The European Strategy for particle physics

21 July 2025

Scientists from around the world gathered in Italy, at the Lido of Venice, from June 23 to 27 to discuss the future of particle physics and to define the scientific and technological goals to pursue. A key milestone in the ongoing update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics, the Open Symposium was organized by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in collaboration with CERN, and saw the participation of over 600 attendees.
The update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) is a scientific, open, and inclusive process that takes place every 5–7 years. It is a process in which the research community proposes the strategies for the future, involving discussions on contributions, arguments, priorities, and technological opportunities.

Open Symposium ESPPU 2026

It serves as the foundation of the decision-making process that shapes the long-term future of particle physics, particularly with regard to CERN and its role as a leading global laboratory of excellence.
Launched in March 2024, the 2026 strategy update “aims to develop a visionary and concrete plan that will bring significant advancements in our understanding of fundamental physics, particularly through the realization of CERN’s next flagship project”.

The Venice Symposium

During the symposium, contributions presented by the scientific community were discussed , as many as 266, submitted by national institutions and laboratories across more than 36 countries. A large number of these contributions focused on the debate over the successor to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
Many researchers emphasized the need for an ambitious and innovative research program that keeps CERN as the global reference center for collider physics, while also ensuring a diverse scientific program with maximum physics impact and complementary approaches to colliders. Contributions from scientists in related fields also highlighted the strong connections between particle physics, nuclear physics, and astroparticle physics.

Identifying the most promising flagship collider project to succeed the LHC at CERN is one of the main goals of the 2026 ESPP update. In direct response to the 2020 update, a feasibility study for a Future Circular Collider (FCC) was completed in March 2025. With a circumference of 91 km, the FCC could host both an electron-positron collider and, subsequently, a proton-proton collider operating at the energy frontier, all within the same tunnel.

In addition to the FCC, other proposed projects are under consideration, including a linear electron-positron collider and smaller colliders that would reuse the LHC tunnel. Significant progress has also been made toward a muon collider, although several more years of research and development are needed to demonstrate its feasibility.

A schematic map showing a possible location for the Future Circular Collider (Image: CERN)

National contributions submitted by members of the high-energy physics communities in CERN’s 25 Member States so far show broad support for the FCC program, thanks to its exceptional scientific potential and long-term strategic value. Discussions on alternative projects will continue, underlining the importance of ongoing debate and thorough evaluation.
The contributions submitted are available for consultation by clicking on this link: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1439855/contributions/.

Several critical steps remain before finalizing the ESPP recommendations. The ESPP expert groups are currently conducting a comparative assessment of the proposed future colliders, evaluating scientific potential, environmental impact and sustainability, technical maturity, costs, human resources, and implementation timelines.

The INFN strongly supports the FCC project and contributes with its structures and expertise to its advancement, which has a significant impact on science, technology, and society. Moreover, the research and development needs driven by the construction of new accelerators for this project offer opportunities for industrial involvement and high-impact technological spillovers. An example of this is the technologies developed for superconductivity, such as superconducting cables for energy transmission without loss and with a reduced ecological footprint, developed within the IRIS (Innovative Research Infrastructure on Applied Superconductivity) project funded by PNRR funds from Mission 4, coordinated by the MUR, born from the collaboration between INFN and ASG Superconductors.

The strategic recommendations, reflecting the ambitions and priorities of the scientific community, will be presented in 2026 to the CERN Council, which will then, through a separate decision-making process that considers both the strategic recommendations and other factors, make the final decision by 2028.

Group photo at the Open Symposium of the European Strategy for Particle Physics

a cura di Ufficio Comunicazione INFN – COMUNICAZIONE ISTITUZIONALE E MEDIA

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