Serbia has introduced a new coordination framework for establishing a CERN-linked Tier-1 computing centre at the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, assigning government institutions and technical partners responsibility for integrating the facility into the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG).
The government decision establishes a specialised working group to coordinate infrastructure, international connectivity, staffing, financing and operational requirements. The facility is intended to support the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
The framework replaces an earlier government arrangement and requires the working group to prepare a detailed operational plan within 30 days, identifying outstanding requirements, implementation responsibilities, deadlines and necessary resources. The decision establishes an institutional basis for the project but does not confirm completion of technical integration, formal acceptance by WLCG or approval of a fully financed investment programme.
Existing Data Centre Provides Infrastructure
The Tier-1 facility is planned within Serbia’s existing State Data Centre in Kragujevac, which encompasses approximately 14,000 square metres of data-centre infrastructure supporting government applications and commercial services. The complex has expanded its computing infrastructure and increased its reported electrical capacity by 8 MW to approximately 14 MW. The expansion also includes new supercomputing equipment and rooftop solar generation.
Further development plans envisage approximately 56 MW of additional module capacity. However, this proposed expansion has not been identified as an approved budget specifically allocated to the CERN-linked project.
The government has not disclosed the computing capacity, storage requirements or electrical power allocation needed for the Tier-1 operation. A consolidated investment estimate covering the remaining work is also unavailable. The next stage requires an assessment of which existing systems can support the scientific workload, what additional equipment must be procured and how the associated capital and operating expenditure will be financed.
Government Working Group Assigns Responsibilities
The working group is chaired, state secretary at Serbia’s Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. Its members include representatives of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Physics, the Office for Information Technology and eGovernment, and Data Cloud Technology, the company involved in operating the Kragujevac data-centre infrastructure.
Physicist serves as scientific and technical coordinator. The group will coordinate discussions with CERN, establish technical requirements, assess available infrastructure and identify outstanding operational and financial obligations. It must also define how responsibilities will be divided among participating institutions.
Reporting requirements include updates to the relevant government committee at least every 60 days and reports to the government at least every 90 days. The framework establishes a formal monitoring process, but implementation will also require clearly defined technical milestones, resource allocations, procurement arrangements, staffing and financing commitments.
Tier-1 Status Requires Continuous Scientific Computing
The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid connects computing centres that store, distribute and analyse the large volumes of data produced by CERN’s particle-physics experiments. Tier-1 facilities perform functions beyond those of conventional research-computing installations, including long-term storage of substantial portions of experimental data, large-scale processing and redistribution of information to other research centres.
The Kragujevac centre will need to meet international requirements for processing performance, data integrity, cybersecurity, storage capacity and service continuity. Reliable international network connections and continuous technical support will also be essential. The infrastructure must exchange substantial volumes of scientific information with CERN and other participating institutions. Integration will require technical testing, validation and confirmation that the facility meets the relevant operational standards.
Government approval of the implementation framework does not establish that these requirements have been fulfilled. Formal acceptance and entry into full operational service remain separate milestones.
Electricity Supply Adds to Operating Costs
Reliable electricity is essential for high-performance computing, data storage, networking, cooling and backup systems. Continuous availability also requires redundant power arrangements and effective maintenance. A facility operating around the clock can incur significant electricity expenditure. One megawatt of continuous demand corresponds to approximately 8,760 MWh of annual electricity consumption.
At an illustrative delivered electricity price of €100/MWh, that level of demand would result in annual electricity costs of approximately €876,000. This is a cost-sensitivity calculation, not an estimate of the Tier-1 centre’s actual electricity bill. The eventual expenditure will depend on the power assigned to CERN workloads, equipment utilisation, cooling requirements, energy efficiency and electricity supply contracts.
The complex’s reported 14 MW electrical capacity represents facility capacity, not actual consumption or the amount reserved for scientific computing. Assessments will need to distinguish the power already available from the additional capacity and operating resources required by the project. The expanding data-centre sector could create demand for long-term electricity supply agreements, energy-efficiency services and renewable electricity procurement. For operators, predictable energy costs and reliable supply will be important components of sustainable operations.
CERN Research Programme Increases Computing Requirements
Serbia’s initiative coincides with preparations for CERN’s High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider programme, which is expected to begin around 2030. The upgrade is designed to increase the number of particle collisions available for analysis, raising demand for processing, storage and data-transfer capacity across the global research network. Participating centres will need to handle growing volumes of experimental information through more capable computing systems, advanced networking and efficient storage-management technologies.
Participation in the WLCG could support the development of Serbian expertise in distributed computing, cybersecurity, high-performance storage and advanced networking. These skills have potential applications in artificial intelligence, industrial simulation, computational engineering and other data-intensive research fields. Technological benefits should be distinguished from direct commercial revenues. A Tier-1 facility primarily serves an international scientific collaboration, and its designation does not automatically grant its operator the right to sell CERN computing capacity to commercial customers.
Any commercial use of additional infrastructure would require separate arrangements that preserve research commitments, data security and agreed capacity allocations.
Financing and Technical Acceptance Remain Outstanding
The project’s financial and operational requirements have yet to be fully established. Outstanding matters include the final equipment specification, incremental capital expenditure, annual operating budget, electricity demand and the division of responsibilities between government institutions and Data Cloud Technology. The working group’s operational plan must identify the requirements, deadlines and resources needed to advance implementation. Subsequent technical integration and validation will determine when the facility can operate as a fully functioning part of CERN’s global research infrastructure.
Potential economic benefits extend beyond direct income and include specialised workforce development, computing and electrical equipment procurement, international research participation, technology transfer and demand for maintenance, software, networking and data-centre services.
Assessing these benefits will require attention to recurring public expenditure and measurable technological results, including service availability, processing performance, storage capacity, international data-transfer reliability and the number of scientific projects supported. Retaining qualified engineers and maintaining operational expertise will be essential alongside capital investment. The international scope of the project also requires sustained institutional commitments rather than one-off procurement funding.
