Diamond Annual Review 2025-26

the most powerful display laser in the UK, which shone from the centre of Diamond on the first day of 2026 to mark eight decades of Harwell’s world-leading science and innovation, and attracted the attention of people across the region. Scientific and technical events Diamond continued to host a wide array of scientific and technical events, catering to the needs of our diverse staff and user communities. Highlights from this period include multiple successful user meetings including the Structures and Surfaces Group User Meeting and Biological Cryo- The 2025/26 period saw increased numbers across the board in comparison to 2024 - 25, including for school student and teacher interactions, stakeholder and VIP visitors, and science and technical events attendees. Of particular note in the last year was the number of staff from across the organisation who supported engagement activities. Our staff are regularly praised by visitors as enthusiastic, friendly and great ambassadors for Diamond. Public engagement Our core public engagement programme, including partner events with STFC, continued to thrive. Notable highlights from this period include our attendance at large offsite festivals, such as IF Oxford and the Festival of Tomorrow in Swindon, where we engaged hundreds of local families with the work of Diamond; our schools work experience week, which welcomed 54 students across 23 projects across our facility; and The Beam, It has been another impactful year of engagement at Diamond, underpinned by a blend of in-person and hybrid events for the scientific community, a varied programme of public engagement activities, and high-profile stakeholder visits. Engagement “I got stopped by three teenagers in the street who recognised me from one of the tours at Diamond. I asked if they enjoyed it, to which they said they were inspired to work at Diamond in the future.” – Staff volunteer Imaging User Meeting, and international conferences including the HPC-CONEXS conference, Particle Accelerators and Beams Conference, and the International Technical Safety Forum. The Early Career Scientists Symposium was a particular highlight, which provided an opportunity for early career scientists to be inspired by high-profile speakers from a diverse range of career paths, including a Nobel Prize winner and a European Space Agency astronaut reserve. Stakeholder engagement and VIP visits Throughout the year, Diamond hosted many stakeholder and VIP visits which solidified partnerships, enhanced international collaboration, and celebrated milestones of the Diamond-II project. In July 2025, Feryal Clark MP, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, alongside Clara Chappaz, France’s Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs, visited Diamond to learn about the exciting work of the OpenBind consortium. In December 2025, Diamond hosted a delegation from SESAME in Jordan, marking a renewed commitment to the existing scientific collaboration between the two facilities. In March 2026, Diamond marked the official opening of the Diamond Extension Building with an event attended by members of the Board, representatives from campus facilities, DEB contractors and staff members on our Diamond-II project board, to mark a significant step forward in the delivery of the Diamond-II project. “Our A-Level Physics class went on an amazing trip to Diamond Light Source and honestly, it was one of the best educational experiences I’ve had so far.” – Schools open day visitor 41 42 Annual review 2025/26 Engagement