CERN is the premier scientific laboratory in the world. In 2012, it announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, whose proponents received the 2013 Nobel prize for physics.
Its technology is used throughout the world: accelerators for radiotherapy in medicine, material engineering, biology and chemistry; detectors for security and medical imaging; micro-electronics for ultrafast data acquisition and processing; large-scale data analytics. Technology that we take for granted today, such as the Web, touch-screens, and medical PET scanners all have their genesis in fundamental research at CERN.
Surprisingly, Ireland is not a member of CERN. However, due to the farsighted constitution of CERN that pursues a policy of scientific inclusivity, as well as philanthropic support and, above all, goodwill, students, teachers, scientists, engineers and companies in Ireland have had limited access to the opportunities at CERN.
These pages catalogue Irish involvement at CERN. We strongly endorse the report from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, which in November 2019, recommended that Ireland join CERN.
Benefits of Membership?
CERN's brochure summarising the impact of membership
Independent review (from Sept 2020) of the benefits to the UK of CERN membership.