The European Strategy for Particle Physics: Charting the Future of High-Energy Physics
Speaker: Paraskevas Paris Sphicas, CERN
14-05-2026 | 15:00 | Aula Rostagni
Register here: https://indico.dfa.unipd.it/event/1802/
The discovery of the Higgs boson completed the Standard Model, yet fundamental questions — such as the origin of the matter–antimatter asymmetry, the nature of dark matter, and the hierarchy problem — remain unanswered. Addressing these challenges requires bold, long term planning on a global scale. Particle physics now stands at a pivotal moment, as the community seeks to chart the best path forward.
The European Strategy for Particle Physics is Europe's primary mechanism for setting the long-term scientific direction of the field, updated approximately every six years to reflect the evolving landscape of the discipline. Initiated by CERN Council in 2024, the current update was driven by major developments since the last strategy: the completion of the FCC feasibility study, significant physics results from the LHC, and a rapidly evolving international landscape in China, Japan and the United States.
This talk will outline the key considerations shaping the strategy's outcome, describe how the community converged on its recommendations through the strategy process, and discuss what these recommendations mean for the future of the field — both at CERN and at laboratories across Europe and worldwide.
