Founded in 1954, CERN is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.
The UK is one of 12 founding members of CERN, which is home to more than 13,000 researchers from over 75 countries, all seeking answers about the nature of the universe.
The UK’s subscription to CERN, totalling approximately £160 million annually, supports the construction and operation of CERN facilities and provides UK scientists and technical staff with a range of opportunities provided by CERN.
This investment has already demonstrated substantial long-term economic and societal benefits, for example as a result of the large number of commercial contracts awarded to UK businesses by CERN.
It has also helped make scientific and technological breakthroughs such as the invention of the World Wide Web and discovery of the Higgs boson possible. In doing so, it improved lives globally and fundamentally changed our understanding of our Universe.
UK engagement strategy
The UK Strategy for Engagement with CERN was announced on 4 October 2023, by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. It was jointly developed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
It will act as a comprehensive roadmap to ensure continued success of UK involvement in CERN as well as to pioneer scientific discovery and inspire future generations.
About the facility
UK membership of this world-famous science facility is managed by STFC. Around 1,000 UK scientists, researchers and technologists are based at CERN. They continue to play a major role in breakthroughs spanning more than 100 scientific fields, including:
- particle physics
- nuclear physics
- astrophysics
- accelerator physics
- computing and engineering
Impacts of UK’s membership of CERN
The benefits of CERN membership are wide-ranging and substantial. A 2020 evaluation by Technopolis looked into the benefits to the UK of its membership. They concluded that in the previous decade UK participation in CERN delivered a financial return close to investment, and brought additional exceptional benefits in terms of science, society and innovation. The evaluation found that this is a prime example of the positive impacts of international collaboration.
Research
UK scientists were involved in three of the eight Nobel Prizes awarded for work at CERN, including the Nobel Prize in Physics for work on the Higgs boson in 2013. The Higgs boson publication, with over 8,000 citations, is one of the most highly cited papers in any subject.
Innovation
Life-changing breakthroughs in medical, environmental, technological and social spheres have been enabled through the major advancement in technology required for CERN experiments, all of which contribute to the UK’s economy. They include the World Wide Web, detectors for positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, touchscreens, fibre-optic sensors and supercomputing.
Skills
For UK researchers and firms, the benefits of being involved with CERN are significant and associated with an uplift in earning potential. The movement of CERN-trained staff into other sectors provides much needed capabilities, partially compensating for the UK’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills shortage that currently costs UK firms £1.5 billion a year.
International reputation
CERN supports the strength of the UK research community and contributes to the UK’s international presence, visibility and reputation. The UK has an important role influencing decision-making, promoting UK research interests and participating in ground-breaking science, with many UK researchers holding influential positions. Over the course of its membership, there have been two British Director Generals and a third will begin their term in 2026.
Economic benefits for UK companies
To deliver its research programme, CERN needs a wide variety of products and services. UK companies compete and win contracts that drive technical developments and manufacturing capabilities.
Since 2010, around 500 UK companies have done business with CERN, winning contracts worth at least £183 million in revenue.
See UK Industrial Liaison Office for more information on how we support UK companies interested in working with CERN.
Last updated: 13 August 2025