The SKA Company is Incorporated

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project took an important step forward today with the incorporation of a non-for profit company to oversee the project during its detailed design phase. Cambridge plays a major role in the project with Paul Alexander as the PI of the UK technical programme involving the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Manchester.

Each signatory provides two directors of the new company: for the UK they are Professor John Womersley (Chief Executive Officer STFC), and Professor Paul Alexander (University of Cambridge).

On the 23^rd November seven national governmental and research organisations signed the agreement to form the SKA Organisation, an independent, not-for-profit company established to formalise relationships with international partners and centralise the leadership of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project. The signatories from Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK plan to spend €69M (including in-kind contributions) to fund the project in the period leading up to the construction phase which starts in 2016. Further signatories are expected to join the SKA Organisation and commit additional resources in the next six months.

The SKA is a €1.5 billion global science project to build the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope. Scientists and engineers from around the world, together with industry partners, are participating in research and development for the SKA which will be capable of answering some of the most fundamental questions about the Universe. The SKA will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity, and possibly even life beyond Earth.

The SKA project will drive technology development in antennas, fibre networks, signal processing, software and computing, and power. The design, construction and operation of the SKA have the potential to impact skills development, employment and economic growth in science, engineering and associated industries, not only in the host countries but in all partner countries. The SKA telescope itself will be located in either Australia–New Zealand or South Africa and other African countries.

Six of the seven signatories of the SKA Organisation signed the member’s agreement in London on 23rd November 2011. From left to right: Professor John Womersley - Chief Executive Officer, Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK; Dr Bernie Fanaroff - National Research Foundation, South Africa; Mrs Belinda Brown - New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner to the UK; Professor Dr Jos Engelen – Chairman, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, the Netherlands; Dr Corrado Perna - signed on behalf of the President of Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy, Professor Giovanni F. Bignami; Ms Patricia Kelly - Deputy Secretary, Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research; (Not present: Professor Jun Yan – Director, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China).

Signatory organisations

Australia – Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

China – National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Italy – National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF)

New Zealand – Ministry of Economic Development

Republic of South Africa – National Research Foundation (NRF)

The Netherlands – Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

United Kingdom – Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)