CERN is the European laboratory for particle physics and one of the world’s leading scientific research laboratories. CERN's business is pure research - physicists and engineers use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study Nature's tiniest building blocks, the fundamental particles, to find out how our world and the Universe work. 

An early European joint venture, CERN was founded in 1954 by the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (hence the acronym). The Laboratory has become a prime example of international collaboration, with 24 Members States, seven Associate Member States, three Associate Member States in the pre-stage to Membership and a global community of more than 100 nationalities.  

CERN’s mission is to perform world-class research in fundamental physics and provide a unique range of particle accelerator facilities that enable that research to take place in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way. CERN also pushes the frontiers of science and technology for the benefit of society, trains new generations of physicists, engineers and technicians, and engages all citizens in research and in the values of science. 

Find out more about CERN here.