Ireland Joins CERN as an Associate Member State
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From: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Published on: 22 October 2025
- Last updated on: 22 October 2025
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, announced that Ireland has officially joined the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) as an Associate Member State. This achievement marks the culmination of a national ambition, delivered through Minister Lawless’ leadership and strategic direction.
CERN is the intergovernmental organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Ireland now enters one of the world’s most prestigious scientific collaborations, unlocking new opportunities for researchers, students and enterprises to engage with frontier science and innovation.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said:
"I have long shared the ambition that Ireland become an Associate Member of CERN and am pleased that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been able to assist in bringing this goal to fruition. CERN is a highly prestigious international organisation and associate membership will offer Ireland significant opportunities going forward."
Minister James Lawless said:
"Joining CERN as an Associate Member is a landmark achievement for Ireland. It reflects years of ambition, collaboration and strategic leadership. I am proud to have led this national effort, working across Government and with our research community to turn aspiration into action."
"Today, we open the door to world-class opportunities for Irish researchers, students and enterprises. From procurement contracts and fellowships to frontier training and global partnerships, Ireland is now part of a scientific ecosystem that shapes the future.We are not just joining CERN. We are stepping onto the world stage of discovery, and Ireland is ready to make its mark,"
the Minister added.
Associate Membership of CERN will bring benefits to Ireland across research, industry, skills, science outreach, and international relations. From today, Ireland’s researchers have increased access to CERN’s scientific programmes and are eligible for staff positions and fellowships at CERN. Irish citizens can also access CERN’s formal training schemes and develop industry-relevant skills in electronics, photonics, materials, energy systems, software and more.
Also, Ireland’s enterprises can now compete in CERN procurement programmes. Much of CERN’s instrumentation and equipment requires the development or exploitation of novel technologies, which spurs enterprise innovation. These technologies have applications in other spheres such as healthcare, space, energy and ICT. The World Wide Web was invented at CERN.
CERN Director-General, Fabiola Gianotti said:
"We are extremely happy to welcome Ireland as an Associate Member State of CERN. Irish scientists have been involved in CERN’s programmes for decades, covering fields as varied as experimental physics, theory, medical applications and computer science. This agreement enables us to enhance our collaboration, opening up a broad range of new and mutually beneficial opportunities in fundamental research, technological developments and innovation, and education and training activities."
Professor Sinéad Ryan, Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) said:
"CERN membership brings huge opportunities to enhance teaching, learning and skills development in STEM all across the country, for students, teachers and researchers who will now have access to targeted workshops, outreach activities and next-gen research facilities. Membership will also open up new markets and foster new R&D partnerships for Irish industries and SMEs."
"Here in Trinity's School of Mathematics researchers already have broad and deep ties to CERN's theoretical particle physics division and are delighted that membership will foster new collaborations and research directions for them and their students. Importantly, membership was enthusiastically supported across disciplines in physics, chemistry, engineering and computer science, where new research projects are already under way as part of Trinity’s associate membership of the CMS experiment,"
Professor Ryan added.
Dr Niall Smith, Head of Research at Munster Technological University (MTU) added:
"Membership of CERN ensures Ireland's increasing engagement in the largest experiment on the planet. MTU is the first university to join the CERN ATLAS project as a Technical Associate Institute in 2024, making it one of only 17 such institutions worldwide. This gives our researchers, engineers and the businesses we engage with an unique opportunity to collaborate on the development of the next generation of the Large Hadron Collider. It enables us to bring cutting edge technology development to the education of our own students and to inspire those in secondary and primary schools in the region and beyond."
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will oversee governance of Ireland’s Associate Membership of CERN. A National Advisory Committee is being established to promote, benchmark and measure Ireland’s performance. This work will be supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
NOTES
CERN the leading global collaboration investigating the fundamental composition of matter. It was established in 1954 and straddles the Franco-Swiss border, just outside Geneva. CERN currently has 25 Member States and nine Associate Member States, one of which is in the pre-stage to full membership. Additionally, CERN has co-operation agreements with over 40 other states.
The main focus of activity in CERN is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This is 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. CERN research has resulted in impactful technology including the World Wide Web and medical applications.
Ireland applied for Associate Membership of CERN in November 2023. The cost of Associate Membership to Ireland is €1.9 million per year (2025 prices), subject to indexation. The formal route to associate membership entered its final steps in May this year with the signing of the associate membership agreement by Minister Lawless on behalf of Ireland. The Dáil and Government approved the Instrument of Accession to the CERN Protocol on Privileges and Immunities in July which were subsequently deposited with UNESCO, triggering a 30 day standstill period which ends today, 22nd October.
For further information: CERN Associate Membership: Introduction for Stakeholders
