Investing in Big Science: For Whom?

Large-scale scientific projects expand the frontiers of knowledge, develop transformative technologies and bring together people and institutions across borders. A growing field of socio-economic research is now making their wider impact more visible, with studies tracing benefits across technological applications, skills and training, industrial returns, education and culture. Yet these projects also require substantial and sustained public investment. Who decides which scientific ambitions society should pursue and who ultimately benefits from them?

The discussion will explore the value of Big Science from both institutional and early-career perspectives. Its long timescales raise an important question: how can facilities conceived today reflect the aspirations and needs of the generations who will build, operate and develop them tomorrow? What opportunities can they create for young researchers, industry and society and whose voices should help shape their design and future direction?

Audience members will be invited to contribute their own questions and perspectives, turning the session into an open discussion about how Big Science can remain ambitious, inclusive and accountable to the societies that sustain it.