CERN has a history of building bridges between scientists, nations and different disciplines to bring concrete benefits to society. Recognising entrepreneurship as an important ingredient for economic growth, the CERN & Society Foundation has launched the CERN Entrepreneurship Student Programme (CESP) today.

The first programme of its kind at CERN, CESP aims to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and nurture a younger generation of high-tech entrepreneurs. The programme targets entrepreneurship students at the Master’s level and utilises CERN’s scientific expertise to provide a technological dimension to the students’ training and education.

In the summer of 2018, ten Master’s students from across the globe will be invited for a five-week residency at CERN. They will receive coaching and training on technology-driven venture creation and will work alongside experienced professionals from CERN’s Knowledge Transfer group.

“CESP gives us a unique opportunity to introduce CERN technologies and know-how to the next generation of high-tech entrepreneurs,” explains Giovanni Anelli, CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group Leader. “It combines two ingredients that are important to CERN, training and entrepreneurship, and is a way for us to maximise the impact of CERN’s knowledge on society, while contributing to economic growth.”

The students will be guided by the motto “Explore – Evaluate – Exploit” during their residency and will be encouraged to put theory into practice, with the final goal to develop concepts for new ventures.

CESP is an Education & Outreach project within the CERN & Society Foundation, established to enhance CERN’s beneficial footprint on society. In 2018, CESP is made possible thanks to the generous support from Strangeworks, a US-based Quantum Computing Company founded by entrepreneur William Hurley, who is widely known as “whurley”.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Strangeworks to make the CERN Entrepreneurship Student Programme a reality in 2018,” says Matteo Castoldi, Head of CERN’s Partnerships & Fundraising. “Whurley is a great advocate of open knowledge and science, one of the main principles CERN is based upon, and is such an established entrepreneur himself. We share the vision to create the next generation of entrepreneurs with the CERN Entrepreneurship Student Programme. We are grateful for his trust and support!”

“Strangeworks is incredibly excited to be the inaugural sponsor of the CERN Entrepreneurship Student Programme,” affirms William Hurley. “As part of our commitment to building bridges in the physics, mathematics and computer science communities we see entrepreneurship playing a key role in creating the foundation and empowering these students to apply world-changing scientific advances to practical entrepreneurial successes.”

Don’t miss this unique opportunity! Applications will open on Thursday, 15 March. The deadline for submissions is 30 April 2018. CESP runs from 6 August to 7 September 2018.