Ireland on track to join CERN in 2026

Minister says application for associate membership at an "advanced stage"

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Image: CERN

Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science James Lawless today made an official visit to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) with a delegation of representatives from more than 20 Irish organisations.

Minister Lawless met with senior officials at CERN including the Director-General, Dr Fabiola Gianotti, and the Director of International Relations, Charlotte Lindberg Warakaulle.

The group discussed the opportunities that associate membership will bring for Ireland and CERN. The Minister also met with the leaders of the CERN experiments where Irish institutions are already active.

Ireland applied for associate membership of CERN in November 2023. Subject to funding requirements and Dáil approval, it is expected that Ireland will complete the accession process in 2026.

Established in 1954, CERN has 24 member states and 10 associate members, two of which are in the pre-stage to full membership. Additionally CERN has co-operation agreements with over 40 other states.

Its main focus of activity is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an underground ring which is 27km in circumference in which protons, one of the constituent particles of an atom, are accelerated to 99.9999991% of the speed of light and collided into one another. The LHC was used to discover the Higgs boson in 2012. CERN also plays a leading role in promoting and organising international cooperation in scientific research.

Minister Lawless said: “Associate membership of CERN has long been a national goal, and it is a pleasure to work on bringing Ireland into this world-leading centre for scientific research.

“I am delighted to say that Ireland’s application is at an advanced stage and we are hoping to join in early 2026.

“I would like to thank CERN for welcoming us to their facilities to build relationships that will be the foundation of a successful collaboration for years to come.

“While CERN is world-renowned for its fundamental research in particle physics, there are cutting-edge activities across many fields including engineering, computing, photonics, advanced materials and medical technology.

“CERN research has also had a real impact on everyday life, for instance, it led to the creation of the World Wide Web, PET scanning, major cancer treatment advancements and even the smartphone touchscreen tech you hold in your hand.

“It is exciting to think of the Irish students, researchers and entrepreneurs who will have opportunities to contribute to the incredible work carried out there.”

The delegation included representatives from education, research and industry.

Delegation member Prof Denjoe O’Connor from the School of Theoretical Physics at The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) said: “Joining CERN will enable Irish researchers to participate fully in CERN scientific programmes, fellowships, internships and training schemes. As we seek to encourage more young people into STEM careers, membership will give Physics researchers and Physics teachers from schools in Ireland the opportunity to avail of the CERN facilities and meet teachers and researchers from around the world.”

TechCentral Reporters

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