CERN: Will it survive the fragmented world? (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell CERN is about to write a new chapter in its history with the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project. Funding remains a challenge. CERN has already gained the support of the scientific community and has passed a feasibility study conducted by 1,500 experts. The next-generation super accelerator, the Future Circular Collider (FCC), has the support of the scientific community and has passed a feasibility study conducted by 1,500 experts. European physicists have officially recommended it as the next CERN reference accelerator and the CERN Council, recently meeting in Budapest, approved the FCC as an integral part of the future European strategy for particle physics. “There is an absolute and clear consensus within the particle physics community that the FCC is the way forward,” says CERN Director General Mark Thomson. On the other hand, the financing methods are much less clear. The first phase of the FCC has an estimated cost of CHF 15 billion. Half of the funding is expected to come from contributions from member states and Thomson hopes that the European Union (EU) will commit to the project with 3 billion euros in 2027 (equal to 2.7 billion francs). Finally, last December, private donors pledged 860 million euros. However, CERN still lacks around 4 billion francs. The laboratory aims to fill the gap with further CERN has already established a working committee to address issues of project planning and management, worker safety and health, and environmental and social impact. CERN may offer incentives for private donations, such as the ability to visit the lab and participate in exclusive events. ## Comparisons between practical scenarios CERN could seek to increase its visibility and improve its public image, organising events and conferences to promote the project and to involve the scientific community and civil society. * CERN may offer incentives for private donations, such as the ability to visit the lab and participate in exclusive events. ## Practical scenarios

Operational details

Practical analysis The financial plan drawn up so far appears optimistic in light of a particularly difficult time for international relations. Articles in this series look at the scientific ambitions and efforts of the world's largest particle physics laboratory to remain an international crossroads for understanding our universe. The international scientific cooperation that led to the construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was born in the 1990s, in a totally different international context. The United Kingdom, another long-time member of CERN and Thomson's home country, intends to cut funding for particle physics programmes by 30%. This cut is particularly critical for CERN, which also includes Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Joint European Area, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Atomic European Union. CERN plays a fundamental role in international scientific research and is one of the largest research centres in the world. The reduction in UK funding could have negative consequences for CERN, which relies on close collaboration with the UK for many of its projects. CERN has already expressed concern about the consequences of a reduction in UK funding and called on governments to International scientific cooperation is fundamental for scientific research and CERN is one of the largest research centres in the world. To address the current situation, CERN could consider the actions listed in the operational checklist.

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Key points

If CERN can find the funds and launch the project, it will lay the groundwork for new discoveries and attract new generations of particle physicists to Geneva. The financial plan drawn up so far appears optimistic in light of a particularly difficult time for international relations. However, the laboratory aims to close the gap with further private donations and contributions from non-member states. CERN is estimated to need around CHF 1.2 billion to fund the project by 2035. This amount corresponds to about 70% of the total budget planned for the project. The financial plan also envisages increasing the share of funding from private sources, such as companies and foundations. For example, the Bill Gates Foundation has already donated 500 million Swiss francs to CERN in 2020. In addition, the laboratory aims to increase the share of contributions from non-member states, such as Italy and Spain. However, the path to achieving these goals will not be easy. CERN will face challenges such as competition for funding and the need to increase transparency and administrative accountability. In addition, the laboratory will also face criticisms related to its financial management, such as those related to the use of funds for non-scientific purposes. According to a 2022 report, CERN spent about 1.5 billion Swiss francs for purposes other than - Environmental impact reduction scenarios: comparison between the reduction share of greenhouse gas emissions and the installation share of an electricity generation system with low environmental impact # # # Quote > "CERN is a model of responsibility and sustainability for the scientific research sector." - A representative of CERN

Source: swissinfo.ch