With 100,000 parts and a 50-year expected operational lifespan, PLM is the only option for managing CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
CERN stands for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (from the French ‘Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire’). It operates the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator—the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which spans a 27-kilometre loop buried about 600 feet beneath the France-Switzerland border near Geneva. The LHC accelerates protons and ions to near-light speeds, recreating the conditions just after the Big Bang. This enables physicists testing fundamental theories about the forces and particles that govern our universe—and providing invaluable data on the building blocks of reality.
Operating at an astonishing temperature of -271.3°C—colder than outer space—the LHC’s superconducting magnets require cryogenic cooling systems, creating one of the coldest environments on Earth. Although some sensationalized media reports have raised concerns about the LHC creating black holes on Earth, CERN’s scientific community has rigorously demonstrated that these fears are unfounded. The LHC’s energy levels, while impressive, are a fraction of those generated by natural cosmic events that occur regularly without incident.
CERN operates with a collaborative network of 10,000 staff across 80 countries, supported by an annual budget of $1.4 billion. This immense collaboration drives groundbreaking research that demands the highest levels of reliability and precision. Managing the LHC’s enormous infrastructure—including millions of components—requires a comprehensive approach that integrates engineering and scientific disciplines. This is where digital transformation, powered by PLM and digital twins, becomes essential.
New digital backbone for an evolving scientific platform
Historically, CERN used legacy CAD systems such as CATIA V5, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor, Revit, and SmarTeam to manage critical design and operational data, alongside multiple asset and document repositories. However, as the LHC grew in complexity, these tools created inefficiencies, data silos, and challenges around synchronization, verification, and scalability.
To modernize its approach, CERN adopted Aras Innovator—a CAD-agnostic, part-centric PLM platform—redefining its approach to integrated data management. This shift enables CERN to track components across their full lifecycle, providing real-time insights into performance, wear, and maintenance needs. With over 100 million components—many exposed to extreme radiation and high-energy fields—this capability is critical for ensuring resilience and longevity. The integration of digital twins into the ecosystem allows CERN to predict component failures, optimize performance, and plan preventive maintenance.
Given the LHC’s extraordinary expected lifespan—over 50 years—the management of its components and systems from design and construction through decommissioning is a monumental task. Some systems, such as superconducting magnets and cryogenic infrastructures, must remain functional for decades. PLM helps CERN manage these long-term needs by providing a unified, scalable solution that integrates data across all lifecycle phases. This is essential not only for maintaining operational efficiency but also for ensuring the LHC’s systems continue to meet high standards of scientific precision and safety.
Sustainability is integral to CERN’s long-term strategy. Managing the LHC’s lifecycle includes minimizing environmental impact and optimizing energy consumption. PLM and digital twins enable CERN to optimize resource usage, reduce waste, and extend the life of crucial systems, ultimately supporting the organization’s long-term sustainability goals.
CERN’s shift to Aras Innovator has also facilitated the integration of various data streams—ranging from engineering documents to enterprise asset management. By connecting this information through a robust digital thread, CERN ensures that all stakeholders, from engineers to researchers, operate with a unified, reliable view of the system. This shared information base enhances collaboration, reduces errors, and accelerates decision-making.
While PLM manages engineering and operational data, experimental research outputs are handled separately by specialized Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). However, synergies between PLM and LIMS are increasingly being explored, with the goal of creating faster feedback loops between research and engineering to enable more data-driven innovation.
Managing complexity without digital overload
As CERN continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery, the need for real-time monitoring and predictive analytics becomes more critical. Digital twins enable real-time health checks on LHC components, tracking their condition and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
Yet the real challenge is not simply managing technical complexity but doing so without introducing unnecessary digital complexity. The scale of the LHC, with its intricate interconnected systems, requires CERN to balance advanced technologies with operational simplicity. Digital tools must enhance operations without becoming another layer of complication.
The key question: How can CERN manage scientific complexity while minimizing the complexity of digital tools?
New technologies must deliver actionable insights that enable faster, better decisions, instead of overwhelming stakeholders with excess data or redundant processes.
Some key questions that arise:
- What measurable reductions in maintenance costs or unplanned downtime can CERN achieve through predictive digital models?
- How will real-time monitoring improve energy efficiency, system lifespan, and reliability?
- How much faster can experimental setups and calibrations be completed using simulation and virtual commissioning?
Ultimately, the success of CERN’s digital transformation will not be judged by the sophistication of its tools, but by clear, quantifiable outcomes: lower downtime, improved reliability, energy-efficient operations, and faster scientific throughput.
Lessons from the LHC to the FCC
CERN’s digital transformation is not just about adding tools—it is about making complex systems easier to manage and enabling faster, more informed decisions. This mindset is critical as CERN embarks on its next major project: the Future Circular Collider (FCC).
The FCC will dwarf the LHC, with a circumference of 91 kilometers and particle collisions at energy levels up to 100 TeV—far beyond the LHC’s 13 TeV. Construction costs are estimated between €20 billion and €25 billion, with initial operations targeted around 2040. The scale of the FCC presents massive engineering challenges, from magnet design to cryogenic systems.
Here, lessons learned from the LHC’s digital journey will pay dividends.
The LHC’s digital twins—validated over years of operation—will serve as the foundation for FCC simulations. Virtual modeling allows CERN to identify risks earlier, test complex designs in silico, and optimize operations before construction even begins. By compressing design timelines and minimizing construction risks, CERN can potentially save both operational and capital costs while improving reliability.
CERN’s approach shows that digital transformation is not about complexity for its own sake. It is about ensuring that scientific and operational challenges are met with clarity, efficiency, and sustainability—building a stronger foundation for the next generation of discovery.
