Your Demonstration Partner in Horizon Europe Consortium Projects
Testbed for Early-Stage Sustainable Solutions or Technologies
Welcome to CERNĀ“s Green Village Initiative, a unique opportunity for European research consortia and individual industry innovators to collaborate, test, and scale up their sustainable solutions on CERN's campus. With 667 buildings, 54 km of roads, underground structures, tunnels, hotels, 110 ha of green spaces, and 400 ha of fields and forests, CERN is a self-governing urban area where over 9000 people work every day.
OUR VALUE PROPOSITION: CERN offers its campus as a demonstration partner in Horizon Europe consortium projects and/or as a testbed for early-stage sustainable solutions or technologies developed by individual companies and start-ups. In return, partners not only gain access to our elaborate infrastructure, but also to top-level expert personnel and the CERN international network. As an international organization, CERN maintains its own rules and regulations on everything related to its territory, which allows us to take fast decisions and avoid lengthy permitting procedures. This makes us a neutral and ideal location for running single or multi-partner pilots and demonstrations.
CERN's GREEN VILLAGE INITIATIVE
We are particularly interested in any research and development that improves environmental sustainability and which involves imaging and sensor detection, micro-computing, AI/ML applications, and more. Our focus areas include developing innovative solutions for energy generation, storage, and logistics, creating sustainable transportation solutions, reducing pollution and waste generation, enhancing indoors and outdoors environmental quality, leveraging data-driven insights to optimize space and land management, reducing light and noise pollution, implementing strategies to protect and enhance biodiversity, and utilizing big data analysis techniques to reduce overall carbon footprints. On this site (see button below) we highlight our focus areas and provide some examples of topics that we could envisage, but please feel free to propose others. Work with us!
What CERN offers
- Access to top level engineering and computing scientists: CERN offers access to experienced engineering and computing scientists, along with computing capacity for ongoing demonstrations, ensuring quick and valuable feedback.
- A platform for knowledge exchange, connection and education: Green Village projects can tap into the innovative minds of multi-disciplinary students participating in IdeaSquare project-based innovation courses. These students analyze the technology being tested and generate creative solutions or services, often leading to new applications.
- Access to infrastructure for testing: CERN's diverse infrastructure includes roads, tunnels and roadside amenities, allowing for versatile testing opportunities. The campus also supports a thriving bicycling community.
- Access to a variety of buildings for demonstrations: CERN's campus features numerous office buildings and warehouses suitable for showcasing structural, insulating, or energy-efficiency improvements. Buildings range from high-traffic, multi-usage facilities to those housing technical infrastructure.
- Autonomy, agility and flexibility to test new technologies: As a self-governing organisation, CERN can streamline processes and provide confidence in your demonstrations.
- Access to a highly visibility location: With over 100,000 visitors and frequent political dignitaries, CERN offers a high-profile platform for partners to showcase research results to shareholders, customers, and the public. CERN's new 'Science Gateway Visitor Center' further enhances opportunities for presentations and meeting spaces.
- Access to a diverse green landscape for testing: CERN's campus boards in extensive green landscape with rich flora and fauna biodiversity, perfect for testing monitoring sensors.
- Participation in EU grant funding programs: As a leading Research Infrastructure, CERN can join any EU grant funding programme as a demonstration partner or coordinator.
Explore CERN's Green Village