and exploitation activities, helping researchers, operators, SMEs and industrial partners learn how to use and further develop the new digital twin tools.

The fourth project, iRIS, or Intelligent Research Infrastructure Sustainability, will focus on improving the environmental performance of large scientific facilities. Coordinated by CERN, the project will develop AI-powered tools and practical methods to enhance sustainability throughout the lifecycle of research infrastructures. Liverpool will lead communication, engagement and inclusion activities for iRIS.

“These four awards are a major recognition of Liverpool’s leadership in accelerator science, research infrastructure innovation and international collaboration. Modern research infrastructures are among the most ambitious investments society makes in science. They need world-leading technology, but also skilled people, industrial partnerships, sustainable design, trusted data systems and public engagement,” said Professor Welsch.

“Liverpool is helping to shape all of these areas. We will contribute to the accelerators, digital tools, sustainability methods and innovation pathways that future multi-billion-pound facilities will depend on. This is exactly the kind of challenge that the Cockcroft Institute was set up to address,” he added.

The new Horizon Europe funding further reinforces Particle Physics, including Accelerator Science, as one of the University of Liverpool’s Research Frontiers. The projects are expected to help Europe prepare the next generation of research infrastructures and ensure that major scientific investments deliver value for science, society and the economy.

The lead image for the announcement features the CLARA test facility at Daresbury Laboratory, credited to STFC.

Media Contact:

Joanne Carr
Deputy Director of Communications and Public Affairs
T: +44 (0)7825 434900
E: jocarr@liverpool.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Liverpool