The Economics of Big Science

Why should governments invest public funds in Big Science, especially when it is curiosity-driven, and its benefits for taxpayers are uncertain? This is the central question that this workshop will address. 

In many instances, these capital-intensive projects result from international cooperation, pooling expertise and resources from multiple countries. Yet the financial investments required to build and operate them are typically spatially concentrated in a specific region or country. This geographic concentration brings into sharper focus these tensions over cost, accountability, and the distribution of economic and societal benefits—particularly between those who pay for science and those who are seen to benefit from it.

 
The meeting, organised through the collaboration between LSE and CERN within the framework of the Future Circular Collider feasibility study and supported by a UKRI Metascience Research Grant, will bring together stakeholders and academics to examine how public investment in research infrastructures and Big Science contributes to economic development. It will review state-of-the-art approaches for assessing impacts beyond core science—procurement, knowledge spillovers, skills, and entrepreneurship—and serve as a forum for exchanging practical strategies to measure and maximise economic value.

This workshop is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (Grant No. UKRI1092).

Please note that places are limited and all registrations are subject to moderation.


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