Headline stats from the impact report
0 to 0
peer-reviewed papers a year, across 39 subject areas
0,0+
citations per year, and papers cited twice as much as the global average
0+
experiments conducted over the last 10 years
0+
collaborations with international organisations from all continents except Antarctica
0%+
of CLF supported publications are internationally collaborative.
0+
CLF staff hold positions on international scientific advisory boards and groups, as well as at least 6 editorial boards for high-impact journals
0+
PhD students are trained at the CLF annually, maintaining the research pipeline and spilling over knowledge to a range of industries
0
industrial placement students were hosted over the past decade, and 14 apprentices are currently being hosted
0+
visitors per year are hosted in our purpose-built visitor centre
£0m+
generated over the last decade from 23 active patent families within the CLF portfolio
£0.0m+
funding to develop 21 Proofs of Concept relating to laser technologies and ancillary services
£0m
paid by Agilent Technologies to buy CLF spinout Cobalt Light Systems in 2017
For the benefit of society
“The Central Laser Facility has been a driving force behind discoveries that have advanced our understanding of diverse areas from the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions to the formation of stars and planets. To keep this world leading facility at the forefront of science and to make new breakthroughs for the benefit of society, it is essential that we invest in the development and deployment of advanced high-power laser technology. The Vulcan 20-20 programme will keep the Central Laser Facility at the cutting edge of the highest-power laser science and enable entirely new experiments in crucial areas such as renewable energy research.”
Boost UK science sector
“Reestablishing Britain as home to the world’s most powerful laser is an exciting opportunity to explore the unexplored in astronomy and physics, stride towards new clean energy sources for the good of our planet and much more. By investing £85m to give our research community the edge in leading crucial scientific discoveries, we are also delivering hundreds of highly skilled jobs in science and engineering that boost the UK science sector and grow our economy.” STFC and CLF are currently recruiting for a range of roles to support the Vulcan 20-20 upgrade programme including engineers, technicians, and project managers. Full details about the programme and these roles can be found on the CLF careers website."
Science
- the CLF supports multi- and inter-disciplinary research, with publications spanning at least 39 different (2nd level) subject areas
- the top 150 cited publications are referenced in at least 325 news articles, on sites such as BBC News and Forbes, and are linked to 16 patents
- cutting edge research at the CLF has contributed to advances in nuclear fusion, astrophysics, climate change, viral research, and 3D printing
Competitiveness and reputation
- The CLF supports UK research organisations from every area of the UK
- The CLF is regarded as world leading by stakeholders, and the next generation of facility upgrades will help to secure this status in the future.
- CLF staff hold positions on numerous international scientific advisory boards and groups, helping to boost UK reputation and influence
Skills, knowledge and inspiration
- technical and scientific expertise of CLF staff is a key enabler of upskilling
- the CLF boosts technical and soft skills at a range of seniority levels, through apprenticeships, training, outreach and industry placements
- the CLF has published 350+ news items and articles over the past 10 years, and has a long tradition of engaging with the public and young people
Innovation and commercialisation
- the CLF supports innovative research, with many invention disclosure forms, proofs of concept (PoC), and patents generated in recent years
- CLF has spun out two companies in the last decade, leveraging in-house capabilities to meet commercial demand: Scitech Precision Limited and Cobalt Light Systems (since this report concluded, a spin-out called DiPOLE Systems was announced in April 2026)
- Industry users leverage the CLF’s expertise and technologies to support internal R&D, leading to improved production techniques and products.
International collaborations
4U‑PI
Funded by Horizon Europe, 4U‑PI is a €10-million project that will advance laser‑driven ion and neutron source technologies, delivering a next generation of ultrafast, high‑dose‑rate radiation sources.
CLF-Dstl partnership
UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is working in partnership with CLF to deliver a programme of R&D focusing on advanced inspection technologies based on laser-driven sources for security applications.
PACRI
The Plasma Accelerator systems for Compact Research Infrastructures (PACRI) collaboration is a €10 million, four‑year project (launched in March 2025) funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme.
EuPRAXIA
EuPRAXIA is a pan-European project that aims to construct a unique, dedicated particle accelerator research infrastructure based on laser and electron-beam-driven plasma Wakefield acceleration.
XFEL support
The CLF is actively supporting developments and research at X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) facilities worldwide.
Extreme Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC)
The Extreme Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC) is a partnership between the CLF and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), funded through UKRI’s Fund for International Collaboration (Wave 2).
Laserlab-Europe
The CLF is a founding member of the European Commission’s Laserlab-Europe AISBL, an international not-for-profit association, which brings together 48 leading organisations in laser-based inter-disciplinary research from 22 countries.
Need a different format?
If you cannot open or read any of these documents, you can contact us to request a different format.
Contact us