The official ceremony Estonia’s full membership in CERN: we see no alternatives to international collaboration

Honoured Director-General, dear guests,

It is a great honour to be here for the official ceremony marking Estonia’s full membership in CERN. This is a major milestone for science in Estonia and for Estonian society in general.

CERN membership was a firm wish of our scientific community already years ago when I served as the rector on University of Tartu. I am delighted that the aspirations of our academic community, companies and government have come together and made membership a reality.

As a small country, Estonia firmly believes in alliances and cooperation. For our security, economic development, cultural richness, and scientific excellence, we see no alternatives to international collaboration.

We recognize that such partnerships are also essential to respond to the significant challenges we face as societies. We need science to guide us through troubled waters.

Moreover, the exchange of ideas and joint efforts are necessary to serve the greatest of human aspirations, such as uncovering the deepest secrets of our universe. The spirit of working together is known to bring out the best in humans and yield significant benefits for everyone.

I am proud and excited that Estonia is now a full member of CERN precisely because CERN is a prime example of this spirit of fruitful international collaboration. In its 70 years of history, CERN has proven that the values of cooperation can bring us not only scientific advancements but also technological innovations, more impactful education, and a better world in general.

The core of CERN is basic science, high-energy physics. For me, the main emotion regarding science at CERN is excitement. Excitement to learn how we have expanded our understanding of the basic structure of our universe. And excitement from the promise of opening doors to new worlds. 

I know many people here are somewhat disappointed that the LHC has not yet taken us beyond the standard model of particle physics. But I, together with many of you, am certain that clever experiments and more powerful colliders will lead us to discover a whole new realm of physics.

CERN is also a great example of how pushing for cutting-edge science will inevitably foster technological innovation and applied research, thereby enhancing economic development. 

In fact, we know from the experience of other countries that CERN membership will boost the innovation capacity of companies and increase investment in R&D activities. In Estonia, we expect a similar increase in knowledge transfer and in the number of scientists working in the private sector.

CERN programs are a great opportunity for our teachers, students, engineers, and scientists to receive world-class training and return home with new ideas and skills.

I also commend CERN’s dedication to excellent science communication and STEM education. The role of these cannot be underestimated in building societies that value science and can use it to create a prosperous future.

As a member of CERN, Estonia will continue learning from the best we can meet here. But being accepted as a full member is a testament that we also have value to offer. We are keen to contribute to jointly making exciting science and fostering innovation.

We sincerely thank CERN for the warm welcome and are delighted by the strong mutual interest. We have already seen incredible opportunities and are eager to deepen our cooperation further.

Thank you!