The Research Institute for Synchrotron Radiation Science at Hiroshima University, formerly the Synchrotron Radiation Center, was established in 1996 with the aim of advancing synchrotron radiation research in the vacuum ultraviolet and soft X-ray regions and fostering human resources. It became a national joint-usage facility in 2002 and was certified as a Joint Usage/Research Center in 2010. In 2024, the center was reorganized into its current structure to promote interdisciplinary research by strengthening collaboration with Hiroshima University's priority research fields (semiconductors, hyper-materials, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine) and to enhance its function as an international research hub.

The center is a world leader in high-efficiency spin-polarized electronic structure measurement, high-resolution electronic structure measurement, and three-dimensional structural analysis of biological substances in solution using ultraviolet synchrotron radiation. Our collaborative research with international researchers is highly active, with international co-authored papers accounting for more than 60% of our publications. In terms of education, we have produced more than 100 doctoral graduates from Japan and abroad. We maintain an internationally rich educational and research environment through the recruitment of overseas staff and short-term invitations.

Furthermore, we are strengthening our efforts to return the results of basic and applied research to society through industry-academic and regional collaborations. Looking ahead, we aim to further develop as a world-class, unique research hub by promoting future plans, including the upgrade of our high-brightness compact synchrotron radiation source, to meet the needs of new interdisciplinary research and social challenges.