ZAGREB, 5 Dec (Hina) - The 70th anniversary of the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) and five years of Croatia's associate membership were marked at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. It was said Croatia has made excellent use of this status in the largest research laboratory in the world and now it is time to become a full member.
National coordinator for CERN activities Vuko Brigljević expressed satisfaction with the cooperation, saying that Croatia has fully utilised the opportunities offered by its status as an associate member of CERN in the past five years.
Croatia has significantly expanded cooperation in areas such as electrical engineering, computer science and mechanical engineering, and since 2022, every year the value of the obtained employment contracts and contracts with companies has exceeded the amount of Croatia's membership fee of one million Swiss francs.
It is time for the next step, which is full membership in CERN, said Brigljević. The annual membership fee is around CHF 3.5 million.
According to CERN Senior Advisor for Associate Relations Christoph Schäfer, for a country like Croatia, this is a great opportunity, because CERN provides a huge infrastructure that no other country can afford.
We have the largest accelerator on this planet, 27 km in diameter. We have plans for another one. So, I think Croatia joining this adventure in particle physics is a unique opportunity that you cannot do alone, he pointed out.
Schaefer recalled that one of the reasons for the establishment of CERN was the "brain drain" after World War II, and the idea was not only to stop it but to create the brain, which is a great gain. It is up to Croatia to decide, he added.
PMF students participating in CERN-related projects
Our students are already participating in CERN-related projects during their studies, which allows them to work on state-of-the-art equipment, such as accelerators and detectors, which push the boundaries of science and technology. Additionally, they gain knowledge and experience that prepares them for the global job market, said Mirko Planinić, Dean of the Faculty of Science (PMF) of the University of Zagreb.
In addition to educating students and teachers, teams from the PMF participate in large international CERN projects, researching complex phenomena such as quark-gluon plasma.
This collaboration has also resulted in a spin-off company for the production of devices for measuring small currents at high voltage, said Dean Planinić.
Toni Šćulac from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Split, said that working at CERN shaped his professional path in a way that he could not have imagined.
"The environment in which experts from all over the world work to uncover the secrets of the universe inspires you to constantly learn and develop. This summer, I participated in the development of new chips for future particle detectors for four months, which is an experience that cannot be compared to working anywhere else. In that short period of time, I learned more than I could in several years, thanks to top-notch resources and collaboration with colleagues from all over the world," said Šćulac.
The knowledge acquired, he added, is transferred to research at the Faculty of Science in Split.
CERN offers young people access to the wonders of technology - accelerators, detectors and computers worth several billion euros, which enable work on projects that push the boundaries of science and bring social benefits. Continued investment in our membership in CERN is crucial for providing even greater opportunities for young Croatian talent, said Šćulac.
