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CERN Powers Up Science with Tech Giants

New Partnership Boosts Computing for Particle Physics

CERN's openlab partnership supercharges high-energy physics with advanced computing solutions.

Scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, are teaming up with leading technology companies to tackle the massive computing challenges of modern physics. This public-private partnership, called CERN openlab, began in 2001. It aims to develop, test, and use cutting-edge computing tools.

Addressing Key Computing Challenges

Researchers asked: How can we handle the huge amounts of data from particle accelerators and make computing more sustainable? They focused on finding new ways to:

  • Process data more efficiently.
  • Utilize diverse computing systems effectively.
  • Integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their workflows.

The study looked at how these industry collaborations could push science forward and also benefit society.

The Heterogeneous Architecture Testbed (HAT)

The openlab acts like a bustling workshop, bringing together CERN’s own experts and industry partners. They use a special lab called the Heterogeneous Architecture Testbed (HAT), which hosts about 95 different computing systems. Over a hundred researchers use this testbed to explore new technologies, like AI chips and advanced memory. They assess how well these new systems perform using benchmarks like HEPscore.

Significant Achievements and Future Focus

The openlab has already made big strides:

  • Improved the Machine-Learned Particle Flow (MLPF) algorithm, which helps scientists reconstruct particle events much faster and more accurately.
  • Explored futuristic ideas like "digital twins" – virtual copies of real systems – and new materials for long-term data storage.
  • Used "containerisation" through Kubernetes to make essential services at CERN more reliable and flexible.

"CERN openlab’s efforts have significant implications for HEP and beyond," researchers state, highlighting the partnership's focus on sustainability, new ideas, and developing skills. This work extends the benefits of scientific computing to businesses, universities, and the wider public.

However, the team notes the immense computing demands expected from future experiments, like the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). They must expand the HAT and involve more researchers to meet these needs, especially as data size and complexity are expected to increase when the LHC restarts in 2030. Future work will focus on preparing for "exascale computing" and exploring even more diverse hardware.

CERN openlab shows how working together with industry can unlock new possibilities, not just for understanding the universe, but for technology everyone can use.

Source:

CERN openlab. (2025). CERN openlab: A Flagship Model for Industry-Science Computing R&D Input to the 2026 Update of the ESPP. Retrieved from https://openlab.cern