As its operations wound down in 2018, the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (CNBC) requested a summary analysis of its performance and impacts. This report aims to provide highlights of the benefits that the materials research using neutron beams at the CNBC has offered to this country’s academic communities and industries. It also aims to serve as a valuable resource in support of discussions regarding nuclear innovation in the future. The Canadian community of neutron beam users is working to secure access to alternative facilities for the next decade. In parallel, the Government of Canada has signalled a need for national discussions with stakeholders about investments for the longer term.
To capture a record of the facility’s legacy, this study set out to document the CNBC’s performance and impacts within its research community, for its industry collaborators, for the students whose education included hands-on research at the CNBC, and ultimately for Canada’s innovation economy. The indicators included, for example, user demographics, publication and other bibliometric statistics, industry collaborations, and career paths of the highly qualified personnel (HQP) trained at the CNBC.