PM Fico: Cooperation with CERN Offers Opportunities for Scientists and Industry

Bratislava, 22 October (TASR) - Cooperation with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is an excellent opportunity for Slovak scientists as well as industry, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) when meeting CERN Director-General Mark Thomson at the Government Office in Bratislava on Thursday, TASR has learnt from the Government Office's press and information department. At the meeting, Slovakia was represented by Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD), who also serves as Acting Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy, Government Proxy for Nuclear Energy Peter Liska, and head of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) Martin Venhart. According to Fico, it's important that Slovakia's membership of CERN should bring tangible opportunities not only for Slovak research facilities, but also for industry, while enabling research outcomes to be applied in practice. "I consider the visit by the director-general of CERN, the most important international organisation in research into elementary particles and the structure of matter, to be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the level and potential of Slovak science and research, as well as industrial development. Slovak scientists are also involved in CERN's scientific activities and experiments, with several working in Geneva itself," added Fico. He recalled that Slovak scientists participated in two of the biggest experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. Slovak physicists contributed to the significant discovery of the Higgs boson, for which the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 2013. In addition to SAV, Slovak universities also cooperate with CERN. Fico also informed Thomson about Slovakia's current plans in nuclear energy. With the fourth block of the Mochovce nuclear power plant now connected to electricity grid, Slovakia has become a global power in this area, he said. "The Slovak Republic has unique experience not only in building nuclear power plants, but also in decommissioning units and managing spent fuel. That's precisely why we want to adapt our secondary and higher education systems to training the future generations of nuclear energy experts and attracting more young people to science," stressed Fico, adding that cooperation with CERN is excellent for this, as it enables young people to work on major experiments and discoveries while being part of international scientific community. "Today it seems that joining CERN in 1993 was an excellent decision, as we can again see how important nuclear energy is both in Slovakia and Europe," said Fico. Thomson is visiting Slovakia to take part in a meeting of the advisory body of the European Committee for Future Accelerators (RECFA), which is taking place in Bratislava. The programme includes an assessment of the state of particle physics in Slovakia, covering research, education, infrastructure and international cooperation. The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), based in Geneva, was established in 1954 and is the leading international organisation for research into elementary particles and the structure of matter. Slovakia has been a CERN member since 1993. jrg/df