In Stanisław Lem’s novel "Solaris", an encounter with the unknown begins with careful observation—an attempt to understand phenomena that resist simple description. In the world of science and technology, 2025 was likewise a year of acceleration, change, and the redefinition of priorities: in Europe and globally, the need for technological sovereignty, resilient systems, and investment in solutions capable of addressing energy, health, and geopolitical challenges became increasingly pronounced. Against this backdrop, the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre consistently expanded its infrastructure and strengthened its position within Europe’s ecosystem of large-scale research infrastructures, becoming an ever more active participant in joint initiatives and projects. The past year brought not only further stages of the Centre’s development and growing user activity, but also an intensification of international cooperation.

We are pleased to announce that the SOLARIS Centre offers internships that provide a valuable opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technologies. The recent experiences of interns at the ASTRA beamline demonstrate that working at a synchrotron is not only a demanding challenge but also a fascinating adventure that fosters professional growth. What can one learn during an internship at the ASTRA beamline?

On 9–10 January 2026, the 6th National Student Scientific Conference “Closer to Chemistry” was held, bringing together students from academic centres across Poland. The event was supported by NCPS SOLARIS, which participated as an exhibitor, while the Director of the SOLARIS Centre granted the conference Honorary Patronage, highlighting the importance of the initiative for the development of the young scientific community.

Representatives of nine national and regional editorial offices visited the SOLARIS linear and circular accelerator laboratories. The guests included journalists from TVN24, TVP, RMF FM, Polish Radio, Radio Kraków, Radio ESKA, Dziennik Polski and the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

At the University of Bologna, the research group Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry and Energy (S2E), led by Professor Marco Giorgetti and co-coordinated by Dr Mariam Maisuradze, carries out research on battery materials, encompassing both anode and cathode components. They visited the SOLARIS Centre to obtain detailed structural and electronic information related to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery chemistry, as well as to the family of high-entropy oxides (HEOs), and to investigate their degradation mechanisms using XAS and XRF techniques. The experiments were performed on the ASTRA and POLYX beamlines with support from the ASTRA beamline coordinator and scientists, as well as from the POLYX team, assisted by PhD students Chiara Nicotri and Ilario Botta.