From December 3 to 6, the Women in Tech Camp 2024 took place in Bukowina Tatrzańska, organized by the Perspektywy Women in Tech Foundation. The SOLARIS Centre was represented by two programmers who served as speakers and mentors. They had the opportunity to share knowledge about the SOLARIS infrastructure and the functioning of the synchrotron, thereby encouraging engagement in the scientific community. The event was co-created by numerous companies and foundations that jointly strive to motivate women to take on challenges in the field of new technologies.

The SOLARIS Centre was visited by exceptional guests: representatives from the worlds of science and diplomacy, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Björn Savén, and Martin Brozek. Together with the director, Jakub Szlachetko, and members of the SOLARIS team – Artur Biela and Przemysław Grudnik – they toured the synchrotron hall and cryo-microscopy laboratories. During the meeting, they had the opportunity to learn about the principles of synchrotron operation and cryo-microscopes, as well as to discover more about our research infrastructure and collaboration opportunities.

The year 2024 at the SOLARIS Centre was full of events that confirmed the centre's importance as one of the key research centres in Europe. From the inauguration of the POLYX beamline and record-breaking calls for proposals, to international meetings such as ‘,Light for Ukraine’ and ‘,LEAPS INNOV’, to collaborations with industry and initiatives to popularise science, SOLARIS has proven itself as a place where science meets innovation. The past year was also a time of advanced technological projects, meetings with scientific leaders and intensified international cooperation activities. These events add up to a story of dynamic science and technology development that is shaping the future in many research fields.

From December 7 to 9, the 8th Silesian Science Festival took place at the International Congress Centre in Katowice, marking the culmination of a year-long celebration of Katowice being awarded the title of European City of Science 2024. The festival once again gathered enthusiasts of science, technology, and innovation in the heart of Upper Silesia. This year, many renowned institutions participated in the event, including the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, which showcased the application of plasma in synchrotron research and cryo-microscopy at its exhibition booth.

The SOLARIS Centre hosted the first meeting of the advisory body (SB) of the NEPHEWS (NEutrons and PHotons Elevating Worldwide Science) project from 2-4 December 2024. This project aims to develop the integration of European research infrastructures with the neutron and photon source user community, with priority from developing countries through dedicated support programmes.