Image: shellac [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Flickr
Move opens up opportunities for researchers and companies
Latvia has joined the European organisation for nuclear research, Cern, as an associate member state after completing the final steps of an internal approval process.
Cern announced the news on 2 August, having reached an agreement with the Latvian government in April that required ratification by the Baltic country.
Association enables Latvian representatives to participate in meetings of Cern’s governing council, finance committee and scientific policy committee. Scientists in Latvia will be eligible for fixed-term staff positions and fellowships, and Latvian companies will be able to bid for Cern contracts.
Latvia has been involved in Cern since the early 1990s, participating in its work on accelerator and detector technology, power electronics, robotics and data processing, the organisation said.