The INFN is involved in some major experimental projects that will open up new frontiers for research into detectors and detector electronics. R&D activity in this field regards high-energy, high-intensity electron accelerators, proton and ion accelerators to produce radioactive beams and for hadron therapy applications. Other projects are concerned with accelerators for producing very-high-energy and highly coherent electromagnetic radiation (X-FEL) and the ESS (European Spallation Source) project being developed at Lund in Sweden.

The INFN’s research work in biomedicine has important implications for medical imaging, cancer treatment, dosimetry and the study of cell growth and neurological models. Furthermore, the highly advanced, extremely sensitive measurement technologies and systems developed as the result of experiments in fundamental physics are increasingly being used in the analysis of objects of artistic, archaeological and historical interest.

The INFN collaborates through CSN5 with the leading national and regional research and monitoring agencies operating in the public health sector, including the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), the Ministry of Health, foundations and national and regional health authorities, as well as with other research agencies (ITT, CNR, INGV) and, of course, with universities. Technological transfer is also fostered through the development of specific collaboration agreements with industrial associations (CONFINDUSTRIA and CONFAPI).