Serbia has become the latest country to join the Worldwide LHC Computing Group (WLCG), a network of computing centers that provide global resources for the data generated by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The centers are distributed across 40 countries and organized into tiers. Tier 0 is the CERN Data Center, while Tier 1 centers are computing farms that can provide long-term data storage solutions. Additional data centers that are affiliated with research institutions are designated Tier 2 centers.

CERN and Serbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this month to set the country on the path for its state-run data center to become a Tier 1 center. The Serbian facility will handle data from CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a general-purpose detector that runs a broad physics program at the LHC to search for things like extra dimensions and particles that could make up dark matter.

“This MoU is a testimony to the vision of the Serbian government and the Serbian scientific community and their commitment towards the CERN research program, and vice versa,” said Enrica Porcari, head of the CERN IT department, who was one of the MoU signatories.

She added that CERN continues to be committed to the co-development and sharing of knowledge with its MoU partners in the spirit of scientific progress.