CERN Alumni Weekly News | Jochen Thaeder, CAN-Doers of the Month, From CERN to startup — Blinky Lite, AI for Science launch, Copenhagen, Madrid, Athens, Milan–Turin, CERN Relay Race & R1 Talks on AI and Sustainability, Timepix chips to the Moon

THIS WEEK’S DIGEST AT A GLANCE

COMMUNITY: Look Who We Bumped Into — Jochen Thaeder and CAN-Doers of the Month
ALUMNI STORIES: From CERN to startup — Blinky Lite
GROUPS: AI for Science launch, Copenhagen, Madrid, Athens, Milan–Turin
EVENTS: CERN Relay Race & R1 Talks on AI and Sustainability
FROM CERN: Timepix chips to the Moon & ATLAS supersymmetry results

COMMUNITY

Look Who We Bumped Into — Jochen Thaeder - In the latest Look Who We Bumped Into video, Jochen Thaeder shares insights from his time at CERN and his subsequent career at Capgemini in the automotive sector, working with BMW. Discover how his CERN experience shaped his transition into industry:
https://alumni.cern/news/13157892 

CAN-DOERS OF THE MONTH

Meet our April 2026 CAN-doers of the Month. It has now been one year since the CERN Alumni Engagement Programme was launched, recognising the many ways alumni contribute to the network. From mentoring and volunteering to attending events or simply keeping profiles up to date, these actions help keep the community active and valuable for everyone:
https://alumni.cern/news/13155479 

ALUMNI STORIES

Controlling accelerators from your pocket — the Blinky Lite story
Georg Hulla’s innovation journey began with a simple but powerful realisation: complex systems could be controlled using just a mobile phone. What started as a “lightbulb moment” evolved into Blinky Lite — a wireless and secure control platform with applications far beyond CERN, from improving collaboration to enhancing safety across industries.
https://alumni.cern/news/13124766 

STARTUPS — CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Are you a startup founder? We’d love to hear your story and showcase it within the CERN Alumni network.

Complete this short survey and we’ll be in touch:
https://alumni.web.cern.ch/form/cern-alumni-entrepreneurs 

GROUPS

• CERN Alumni AI for Science Group — Launch Event - 21 April 2026
  Join us in person or online for the launch of the AI for Science group. CERN researcher Maurizio Pierini will present CERN’s work in AI, followed by a panel discussion with alumni exploring real-world applications, career paths, and essential skills in AI.
  Group managers will be joining in person at CERN, coming from New York and Finland, and the session will conclude with networking over refreshments: https://alumni.cern/events/209734 
• CERN Alumni Copenhagen — Meet-up - 17 April 2026
  Join the next informal alumni gathering: https://alumni.cern/events/208401 
• CERN Alumni Madrid — Visit + Dinner 24 April 2026
  Guided visit to Nave de Motores followed by dinner: https://alumni.cern/events/209868 
• CERN Alumni Athens — First Meeting of 2026, 14 May
  Reconnect with fellow alumni over drinks: https://alumni.cern/topics/11855/events/210242 
• CERN Alumni Milan–Turin — Visit to CNAO (Pavia) - 22 May 2026
  Explore a leading centre for proton and carbon-ion cancer therapy: https://alumni.cern/events/187060 

EVENTS

• CERN Relay Race — Join from anywhere - Take part in the CERN Relay Race, wherever you are. Whether you’ve run it before or are joining for the first time, this virtual edition lets you connect with alumni worldwide and share the experience as a team: https://alumni.cern/events/209527 
• R1 Talk — Responsible AI: Lessons from Building WORB (online) - 16 April 2026
  Xavier Tintin presents WORB, a platform using AI and structured feedback to assess service quality and build business intelligence. He will also explore how AI is reshaping the digital landscape and what responsible AI looks like in practice: https://alumni.cern/events/207078 
• R1 Talk — The challenges around a sustainable and fair food system
  This session explores the environmental impact of today’s agrifood systems and highlights solutions such as regenerative agriculture, carbon farming, and climate-resilient practices. It will also present innovative approaches from the startup CinSOIL GmbH: https://alumni.cern/events/209767 

FROM CERN

• CERN Timepix chips fly to the Moon
  Six Timepix chips developed at CERN will measure radiation levels aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, contributing to our understanding of the space environment: https://home.cern/news/news/knowledge-sharing/cern-timepix-chips-fly-moon 
• ATLAS sets strong limits on supersymmetry
  Using advanced machine-learning techniques, the ATLAS Collaboration has carried out new searches for particles that could help explain some of the biggest open questions in physics: https://home.cern/news/news/physics/atlas-sets-strong-limits-supersymmetry