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  • Partner spotlight: CNRS / LP2IB

    Partner spotlight: CNRS / LP2IB

    Behind our EUROPA project is a dedicated network of 12 European partners collaborating to revolutionize medical radioisotope production for cancer treatment. Over the next few months, we are shining a light on the institutions, researchers, and innovators driving our mission.

    CNRS/LP2IB contributes to EUROPA in the fields of nuclear physics, Monte Carlo simulations (Geant4), and machine learning analysis. They are responsibe for the coordination of task 1.1, including the development of a Bremsstrahlung converter to optimize electron-to-photon conversion, and are also involved in tasks 2.1 (dispersive spectrometers), 2.2 (online flux monitor), and task 3.1 (from targeting to radiochemical separation and purification).

    Their work relies on advanced simulations (Geant4) and data analysis for experiments conducted in facilities like AIFIRA (ion beam analysis) and Nd:YAG (1064 nm laser).

    The understanding of the infinitely small, its connection to the infinitely large, and the application of nuclear physics techniques to research in health and the environment form the foundation of the laboratory’s research activities.

  • Partner spotlight: IMT Atlantique

    Partner spotlight: IMT Atlantique

    Behind our EUROPA project is a dedicated network of 12 European partners collaborating to revolutionize medical radioisotope production for cancer treatment. Over the next few months, we are shining a light on the institutions, researchers, and innovators driving our mission.

    We are kicking off the series with our project coordinator: IMT Atlantique!

    In addition to leading the administrative, legal and financial coordination of the project, the IMT Atlantique team brings its strong expertise in targetry and radio chemistry for the production of novel nuclides.

    Specifically, the PRISMA team is mainly involved in our work package 3 on the definition of the relevant production routes considering the specificities of laser plasma accelerations thanks to Monte Carlo simulations. A central aspect of the EUROPA project is the design of the adequate targetry to test the identified production routes.

    Learn more about them on our partners’ page.

  • EUROPA at Laserlab-Europe Talks

    EUROPA at Laserlab-Europe Talks

    Did you miss the Laserlab-Europe Talk on “Medical Radionuclide Production by Laser Wakefield Accelerators” by Dino Jaroszynski (University of Strathclyde)?

    Now you can watch the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX9IvmiGryI

    In the video, Dino Jaroszynski presented a study of the production of 67Cu medical radioisotopes using bremsstrahlung radiation produced by 150 pC bunches of high energy electrons from a laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) when they interact with dense convertor material. The experiments demonstrating photonuclear production of radioisotopes have been carried out at the Scottish Centre for the Application of Plasma-based accelerators (SCAPA). 10 kBq of 67Cu was produced by irradiating enriched 68Zn over a five-hour irradiation period at approximately 1 Hz repetition rate, which provides an important experimental benchmark. This work assesses the performance of current LWFA systems and establishes the requirements of future commercial LWFA-based systems and extrapolations suggests that the next stage of development. A facility based on optically pumped CO2 laser technologies could potentially achieve clinically relevant activity levels of 67Cu. The project is part of the MedRadLaser collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, National Physical Laboratory, the University of the West of Scotland, and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The studies will be extended and form part of the EUROPA project.

  • EUROPA at Laserlab-Europe Annual Meeting

    EUROPA at Laserlab-Europe Annual Meeting

    Happy to report that the EUROPA project was actively represented at last week’s Laserlab-Europe & Lasers4EU Annual & Users Meeting in Dolní Břežany, Czechia.

    On Tuesday, Dino Janoczinsky provided a brief overview of our project’s ambitions and objectives. Later in the week, on Friday, Antoine Matraillain introduced the audience to the topic of “Laser plasma acceleration for radionuclide production”, which forms the basis of EUROPA.

    The annual event brings together representatives from leading research institutes and industry, as well as early-stage researchers, to discuss the latest developments in laser-based technologies and their scientific and industrial applications.

  • Towards more accessible cancer diagnostics and therapies: EUROPA project begins work on compact laser-driven accelerators

    Towards more accessible cancer diagnostics and therapies: EUROPA project begins work on compact laser-driven accelerators

    The EUROPA project (lasEr-driven Universal Radio-isOtope Production Accelerator) officially launched on 1 April 2026 as a European initiative aiming to assess alternative routes for production of medical radioisotopes for cancer research on diagnosis and treatment. Bringing together a consortium of 12 leading research institutes, universities and industrial partners, EUROPA seeks to unlock the potential of laser-plasma acceleration (LPA) to develop a new generation of compact particle accelerators. The project will receive around 3.5 million euro in funding from the European Innovation Council program.

    Each year, approximately 4 million people in Europe are diagnosed with cancer, underscoring the urgent need for more effective diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) is one of the most promising approaches in nuclear medicine, relying on artificial radioactive isotopes (ARIs) to precisely identify and destroy cancer cells. However, access to these innovative isotopes is limited due to the fact that they rely on few nuclear reactors and high-energy cyclotrons, technically capable of producing those but already extremely busy producing radiopharmaceuticals for patients. They are also heavy, expensive and energy-intensive, requiring an entire room or even a building with concrete walls that are several meters thick.

    New technology to be smaller, more agile and cost-effective

    The EUROPA project addresses this issue by advancing an innovative alternative: the use of high-power lasers to generate nuclear reactions. Through laser-plasma acceleration, particles can be accelerated to extremely high energies over much shorter distances than is possible using conventional methods; a breakthrough that could lead to significantly smaller, more agile and potentially more cost-effective radioisotope production systems.

    A key challenge for the EUROPA consortium is to significantly improve the quality and stability of particle beams generated through LPA, while enhancing accessibility by designing systems that are easier to install in hospitals and research centers. The envisioned solutions also aim to reduce the need for extensive radiation shielding and minimize the risk of contamination to the immediate environment. These advances would make radioisotope production safer, more adaptable to clinical environments and less dependent on centralized infrastructure.

    The project officially kicked off with its inaugural meeting in Nantes (France) on 9-10 April, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort to redefine the future of cancer treatment technologies.

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    About EUROPA

    EUROPA (for lasEr-driven Universal Radio-isOtope Production Accelerator) is a European collaborative research project dedicated to developing laser-driven solutions for radioisotope production, aiming to unlock new possibilities in cancer diagnosis and therapy. It is funded by the European Innovation Council under the EU Horizon Europe program with 3.5 million euro (grant agreement 101257418). The consortium consists of IMT Atlantique (as coordinator), CNRS, CEA, University of Bordeaux, University of Strathclyde, IFIN-HH, Laserlab-Europe (affiliated entity: FV Berlin), CLPU, GSI, Thales, Amplitude and Focused Energy. The duration of the project will be 48 months.

  • EUROPA consortium meets in Nantes

    EUROPA consortium meets in Nantes

    On 9-10th April, the EUROPA team came together at the Institut Mines Télécom Atlantique in Nantes for the kick off meeting of the project. The two-day event provided an opportunity to gather the consortium and discuss the challenges across the project’s work packages (WP) as well as defining the steps for the coming months.

    The meeting consisted in an introduction to remind the collaboration and explain the members of the EEAB (external expert advisory board) what were the objectives, structure and members of the EUROPA project. The members of the EEAB then had the opportunity to introduce themselves before the group composed of academics and industrials partners pursued their hybrid meeting. It was followed by dedicated seminars on the main breakthroughs that the consortium aims at tackling during the project. These initiated enthusiastic discussions and resulted in valuable inputs from the participants.

    This first day was concluded by a dinner at a restaurant in downtown Nantes where fruitful exchanges on EUROPA continued.

    The following day, dedicated presentations of all WPs were discussed so a clear roadmap could emerge for the next months.