Located on the border of Switzerland and France, CERN hosts some of the best scientists and engineers from all over the world. Each of the 10,000 people on campus knows the significance of their work and is proud to be part of one of the great equalisers of our modern world. Scientists from all around the world work at CERN peacefully.
That open culture has resulted in some of the most important scientific discoveries since CERN’s founding in 1954. The organisation discovered the W boson and Z boson particles in the 1980s. In 2012, the LHC confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson – often called the “god particle.” Today, CERN continues to study the fundamental mechanisms of our existence, including antimatter, dark matter and the birth of the universe.
Hexagon's technologies help CERN explore the remaining mysteries of the universe."
David Widegren Head of Engineering Information Management
We use Hexagon's solutions daily to monitor all our technical infrastructure at all times.”
Jesper Nielsen
Head of Technical Infrastructure
Have you ever wondered how we got here? Humans have always shared an inescapable curiosity about our origins and the beginning of the universe. Now the answers are closer than ever thanks to CERN – the European laboratory for particle physics.
As the world’s largest physics research organisation, CERN’s faculty conducts awe-inspiring experiments to uncover the building blocks of the universe.
In the most complex machine ever built – the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), with 100 million parts – CERN produces the coldest place in the universe by chilling superconducting magnets to temperatures colder than outer space. There, in tunnels 100 metres underground with a circumference of 27 kilometres, protons are accelerated to the speed of light and crashed together, creating “mini Big Bangs” and a glimpse into what might have happened when our universe was born.
It might sound like the latest science fiction blockbuster. But just outside Geneva, CERN is working hard to unlock the universe’s greatest mysteries.
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Time to read: 5 minutes
Science beyond our imagination | Engineering the impossible | Measuring the invisible | From infinitesimal to infinite | Managing millions of assets | Leveraging digital twins
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CERN also benefits from having used the same database for decades. Every asset includes a history of each time it was broken and repaired, so everyone has the same information and can use it to make better decisions. This helps CERN continue operating both day and night, no matter who is working.
That extensive history helps CERN build toward an exciting future. Most notable is the Future Circular Collider (FCC), an accelerator planned to be three times the LHC’s size. At 90.7 kilometres, the FCC would be the largest accelerator ever built. CERN is examining the feasibility of the collider now with the hopes of starting construction in the next decade.
Pater and his team are already testing Hexagon’s system for the upgrade. “Even by doubling or tripling the data, the system still functions in the correct way,” he says.
It’s a colossal undertaking, but CERN has found a solution. Hexagon’s enterprise asset management technology allows every asset at CERN to be identified and managed in a single database. That means when something in the LHC breaks, the team knows exactly what it is and where to find it.
The same is true for CERN’s technical infrastructure. The LHC needs power (approximately 120 MW), cooling, ventilation and more to function 24 hours a day. CERN uses Hexagon’s technology to monitor all this and more, like the safety and IT systems serving the accelerators.
buildings
saved per intervention
web service calls per year
Explore the technologies CERN uses to discover the secrets of our universe
CERN taps into Hexagon’s technologies to make every phase of their processes more precise and efficient.
CERN taps into Hexagon’s technologies to make every phase of their processes more precise and efficient.
BricsCAD
CERN uses BricsCAD to design parts and maintain technical documentation.
Leica Absolute Tracker AT960
The portable laser tracker allows CERN to assemble and install its components as precisely as they designed them.
BricsCAD
CERN uses BricsCAD to design parts and maintain technical documentation.
See it in action
CERN is founded
These marvellous scientific endeavours rely heavily on meticulous planning, microscopic precision and unbelievable feats of engineering innovation. David Widegren, Head of Engineering Information Management at CERN, knows that better than anyone.
“I think it's very important to stress that none of these discoveries would be possible without the tremendous technical and engineering work at CERN,” he says. “The particle accelerators we’re building are not just huge and extremely complex; they also require technology that, in many cases, does not exist yet. We have to invent new technologies and new ways of working as we go.”
Nielsen calls CERN its own city. A few moments on campus drives his point home. CERN has more than 700 buildings sprawling across the Switzerland-France border. They have several restaurants, a hotel, a fire brigade and more. All told, CERN manages a staggering 3.2 million individual assets, all separately traced into one database.
Lukasz Pater is Head of Asset & Maintenance Management, overseeing the enterprise asset management solution. His role might sound challenging, yet one thing that’s clear is his passion for the job.
When manufacturing and maintaining the LHC, CERN had to find a way to measure many of its components down to micrometres – in other words, 1/100th of a hair. Technology that can reliably measure down to this microscopic level is paramount in CERN’s experiments, considering the particle collisions are invisible to the naked eye. The slightest misalignment on the 27-kilometre ring could mean failure for the experiment.
“The sheer size of our experiments and the diversity of our assets is absolutely mind-blowing,” he says with a glint in his eye. “But you know what? I love my work. To provide an IT system managing equipment that helps solve all these scientific puzzles – helping to push the boundaries of knowledge – that’s nothing short of remarkable in my book.”
He’s exactly right. And none of it could happen without Pater’s work. “What sets us apart is the breadth of our inventory,” he says. “It spans thousands of equipment classes.” That includes advanced machinery like pumps, motors, compressors and accelerator magnets, as well as everyday items like fire extinguishers and conference room supplies. Even the doors at CERN are tagged with a code for the database. “Yet, despite this diversity, we can navigate through it seamlessly because of Hexagon’s technologies,” he says.
Learn more
Leitz Infinity
This coordinate measuring machine (CMM) helps CERN measure parts of the accelerators, down to the micrometre.
Learn more
Explore the machine
See more scanners
Discover EAM
Behind him stands an incredible example of that engineering. The 600-MeV Synchrocyclotron was CERN’s first accelerator, built in 1957. Portraits of famous physicists look down from the wall above – names like Isidor Isaac Rabi, Niels Bohr and Robert Oppenheimer.
Behind him stands an incredible example of that engineering. The 600-MeV Synchrocyclotron was CERN’s first accelerator, built in 1957. Portraits of famous physicists look down from the wall above – names like Isidor Isaac Rabi, Niels Bohr and Robert Oppenheimer.
CERN and Hexagon at-a-glance
individual assets
data produced daily
relationship
CERN has been using Hexagon’s technologies to achieve this level of precision for more than 30 years. “We use Hexagon in literally every phase of our projects,” Widegren says, “from designing and manufacturing components to assembly and installation.” The team uses Hexagon’s laser trackers in the assembly halls to compare the geometry of the components with the design documents, and again in the LHC's underground tunnels for alignment. This ensures everything is built with the absolute accuracy and precision required for CERN’s experiments.
When manufacturing and maintaining the LHC, CERN had to find a way to measure many of its components down to micrometres – in other words, 1/100th of a hair. Technology that can reliably measure down to this microscopic level is paramount in CERN’s experiments, considering the particle collisions are invisible to the naked eye. The slightest misalignment on the 27-kilometre ring could mean failure for the experiment.
It’s a colossal undertaking, but CERN has found a solution. Hexagon’s enterprise asset management technology allows every asset at CERN to be identified and managed in a single database. That means when something in the LHC breaks, the team knows exactly what it is and where to find it.
The same is true for CERN’s technical infrastructure. The LHC needs power (approximately 120 MW), cooling, ventilation and more to function 24 hours a day. CERN uses Hexagon’s technologies to monitor all this and more, like the safety and IT systems serving the accelerators.
To achieve total accuracy in its experiments and manufacturing, CERN must contend with its immense size and scale. “When you consider that these 100 million components have to be installed over more than 27 kilometres,” Widegren says, “things become really complicated.” If just a single critical component breaks, it can translate to weeks of downtime for the entire LHC.
We use Hexagon's solutions daily to monitor all our technical infrastructure at all times.”
Jesper Nielsen Head of Technical Infrastructure
That’s thanks to Jesper Nielsen and his team, who oversee technical infrastructure operations at CERN. Nielsen sits in the CERN Control Centre (CCC), which buzzes with life as engineers discuss new developments and respond to accelerator alerts.
“We use Hexagon daily to monitor all our technical infrastructure at all times,” he says. “Everything at CERN is identified with equipment codes. Those codes allow us to manage and connect the assets.” The equipment could range from the air conditioning for a single room to a massive cooling tower for an accelerator.
CERN has to monitor both tiny installations with only a few parts to huge installations with thousands. But every part can be found in the same database that every team uses.
Nielsen gives the example of an electrical breaker. “We can use Hexagon’s technology to look up an electrical breaker and automatically see all the equipment connected to it,” he says. “So, if someone calls us about a piece of equipment that’s down, we can quickly find the breaker and scatter systems for the device and diagnose the problem.” It’s a simple and powerful way to maintain millions of assets at once.
“If we didn’t have Hexagon’s technology,” Nielsen says, “our jobs would be much harder.”
We save 10-20 minutes per intervention with Hexagon. Multiply that by 10,000 over a year – that's some very significant savings.”
Lukasz Pater Head of Asset & Maintenance Management
Lukasz Pater uses HxGN EAM on his phone to manage CERN's countless servers
Identifying and tracking millions of items is one thing – keeping them all in working order is another. Pater mentions 100 million web service calls, 1 million checklist items and 350,000 work orders every year. He says having only one place to look for information is pivotal.
“Thanks to Hexagon’s technologies, the operator can dispatch a work order basically in real time," he says. "We save 10-20 minutes per intervention with Hexagon. Multiply that by 10,000 over a year – that's some very significant savings." Pater says that since there's only one tool to master, CERN's data consolidation, consistency and quality are much easier to achieve. "It helps us really make the most of our equipment," he says.
Discover EAM
HxGN EAM
CERN uses the enterprise asset management system to manage millions of assets from the world’s most complex machine.
CERN also benefits from having used the same database for decades. Every asset includes a history of each time it was broken and repaired, so everyone has the same information and can use it to make better decisions. This helps CERN continue operating both day and night, no matter who is working.
That extensive history helps CERN build toward an exciting future. Most notable is the Future Circular Collider (FCC), an accelerator planned to be three times the LHC’s size. At 90.7 kilometres, the FCC would be the largest accelerator ever built. CERN is examining the feasibility of the collider now with the hopes of starting construction in the next decade.
Pater and his team are already testing Hexagon’s system for the upgrade. “Even by doubling or tripling the data, the system still functions in the correct way,” he says.
Widegren says CERN’s future projects make it more important than ever to double down on digital reality technologies. “We need to make sure we can design, simulate and optimise our technologies and machines in virtual environments before going into the real world," he says. "We're really trying to link all the information we have into what we call a 'digital thread' of equipment and engineering data." Widegren says CERN is able to create digital twins to visualise and navigate the data in easier ways. "The work we're doing with Hexagon is really helping us," he says.
CERN stands as a monument to international collaboration among humankind, where the brightest minds push the boundaries of our knowledge. “The more difficult problems we try to solve, the more obvious it becomes that we can’t solve it ourselves,” Widegren says. "Hexagon's technologies help us explore the remaining mysteries of the universe and are important to the daily operations at CERN."
These marvellous scientific endeavours rely heavily on meticulous planning, microscopic precision and unbelievable feats of engineering innovation. David Widegren, Head of Engineering Information Management at CERN, knows that better than anyone.
“I think it's very important to stress that none of these discoveries would be possible without the tremendous technical and engineering work at CERN,” he says. “The particle accelerators we’re building are not just huge and extremely complex; they also require technology that, in many cases, does not exist yet. We have to invent new technologies and new ways of working as we go.”
CERN’s engineering breakthroughs often result in technology that advances many other fields as a byproduct. These innovations have been used to pioneer medical imaging and cancer treatment. The first touchscreens were created at CERN in the 1970s. CERN also invented the World Wide Web on its premises in 1989.
2012
1989
1957
1954
CERN is founded
CERN’s first accelerator
CERN invents the World Wide Web
Higgs boson (or “god particle”) confirmed
Explore the machine
Leitz Infinity
This coordinate measuring machine (CMM) helps CERN measure parts of the accelerators, down to sub-micron levels.
data generated
every day
parts in the LHC
Engineers use Hexagon's technologies to achieve an unparalleled level of precision when measuring components
Digital twins help CERN link its experiments and make faster, more informed decisions
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and a glimpse at its inner workings (© 2024, CERN)
CERN's LHC parts must be perfectly aligned across 27 kilometres for effective experiments
CERN's sprawling campus benefits from having all its equipment monitored in one system
In the CERN Control Centre, scientists make sure all of CERN's accelerators stay in operation 24/7
Every part at CERN is tagged with a QR code that ties it directly to Hexagon's solutions
The 600-MeV Synchrocyclotron allowed CERN to run its first particle physics experiment in 1958
100M
3.5TB
1 MILLIONTH
Measurements must be precise down to
of a metre
350K
work orders
10-20 mins
individual assets
managed
Read below how CERN uses Hexagon's technologies to uncover the building blocks of the universe.
Engineering the impossible
Science beyond our imagination
Measuring the invisible
From infinitesimal to infinite
Managing millions of assets
Leveraging digital twins
Explore the technologies CERN uses to discover the secrets of our universe
1954
CERN has been using Hexagon’s technologies to achieve this level of precision for more than 30 years. “We use Hexagon in literally every phase of our projects,” Widegren says, “from designing and manufacturing components to assembly and installation.” The team uses Hexagon’s laser trackers in the assembly halls to compare the geometry of the components with the design documents, and again in the LHC's underground tunnels for alignment. This ensures everything is built with the absolute accuracy and precision required for CERN’s experiments.
To achieve total accuracy in its experiments and manufacturing, CERN must contend with its immense size and scale. “When you consider that these 100 million components have to be installed over more than 27 kilometres,” Widegren says, “things become really complicated.” If just a single critical component breaks, it can translate to weeks of downtime for the entire LHC.
350K
work orders
10-20 mins
saved per intervention
Identifying and tracking millions of items is one thing – keeping them all in working order is another. Pater mentions 100 million web service calls, 1 million checklist items and 350,000 work orders every year. He says having only one place to look for information is pivotal.
“Thanks to Hexagon’s technologies, the operator can dispatch a work order basically in real time," he says. "We save 10-20 minutes per intervention with Hexagon. Multiply that by 10,000 over a year – that's some very significant savings." Pater says that since there's only one tool to master, CERN's data consolidation, consistency and quality are much easier to achieve. "It helps us really make the most of our equipment," he says.
Located on the border of Switzerland and France, CERN hosts some of the best scientists and engineers from all over the world. Each of the 10,000 people on campus knows the significance of their work and is proud to be part of one of the great equalisers of our modern world. Physicists from warring countries have worked together at CERN even as their governments engaged in conflict.
That open culture has resulted in some of the most important scientific discoveries since CERN’s founding in 1954. The organisation discovered the W boson and Z boson particles in the 1980s. In 2012, the LHC confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson – often called the “god particle.” Today, CERN continues to study the fundamental mechanisms of our existence, including antimatter, dark matter and the birth of the universe.
Leveraging digital realities
That’s thanks to Jesper Nielsen and his team, who oversee technical infrastructure operations at CERN. Nielsen sits in the CERN Control Centre (CCC), which buzzes with life as engineers discuss new developments and respond to accelerator alerts.
“We use Hexagon daily to monitor all our technical infrastructure at all times,” he says. “Everything at CERN is identified with equipment codes. Those codes allow us to manage and connect the assets.” The equipment could range from the air conditioning for a single room to a massive cooling tower for an accelerator.
CERN has to monitor both tiny installations with only a few parts to huge installations with thousands. But every part can be found in the same database that every team uses.
Nielsen gives the example of an electrical breaker. “We can use Hexagon’s technology to look up an electrical breaker and automatically see all the equipment connected to it,” he says. “So, if someone calls us about a piece of equipment that’s down, we can quickly find the breaker and scatter systems for the device and diagnose the problem.” It’s a simple and powerful way to maintain millions of assets at once.
“If we didn’t have Hexagon’s technologies,” Nielsen says, “our jobs would be much harder.”
Managing millions of assets
Nielsen calls CERN its own city. A few moments on campus drives his point home. CERN has more than 700 buildings sprawling across the Switzerland-France border. They have several restaurants, a hotel, a fire brigade and more. All told, CERN manages a staggering 3.2 million individual assets, all separately traced into one database.
Lukasz Pater is Head of Asset & Maintenance Management, overseeing the enterprise asset management solution. His role might sound challenging, yet one thing that’s clear is his passion for the job.
We save 10-20 minutes per intervention with Hexagon. Multiply that by 10,000 over a year – that's some very significant savings.”
Lukasz Pater
Head of Asset & Maintenance Management
“The sheer size of our experiments and the diversity of our assets is absolutely mind-blowing,” he says with a glint in his eye. “But you know what? I love my work. To provide an IT system managing equipment that helps solve all these scientific puzzles – helping to push the boundaries of knowledge – that’s nothing short of remarkable in my book.”
He’s exactly right. And none of it could happen without Pater’s work. “What sets us apart is the breadth of our inventory,” he says. “It spans thousands of equipment classes.” That includes advanced machinery like pumps, motors, compressors and accelerator magnets, as well as everyday items like fire extinguishers and conference room supplies. Even the doors at CERN are tagged with a code for the database. “Yet, despite this diversity, we can navigate through it seamlessly because of Hexagon’s technologies,” he says.
CERN's LHC parts must be perfectly aligned across 27 kilometres for effective experiments
Leica Geosystems Laser Scanners
CERN uses Leica Geosystems laser scanning technology to capture data and create a digital twin of their buildings and assets.
See it in action
Leica Absolute Tracker AT960
The portable laser tracker allows CERN to assemble and install its components as precisely as they designed them.
Measuring the invisible
From infinitesimal to infinite
See more scanners
In the CERN Control Centre, scientists make sure all of CERN's accelerators stay in operation 24/7
In the CERN Control Centre, scientists make sure all of CERN's accelerators stay in operation 24/7
Every part at CERN is tagged with a QR code that ties it directly to Hexagon's solutions