Brazil could be the first country in the Americas and the third non-European country to be an associate member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), one of the largest research laboratories in high energy physics and particle physics in the world. With 23 member countries and 10 associates, the organization operates the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The agreement was signed yesterday (3) by the Minister of Science and Technology, Marcos Pontes, in Geneva, Switzerland, and by the director of the center, Fabiola Gianotti, with the participation of the permanent representative of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva, ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes. Although the agreement has been signed, for Brazil to join the list of associates, the adhesion still needs to be ratified by the National Congress.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the association represents recognition of the excellence of Brazilian science. The new status do Brasil will allow researchers and companies in the country access to accelerator and other areas of CERN, including participation in a bid market of around US$ 500 million annually.
The agreement, according to the ministry, is a desire of companies, universities, the scientific community and should bring many advantages to Brazil. In addition to research and access to equipment, in Geneva, it will allow Brazilian companies to act as suppliers to the organization and participate in research into new technologies and new solutions, including integrating CERN with Sirius, the Brazilian particle accelerator.
Historic
On September 24, 2021, the board of the European Organization for Nuclear Research announced the acceptance of Brazil as an associate member. Since then, the federal government, together with the organization, began to develop the adhesion term to formalize the entry into the country. Access will allow Brazilian companies to develop technologies for CERN, as well as the use of infrastructure in Geneva by national researchers.
