On Friday, August 30, Estonia officially became a full member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), being the first Baltic country to obtain this status. It marks the end of the formal application process that started in 2018 and crowns a period of cooperation that stretches back three decades.
“Estonia is delighted to join CERN as a full Member because CERN accelerates more than tiny particles, it also accelerates international scientific collaboration and our economies. We have seen this potential during our time as Associate Member State, and we are keen to begin our full contribution,” said Alar Karis, President of Estonia.
In Estonia, science is in charge, and its influence is not confined within the walls of academia. The President himself has a background in science, with a long career as a molecular geneticist and developmental biologist. Karis also served as rector of the Estonian University of Life Sciences from 2003 to 2007, and as rector of the University of Tartu from 2007 to 2012
“On behalf of the CERN Council, I warmly welcome Estonia as the newest Member State of CERN,” said Eliezer Rabinovici, President of the CERN Council. “I am happy to see the community of CERN Member States enlarging, and I am looking forward to the enhanced participation of Estonia in the CERN Council and to its additional scientific contributions to CERN.”
“Estonia and CERN have been collaborating closely for some 30 years, and I am very pleased to welcome Estonia to the ever-growing group of CERN Member States,” said Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director-General. “I am sure the country and its scientific community will benefit from increased opportunities in fundamental research, technology development, and education and training.”
It was a long road. Estonia’s formal relationship with CERN began in 1996 when they signed an initial cooperation agreement. This agreement was further developed in 2010 to expand their scientific and technical collaboration. On June 19, 2020, Estonia and CERN signed an agreement granting Estonia the status of Associate Member State in the pre-stage to CERN membership. This agreement entered into force on February 1, 2021.
Estonia is strongly involved in CERN’s scientific program and has been part of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) collaboration since 1997. The CMS is one of the four main experiments at the colliders, aimed at investigating a wide range of physics, including the search for the Higgs boson, extra dimensions, and particles that could make up dark matter.
Estonia’s CMS team participates in data analysis and the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), operating one of the Tier 2 computing centres in Tallinn. As a truly digital native nation, its contribution to computing infrastructure has been rated very highly.
Estonian scientists also work on other CERN experiments, including CLOUD, COMPASS, NA66, and TOTEM. They are also involved in studies for future colliders like CLIC and the Future Circular Collider (FCC). Furthermore, Estonian theoretical physicists actively collaborate with CERN.
Now, as a CERN Member State, Estonia will have voting rights in the Council, CERN’s highest decision-making authority. Membership will enhance opportunities for Estonian nationals to be recruited by CERN and for Estonian industry to bid for CERN contracts.
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