  The development of instrumentation for operation in high-radiation
environments represents a challenge in various research fields, particularly in
particle physics experiments and space missions, and drives an ever-increasing
demand for irradiation facilities dedicated to radiation hardness studies.
Depending on the application, different needs arise in terms of particle type,
energy and dose rate. In this article, we present a versatile installation
based on a medical cyclotron located at the Bern University Hospital
(Inselspital), which is used as a controlled 18-MeV proton source. This
accelerator is used for daily production of medical radioisotopes, as well as
for multidisciplinary research, thanks to a 6.5-meter long beam transfer line
that terminates in an independent bunker, dedicated only to scientific
activities. The facility offers a wide range of proton fluxes, due to an
adjustable beam current from approximately 10 pA to the micro-ampere range,
together with a series of steering and focusing magnets along the beamline that
allow for the beam spot to be focused down to a few mm^2. The beamline can be
instrumented with a variety of beam monitoring detectors, collimators, and beam
current measurement devices to precisely control the irradiation conditions.
The facility also hosts a well equipped laboratory dedicated to the
characterisation of samples after irradiation. An experimental validation of
the irradiation setup, with proton fluxes ranging from $5\times10^9$
cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ to $4\times10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, is reported in this
article.
