Announcement

ESO and SKAO sign cooperation agreement

24 July 2023

ESO and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) have signed a cooperation agreement, covering areas such as strategy and governance, communications, international relations, scientific coordination and sustainability, diversity and inclusion. It was signed today at ESO’s Headquarters in Garching, Germany, by SKAO Director General Phil Diamond and ESO Director General Xavier Barcons.

SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation that aims to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe. There is, therefore, considerable overlap between the interests of SKAO and ESO, whose mission is to design, build and operate advanced ground-based observatories and to foster international collaboration for astronomy. In fact, ESO and SKAO have had close-cooperation links since the establishment of SKAO, with scientists, engineers and administrators of both organisations collaborating on a regular basis. For example, ESO and SKAO have worked together to raise awareness about the need to protect the dark and quiet skies and have also organised joint workshops, including one about surveying the southern skies with ESO and SKAO facilities earlier this year.

The new agreement strengthens this collaboration by promoting the strategic coordination of ESO’s and SKAO’s long-term plans. It establishes a framework for mutual cooperation and exchange of information between ESO and SKAO, with regard to scientific investigation, research and development, and businessn enabling activities. More specifically, the agreement promotes the exchange of information in areas concerning technical developments and the broad scientific community, as well as cooperation on technology, software, business and governance.