MAX IV Laboratory

What MAX IV Laboratory does

MAX IV Laboratory is a Swedish national large-scale research infrastructure facility operated by Lund University in Lund, Sweden. It houses the world's first 4th generation synchrotron radiation source, which produces ultra-bright and coherent X-ray beams for scientific research. The facility operates two storage rings (1.5 GeV and 3 GeV), a linear accelerator, radio frequency systems, and a soft X-ray laser, supporting 17 specialized beamlines covering macromolecular crystallography, X-ray spectroscopy, small-angle scattering, imaging, photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-resolved experiments.

The core product portfolio comprises beamlines including BioMAX, MicroMAX, NanoMAX, Balder, DanMAX, ForMAX, FemtoMAX, and others, complemented by add-on services such as FragMAX (fragment screening for drug discovery), Cryo-EM, AutoMAX automated beamline service, SINCRYS crystallography, and remote access capabilities. The facility serves academic researchers (life sciences and physical sciences), pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and industrial sectors including paper/pulp, metals, energy/battery, and food science.

MAX IV operates on a hybrid revenue model: the majority of funding comes from the Swedish government through the Ministry of Education and Research, supplemented by research grants from Swedish funding bodies (VR, Vinnova) and European projects, with industrial users paying fee-based purchase agreements for commercial beamline access. Academic users access beamtime through a proposal-based allocation system via the DUO platform with multiple modes (Standard, Fast, Long Term Proposals, BAG, Hub). The facility has 276 employees and celebrated its 10-year operational anniversary in 2026, marking 40 years since the founding of predecessor Max-lab in 1986.

Name

MAX IV Laboratory

Legal name

MAX IV Laboratory

Website

https://maxiv.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MAX IV Laboratory is a Swedish national synchrotron radiation facility operated by Lund University, housing the world's first 4th generation synchrotron with 17+ specialized beamlines serving academic researchers, pharmaceutical/biotech firms, and industrial users across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Synchrotron Research Infrastructure

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Laboratory Services (Core Lab Operations) (HLAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Synchrotron radiation facility
• X-ray beamline services
• Macromolecular crystallography
• Structural biology research
• Materials characterization

Headquarters

HQ city

Lund

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: MAX IV is primarily funded by the Swedish government through the Ministry of Education and Research. Core operations and infrastructure maintenance are supported by public funding.
2. Industrial Services: Commercial access to beamlines for industrial research in sectors including pharmaceutical (drug discovery, fragment screening), materials (paper/pulp, metals/engineering), energy/battery, food science, and health/life sciences. Services include remote access, automated data collection, and specialized packages.
3. Research Grants: External funding from Swedish funding bodies (VR, Vinnova) and European projects for collaborative research and beamline development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MAX IV Laboratory operates the world's first 4th generation synchrotron radiation facility, providing access to ultra-bright X-ray beams through 17+ specialized beamlines and storage ring infrastructure. The facility sells beamtime, experimental services, and instrumentation access to academic researchers and industrial users for applications in structural biology, materials science, catalysis, and surface chemistry, supported by proposal-based access modes and dedicated industrial relations.

Product overview

MAX IV Laboratory is a Swedish large-scale research infrastructure housing the world's first 4th generation synchrotron facility. The platform operates as a multi-beamline research facility with two storage rings (1.5 GeV and 3 GeV) and a soft X-ray laser. The core portfolio comprises 17 operational beamlines (Balder, BioMAX, Bloch, CoSAXS, DanMAX, FemtoMAX, FinEstBeAMS, FlexPES, ForMAX, HIPPIE, MAXPEEM, MicroMAX, NanoMAX, SoftiMAX, SPECIES, TomoWISE, and Veritas) offering techniques including macromolecular crystallography, X-ray spectroscopy, imaging, scattering, and photoelectron microscopy. Industrial services include remote access, fragment screening via FragMAX, AutoMAX automation, Cryo-EM, and SINCRYS crystallography. Support infrastructure includes biological and chemical preparation laboratories, mechanical workshops, and the PRISMAS PhD training programme. The facility operates on a proposal-based user access model with multiple access modes including Standard, Fast, Long-term, BAG, and Hub access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Balder Beamline X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) beamline optimized for rapid XAS data collection, supporting XRF hyperspectral mapping, XRD data, and multimodal in-situ measurements for academic and industrial users.
• BioMAX Beamline Macromolecular crystallography beamline featuring fully automated data collection, MXCuBE3 control software, and remote experiment capabilities for structural biology research.
• DanMAX Beamline Versatile X-ray diffraction and imaging beamline supporting powder diffraction (PXRD2D), full-field imaging, and the SINCRYS high-energy resolution crystallography endstation.
• CoSAXS Beamline Coherent Small-Angle X-ray Scattering beamline for studying nanoscale structures in materials, biological samples, and soft matter.
• FemtoMAX Beamline Femtosecond pump-probe X-ray experiments beamline for time-resolved studies of ultrafast phenomena in materials and chemistry.
• HIPPIE Beamline Ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) beamline with solid-gas, high-temperature, catalysis, and solid-liquid electrochemistry endstations for surface chemistry research.
• NanoMAX Beamline Nanometer-resolution X-ray imaging and scanning diffraction beamline with imaging station (EH1) and diffraction station (EH2) for nanoscale materials characterization.
• MicroMAX Beamline Micro-focused macromolecular crystallography beamline providing micrometer-scale X-ray beams for studying small crystals and microcrystals.
• ForMAX Beamline Form and scattering beamline combining SWAXS (small/wide-angle X-ray scattering), full-field microtomography, and rheo-SAXS for multiscale structural characterization of materials and biological samples, with industrial applications.
• 3 GeV Storage Ring Main high-energy storage ring operating at 3 GeV, delivering brilliant synchrotron radiation to multiple beamlines across the facility.
• 1.5 GeV Storage Ring Low-energy storage ring accelerator optimized for injecting into the 3 GeV ring and providing synchrotron radiation for specific beamlines.
• Remote Access at BioMAX Industrial service enabling remote operation of BioMAX beamline experiments, allowing companies to conduct crystallography experiments without on-site presence.
• Fragment Screening Service High-throughput crystallographic fragment screening service using BioMAX beamline for drug discovery and pharmaceutical research applications.
• AutoMAX Automated beamline service for industrial users, providing robotic sample handling and automated data collection workflows.
• Cryo-EM Service Cryo-electron microscopy facility providing access to cryo-EM instrumentation for structural biology research complementing X-ray techniques.
• SINCRYS 1 Industrial Service High-Energy Resolution Crystallography endstation at DanMAX beamline, available for industrial users requiring enhanced resolution crystallography measurements.
• Soft X-ray Laser High-brightness coherent soft X-ray source providing ultrafast pulses for advanced experiments in atomic and molecular physics.
• Bloch Beamline Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) beamline for surface science and materials research.
• FinEstBeAMS Beamline Broadband and variable polarization angle photoemission spectroscopy beamline with gas-phase, photoluminescence, and solid-state endstations.
• FlexPES Beamline Flexible photoelectron spectroscopy beamline with Surface & Material Science and Low Density Matter branches, supporting soft X-ray absorption and coincidence methods.
• MAXPEEM Beamline X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM) beamline with AC-SPELEEM for high-resolution imaging of electronic and magnetic properties of surfaces.
• SoftiMAX Beamline Soft X-ray beamline for techniques requiring lower photon energies, supporting spectroscopy and microscopy applications.
• SPECIES Beamline Spectroscopy beamline supporting ambient pressure X-ray absorption spectroscopy (APXAS), resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS).
• Veritas Beamline Versatile X-ray beamline providing multiple experimental capabilities for diverse scientific applications.
• TomoWISE Beamline X-ray tomography beamline for non-destructive 3D imaging of samples across various scientific disciplines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pioneered 4th generation synchrotron technology - the world's first facility of its kind

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HALRICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean collaboration project focused on research and innovation in life sciences and materials using X-ray and neutron techniques, with MAX IV as a key infrastructure partner.
• NEPHEWSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research collaboration project involving neutron and X-ray techniques for advanced materials characterization.
• LINXS (Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research institute promoting scientific collaboration and education at the intersection of neutron and X-ray science, closely affiliated with MAX IV and neighboring ESS facility.
• FASM (Forum for Academic and Student Members)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUser organization representing academic users and students of MAX IV, providing governance input and fostering community among researchers.
• BEAMS for IndustrycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA one-stop-shop platform (beams.se) where industry can find resources and expert partners to streamline innovation from concept to market. Strategic partner for industrial outreach and engagement.
• European Spallation Source (ESS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbor facility to MAX IV in Lund, providing complementary neutron-based research capabilities. Collaboration enables multi-technique research approaches combining X-ray and neutron methods.
• Danish Synchrotron Users (DanMAX collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish user community collaboration supporting the DanMAX beamline with Long Term Proposal access for PIs employed at Danish universities, including teaching and education programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF): ESRF in Grenoble operates the EBS, the first high-energy 4th-generation synchrotron in operation, offering X-ray beamlines for similar academic and industrial users as MAX IV. It is the closest pan-European peer in scale, scope, and funding model.
• Diamond Light Source: Diamond Light Source in the UK operates a comparable third-generation synchrotron with a similar beamline portfolio spanning life sciences, materials, and chemistry, serving both academic proposal-based users and paid industrial clients.
• Brookhaven National Laboratory (NSLS-II): NSLS-II at Brookhaven is a U.S. DOE synchrotron with a beamline portfolio and user program structure very similar to MAX IV, including macromolecular crystallography, spectroscopy, and imaging capabilities for academic and industrial users.
• SOLEIL Synchrotron: SOLEIL in France operates a third-generation synchrotron with an analogous beamline suite covering macromolecular crystallography, spectroscopy, and imaging, and comparable French national research infrastructure funding dynamics.
• ALBA Synchrotron: ALBA in Spain is a third-generation synchrotron with a similar beamline mix and proposal-based access model, serving a comparable mix of academic and Spanish/European industrial users in life sciences and materials research.
• PETRA III / DESY: DESY's PETRA III in Hamburg is one of the brightest storage-ring X-ray sources in the world and is being upgraded to PETRA IV, a 4th-generation facility that will directly compete with MAX IV for European users and industrial beamtime.
• SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SSRL & LCLS): SLAC operates SSRL (a synchrotron) and LCLS (an X-ray free-electron laser), providing complementary X-ray capabilities to MAX IV for structural biology, materials, and ultrafast science users globally.
• Sirius (Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory): Sirius is the first 4th-generation synchrotron in the Southern Hemisphere, with comparable brightness and coherence targets to MAX IV, and a similar mandate to serve both academic and industrial research users across multiple disciplines.
• Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory: The APS at Argonne is a U.S. Department of Energy synchrotron facility that recently completed a major upgrade (APS-U) to a 4th-generation storage ring, competing head-to-head with MAX IV for global structural biology, materials, and industrial users.

Regional players

• European Spallation Source (ESS): ESS is co-located with MAX IV in Lund and provides complementary neutron-based characterization capabilities; together they form the Lund neutron-and-X-ray science hub, and MAX IV's data explicitly references the strategic collaboration between the two facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maxiv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MAX IV Laboratory