Mark Thomson is the Director-General of CERN
As we prepare to implement the High-Luminosity LHC and secure approval of a flagship collider to follow it, we must work together to create the best possible environment for success
The next five years will be critical for CERN. We will move from a period dominated by LHC operation to one of implementing the HL-LHC while at the same time progressing the FCC-ee as CERN’s next flagship collider. This is incredibly exciting but will not be easy. Together we must provide the best possible environment for success. Here, in my first message to the community as Director General, I will try to give a sense of where we are, my priorities for the next five years and how we will move forward.
CERN is a truly amazing place, with brilliant people working towards the common goal of understanding the Universe at its most fundamental level. Every time I have the chance to walk along the LHC tunnel, as I did last Friday, I feel a genuine sense of awe. What we have achieved at CERN is incredible. The way we work, through collaborative efforts spread across the globe, is also remarkable. Put simply, CERN is a unique and wonderful place.
I firmly believe that particle physics is in a strong place. With the LHC, we have an unparalleled machine. There is nothing elsewhere that comes close. We also have important and profound questions that we wish to address, and we are planning the right experiments to do so. At some point, the Standard Model of particle physics will crack.
The HL-LHC is so important to our future. It will deliver roughly ten times more data than has currently been analysed by ATLAS and CMS. At the same time, the detectors will be even more capable, and our analysis tools are improving significantly with the adoption of AI. Putting all this together, the HL-LHC will represent a truly exciting programme of research with genuine discovery potential, promising a huge leap forward for particle physics. For the long–term future we have a strong vision built around the FCC. The global field of particle physics remains vibrant and exciting, with CERN at its heart.
During the coming weeks, my team and I will be finalising the draft CERN Strategy for 2026–2030. This will be shared with Department Heads at the first Management Board meeting on 30 January and presented to the Council for feedback in March. The Strategy is structured around five pillars: continued leadership in accelerator-based particle physics; world-leading cutting-edge research; value for CERN’s stakeholders; wider impact; and organisational excellence.
Scientifically, our highest priority by far is the construction of the HL-LHC machine and the ATLAS and CMS detector upgrades. It is important to remember that the HL-LHC is the largest project undertaken by CERN for the past 20 years and the detector upgrades are the largest construction projects undertaken by the collaborations since the construction of their original detectors. This represents a real challenge and an exciting opportunity. The multiple activities planned during Long Shutdown 3 are extremely ambitious. Meeting the current schedule for the HL-LHC will require us to prioritise resources, which will be reflected in our financial and personnel planning. Success will require intense focus.
The second-highest scientific priority is the further development of the FCC-ee, for which there is very strong support in our community and, indeed, near consensus within CERN’s Member and Associate Member States. Our goal remains to take the FCC-ee to the Council in 2028, hopefully for a positive decision. The next phase in the development of the FCC-ee represents a significant step up from the highly successful Feasibility Study. For this reason, we are restructuring how the FCC project is organised, deeply embedding all activities within CERN’s sectors, coordinated by a strong but relatively small Project Office.
Jumping forward, the fifth pillar of the new CERN Strategy, “Organisational excellence”, deserves some unpacking. In addition to putting safety first and embedding sustainability in all that CERN does, we commit to communicating effectively and openly. We are also looking to minimise the administrative burden to free up time for core tasks. This was part of my motivation for establishing the cross-organisational Organisational Support and Improvement Department within the Site Operations Sector. Last but far from least, I am committed to establishing CERN as a beacon of inclusivity in science, actively promoting diversity in all its forms and providing an environment where all can thrive. This high level of ambition for our programme of organisational excellence builds upon and enhances many existing activities.
We have a clear plan and the talented personnel to succeed in delivering our objectives, but this alone is not enough: we also need the right working environment. Here I have three main objectives, which I believe are essential for success. The first is to embed a culture at CERN where all members of the personnel are trusted and empowered to deliver within our clear strategic priorities. The second is to operate coherently across CERN, without boundaries or silos, aligning the whole of CERN behind our Strategy. The third is to be laser focused on our highest priorities. This is likely to require reflection on other areas to allow us to succeed and, just as importantly, to relieve some of the existing pressure on the personnel. Just because we can do something, it doesn’t mean we should.
Our success in the years ahead is critical not just for the future of CERN but for the future of particle physics. Our task is not made any easier by the uncertain economic and geopolitical background, but CERN has always been up for a challenge, achieving the near impossible. I am confident that, in setting the right course now, together we can succeed with our ambitious plans for the HL-LHC and beyond.
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The slides and recording of the Director-General’s New Year presentation to personnel are available on Indico (CERN login required).