High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC)

The High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is CERN's flagship upgrade project for the Large Hadron Collider, designed to increase the collision rate by a factor of five to ten compared to the current machine and thereby dramatically expand the volume of physics data collected, requiring an extensive multi-year procurement programme spanning new magnet systems, cryogenics, and detector upgrades.

What is the HL-LHC?

Luminosity in particle physics describes the rate at which collisions occur: higher luminosity means more data per unit time and, ultimately, better sensitivity to rare physical processes. The HL-LHC programme replaces or upgrades key sections of the LHC infrastructure to achieve this target, including new superconducting focusing magnets using niobium-tin technology (a step beyond the niobium-titanium magnets in the current LHC), upgraded cryogenic distribution systems, new radio-frequency cavities, and rebuilt detector subsystems at the four major experimental sites.

CERN designates HL-LHC as a multi-decade commitment, with installation work spanning the late 2020s and operation extending well into the 2030s. This creates one of the most sustained procurement pipelines in international scientific procurement, attracting suppliers of particle accelerator components from across CERN's member states. The programme sits alongside planning for the Future Circular Collider, CERN's next-generation machine concept, and both generate long-horizon procurement signals that suppliers can track through the CERN eProcurement Portal.

Why the HL-LHC matters for bidders

The HL-LHC procurement programme is unusual in global scientific procurement for its scale, its technical specificity, and its multi-year visibility. Suppliers of advanced superconducting materials, cryogenic equipment, precision vacuum systems, or high-radiation-resistant electronics have a rare opportunity to engage with a buyer that publicly signals procurement requirements years in advance. The key discipline is early registration, category alignment on CERN's portal, and demonstration of relevant prior work, because CERN buyers for HL-LHC components are looking for proven manufacturers, not first-time entrants, given the tolerances and reliability requirements involved.

FAQ

When does the HL-LHC upgrade programme complete?

Installation of major HL-LHC components is targeted for the late 2020s, with the upgraded collider expected to operate at higher luminosity from around 2029 onward. Procurement activity for key components runs substantially ahead of installation dates.

What new magnet technology does the HL-LHC require?

The HL-LHC uses niobium-tin superconducting magnets for the new focusing quadrupoles near the interaction points, a more complex and higher-field technology than the niobium-titanium magnets used elsewhere in the LHC, creating specialist sourcing requirements for a small number of qualified manufacturers.

How does a supplier find HL-LHC procurement notices?

Invitations to tender for HL-LHC components are issued through the CERN eProcurement Portal to registered and categorised suppliers. CERN also publishes advance procurement notices for long-lead items on its public procurement information site.