PRIME MINISTER RENZI VISITS CERN

On 7 July, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited CERN, in Geneva. Renzi, accompanied by Stefania Giannini, Minister of Instruction, University and Research, was welcomed by Rolf Heuer, Director General of CERN, together with Fabiola Gianotti, designated Director, Sergio Bertolucci, Director for Research and Computing, and the Nobel Prize Carlo Rubbia. The Prime Minister visited the ATLAS experiment and the LHC tunnel and met the Italian physicists working on the accelerator and various experiments. In his speech, he stressed the importance of research at CERN and of the work of Italian scientists and Italian industry, which has developed cutting-edge technologies to create such powerful and sophisticated machines. The presence of one of Italy’s highest offices of state in the largest particle physics laboratory in the world is recognition of the excellence of CERN and of Italy’s contribution. The resumption of activities at LHC RUN2, upgraded after consolidation works, promises a truly inspiring future for high-energy physics, allowing such excellence in science and technology to continue.