High-level CERN delegation visiting Estonia

  • 2021-10-13
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – A high-level delegation of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is on a four-day visit to Estonia, during which the delegation is meeting with Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt, ministries, universities, research institutions, business organizations and companies.

According to Sutt, cooperation with CERN has started vigorously and this is also confirmed by CERN's very high-level visit to Estonia. "Opportunities for cooperation with such a large organization concern very different areas. Many Estonian companies are currently carrying out their first knowledge-intensive projects and CERN could be one of their major outputs and partners. A good example is the Estonian company Miltton Events, which recently created a solution for CERN to create a virtual event in a 3D environment," the minister said.

"Starting this year, Estonia is a member of CERN, and in this connection new channels of cooperation have opened up in terms of knowledge transfer, scientific cooperation and entrepreneurship. More specifically, Estonian companies can now participate in CERN procurements," Robert Aare, CERN project manager at Enterprise Estonia, said. He added that Enterprise Estonia can help companies both in participating in procurements and, for example, in knowledge transfer issues.

According to Mario Kadastik, research adviser at the Ministry of Education and Research, CERN membership also gives Estonia a great opportunity to gain expert experience.

For example, CERN's fall round for a technical training program, for which 15 Estonians also applied, ended on Monday. Under the program, selected students spend 4-12 months at CERN and gain world-class knowledge and work experience in many fields, such as power electronics, robotics, artificial intelligence, building construction, microchip durability, and more. Participation in this program was possible for the first time as it is only open to member states, unlike the training programs for physicists.

"Training people in a world-class research center is the best possible investment in acquiring new technological knowledge, which can also directly contribute to the development of the local high-tech industry," Kadastik said.

On Monday, the delegation met with ministries, the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology and the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics. The people of CERN also gave an overview of the activities and challenges in their fields. On Tuesday, meetings were held with Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt and business organizations and representatives of CERN also introduced, for example, the organization's procurement rules.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the delegation will visit several Estonian companies, such as Hanza Mechanics, Enics, Silmet, Evikon, Harju Elekter, Testonica, Elrato, Ecolane, Electroair, Estel, Energiatehnika and Skeleton. The visit of the delegation was organized by Enterprise Estonia in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

The delegation includes Charlotte Warakaulle, director of international relations at CERN, and 17 heads and specialists from different departments.

CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is an international research organization set up to develop science and technology. CERN's main activities are research into high-energy physics and the development of the necessary technology. CERN also provides training to improve the qualifications of students and researchers.

CERN membership creates new opportunities for Estonian companies, research institutions, scientists and engineers at the international level. Enterprise Estonia is a promoter of international cooperation towards CERN in Estonia.