Engineers Ireland, the representative body for the engineering profession in Ireland, has completed a high-level visit to CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Switzerland, following Ireland's recent accession as an Associate Member State. The delegation engaged directly with CERN engineers, technical experts, and project leaders to explore opportunities for Irish engineers and firms.

Engineers Ireland reported that Ireland's Associate Membership enables Irish engineers, including graduates, to seek employment at CERN, whilst Irish engineering firms can now tender for CERN contracts worth over €600 million (£510 million) annually in procurement spending.

The visit provided insight into CERN's operations, where engineering underpins nearly every aspect of discovery. CERN employs ten times more engineers and technicians than research physicists, spanning mechanical, electrical, civil, software, and systems engineering disciplines.

Martin Gastal, CERN special advisor for relations with Ireland, said: "Ireland's accession to Associate Member at CERN brings new engineering capability into our community. Ireland's engineering strengths are highly relevant to CERN's programmes and infrastructure, and this visit marks an important step in translating membership into meaningful participation for Irish engineers, researchers and companies."

The visit highlighted how Ireland's established strengths in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor wafer production, and cleanroom technologies align with CERN's demanding technical standards. Engineers Ireland has advocated for Ireland's involvement in major international research infrastructures since 2014, recognising that membership provides vital research, training, and commercial opportunities.

Damien Owens, director general of Engineers Ireland, said: "Ireland's Associate Membership of CERN, and visits such as this ensure Irish engineers are not just observers, but contributors to the technologies shaping our future. This is a significant step in strengthening Ireland's engineering capability, international standing and innovation ecosystem."

Explore how Engineers Ireland is supporting member access to CERN opportunities and international engineering projects.