The main objectives of the Bilbao's office are based on:

• Acting as the main centre of research, development, protoyping and testing of the various ESS components, both in the initial stages when the conceptual design is reviewed and also during the development of the detailed design and construction and future developments to improve or enlarge ESS.
• Providing the scientific community with a remote access station to carry out experiments at the ESS, which would act as an intellectual, educational and dissemination centre for Central and Southern Europe. Researchers will also be able to use the facilities at the Headquarters to develop scientific instrumentation, both for the ESS and for other science facilities.