Today, CERN welcomes Estonia as an Associate Member State in the pre-stage to Membership, following official notification that the country has finalised its internal approval procedures in respect of the Agreement granting it that status, which was signed on 19 June 2020.
Over more than two decades, Estonian scientists have contributed significantly to CERN’s scientific activities and participated actively in its educational programmes. Today, Estonian scientists form a CMS team that is involved in data analysis and the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), with Estonia operating a Tier-2 centre in Tallinn. There is also an active group of Estonian theorists at CERN and Estonian scientists are involved in R&D for CLIC.
As an Associate Member State in the pre-stage to Membership, Estonia is entitled to participate in the meetings of the CERN Council, Finance Committee and Scientific Policy Committee. Its nationals are eligible for limited-duration staff positions and fellowships and its industry is entitled to bid for CERN contracts, increasing opportunities for industrial collaboration in advanced technologies.