[2] Inaugurated in September 1994, it has an annual operating budget of around 100 million euros,[3] employs around 700 people and is host to more than 10,000 visiting scientists each year.

[8] The ESRF physical plant consists of two main buildings: the experimental hall, containing the 844 metre circumference storage ring and 46 tangential beamlines; and a block of laboratories, preparation suites and offices.

[12][13] On December 6, 2017, the journal Nature unveiled the discovery at the European synchrotron of a new species of dinosaur with surprising characteristics that lived about 72 million years ago.

With a height of about 1.2 meters (4 ft) and with killer claws, it could hunt his prey on the ground or by swimming in the water, which is a novelty for scientists in the study of dinosaurs.

[14] In November 2021, researchers demonstrated a novel X-ray imaging technique, "HiP-CT", for 3D cellular-resolution scans of whole organs, using the ESRF's "Extremely Brilliant Source".

[18] The ESRF site forms part of the "Polygone Scientifique", lying at the confluence of the rivers Drac and Isère about 1.5 km from the centre of Grenoble.