LIP, Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics, is the reference institution for experimental particle physics and associated technologies in Portugal. It was founded in May 1986 to exploit the unique opportunities created by the country’s accession to CERN, the European particle physics laboratory. LIP brought experimental particle physics in Portugal to a truly international ground and will continue leading this challenge.

Researchers at LIP participate in experiments addressing some of the most compelling questions in science today. They study the properties of the Higgs boson and search for new particles at the LHC, where they recreate the conditions that existed just after the big bang. They investigate the nature of dark matter, neutrinos and very-high-energy cosmic rays. With this goal, they develop new instruments and methods which also have applications in other domains, namely health care technologies, space exploration and information technology.