CLARA Facility STFC Daresbury Laboratory

Making a brighter future

We are the UK’s national centre of excellence for particle accelerator science and technology.

Our work underpins vital scientific research around the world, providing unique facilities and full end-to-end capabilities in next-generation particle accelerator development. Through world-class test facilities, we offer a flexible platform for research, development, user access, and prototyping.

By collaborating with industry, academia, and international laboratories, we help turn scientific discovery into real-world impact, strengthening the UK’s research infrastructure, advancing accelerator innovation, and supporting breakthroughs that benefit society globally.

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Our facilities

We operate a wide range of unique and cutting-edge facilities, supporting the development of advanced particle accelerators and helping businesses test, validate and improve their products, from high-power beamlines to state-of-the-art test infrastructure.

CLARA

Europe’s premier facility for accelerator research and development, delivering tailored electron beams for pioneering research.

Electron Beam Testing

A complete electron beam solution, from rapid product trials in our compact Lab system to scalable processing with the flexible, high-capacity Engine, all on one site.

Linac Test Facility

A purpose-built facility advancing compact accelerator technologies, delivering safe, flexible access for testing applications.

CLARA

CLARA is one of the world’s most advanced medium-energy electron beam facilities, driving innovation in medicine, physics, and material science.

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Our Capabilities and Expertise

Our researchers and engineers lead pioneering work across every aspect of particle accelerator science, from fundamental physics to the development of advanced components, control systems, and applications.

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Our impact

50+

industry talks delivered

30+

conferences, events and school visits organised in the last 5 years

10

PhD completions since 2020

Discover how innovation drives real-world results

Space Technology Applications of STFC Electron Beam Facilities

At the Linac Test Facility (LTF), we specialise in radiation hardness testing for solar cells and electronics for…

Dyman Advanced Materials

Dyman Advanced Materials is using the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) particle accelerator facilities to develop the…

Explore our case studies

Our latest news and insights

New Comment Published in Nature Reviews Physics

Deepa Angal-Kalinin awarded prize at Particle Accelerator and Beams Conference 2025

On the 9th and 10th of July, the UK’s accelerator community gathered for the UK’s flagship annual event: the Particle Accelerator and Beams Conference 2025 (PAB 2025).

CLARA User Meeting – 3rd December 2024

The Fourth CLARA User meeting was held on 3rd of December 2024 at Daresbury Laboratory with 100 participants attending in person and remotely.

Cockcroft Institute 20th Anniversary

The Cockcroft Institute of Accelerator Science and Technology celebrated its 20th birthday on Friday the 20th September 2024 at Daresbury Laboratory.

Prototype developments for a sustainable particle accelerator for Ion Beam Analysis (IBA)

The Magnetics and Radiation Sources (MaRS) group at ASTeC and the Low Energy Beams Group (LEBG) at ISIS have developed a permanent magnet dipole for charge state selection in a low-energy beamline of a novel carbon-free accelerator concept for Ion Beam Analysis. The work was funded from STFC’s Net Zero programme.

Full Energy Beam Exploitation of CLARA

A new beam line on CLARA will provide access to ultrashort, low emittance electron bunches combined with a high power 120 TW laser. Titled Full Energy Beam Exploitation (FEBE), it has been designed to maximise the user research potential of CLARA in a variety of fields, including novel acceleration and new modalities of radiotherapy.

RUEDI, the World’s fastest electron microscope and diffraction facility

Relativistic Ultrafast Electron Diffraction and Imaging (RUEDI) will be the most powerful high energy electron microscope in the world for ultrafast imaging and the world’s fastest electron diffraction facility.

Major research and innovation infrastructure investment announced

Five new infrastructure projects are to share £388 million, with additional £85 million to support UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Digital Research Infrastructure Programme.

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Enquiries

For more information and all enquiries, please contact us.