The CERN Innovation Programme on Environmental Applications (CIPEA), first launched in 2022, today serves as an overarching label for the Laboratory’s environment-focused innovation projects. 

CIPEA’s objective is to encourage CERN experts to come up with ideas for environmental applications based on CERN’s technologies, know-how and facilities. Most  of these ideas are implemented in collaboration with external partners giving rise to impactful projects.

CIPEA began with the funding of eight community projects all aimed at using CERN technologies, facilities or expertise to develop new solutions to a range of environmental challenges. 

The CIPEA label was later expanded to encompass all of CERN’s environment-focused innovation projects. At the end of 2024, CIPEA included over 25 projects under implementation with a focus on four key areas: low-carbon energy; clean transportation and future mobility; climate change and pollution control; and sustainability and green science.

CIPEA projects are supported through internal resources (from the CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Fund or from the technical departments) for about 20% of the total needs, with the remaining 80% provided by commercial or institutional external partners, in cash or in kind.