SA steps up EU participation

1 July 2006

Cutting edge radio astronomy initiatives in South Africa benefit hugely from the country's strategic science and technology partnerships with Europe, including several initiatives of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Through the leveraging of South Africa's unique expertise and its important geographic advantages, South Africa also adds significant value to the leading FP6 radio astronomy projects such as the SKA Design Studies project (SKADS) and the RadioNet networking and coordination platform. These collaborations are mutually beneficial and much valued by all partners.

Engineers in the SKADS initiative are, for example, keen to participate in the development of technology for the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT) so that they can use the KAT project as a crucial test for fine-tuning SKA technology. South Africa joined RadioNet early in 2006. This means that South African scientists can now participate in European radio astronomy forums, share access to cutting edge instrumentation and benefit from mobility agreements and funding between radio astronomy sites.

"It is a huge advantage to be a part of new radio astronomy research initiatives from the start," says Justin Jonas, SKA project scientist in South Africa. "It helps us to understand how Europe is mapping out its radio astronomy programme into the future and even allows us to be a part of this planning process."

The Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory is also participating in another FP6 project - EXPReS, aimed at strengthening international VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) cooperation. EXPReS seeks to connect all major radio telescope in Europe and partner countries via high-speed fibre optic data links in order to create a truly global radio telescope facility.

This rich portfolio of different engagements has created a firm foundation for enhanced cooperation under the new Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to be launched at end of 2006.

South Africa also contributed to the mapping of future European and global research infrastructure needs when former Department of Science and Technology Director-General, Dr Rob Adam, was a keynote speaker at the European Research Infrastructures Conference held in Nottingham in December 2005.