The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) adopted, at the end of 2005, the “one percent digital solidarity” principle. This innovative financing mechanism developed by the DSF proposes that public authorities and private businesses, when purchasing ITC-related equipment or services, require the winning vendor to contribute 1% of the transaction to the Fund. The CERN’s commitment to the DSF represents an additional step towards a more cooperative information society. Indeed, CERN has already greatly contributed to building the information society: by giving the world the World-Wide Web.

When collaborating with more than 6'500 scientists worldwide, the issues of interconnection, access to documentation, or scientific training becomes crucial. “We are the world institute the best connected to the Internet”, explains Dr. Hans Falk Hoffmann, Head of a LHC* research group, which gathers 2000 researchers from 32 countries. “We have the knowledge of working within networks which we can transmit. Science must be at the heart of development policies; it is intrinsically global, as scientific innovation benefits humanity as a whole.”

For this researcher, scientific and technology education is one key solution to developmental issues: “we must work with Universities, because research is a catalyst to development. Thanks to digital networks, researchers from all countries can contribute to CERN’s experiments and share their knowledge. Universities are essential actors in the effort to reduce the digital divide. Science is at the forefront of advancement of development processes in disadvantaged countries.”

http://public.web.cern.ch/Public/Welcome.html
* LHC : Large Hadron Collider