CTAO gGmbH
The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory gGmbH in liquidation (“CTAO gGmbH in liquidation”) entered into liquidation on 1 October 2025. According to Section 12 and Section 65 Paragraph 2 of the German Limited Liability Companies Act (GmbHG), the liquidation status has been published on the German Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) on 14 January 2026.
The CTAO gGmbH served as the legal entity of the CTAO Central Organisation for the design and implementation of the Observatory between 2014 and 2025, supported by its governing body, the CTAO gGmbH Council. The Council is composed of 11 member countries and one intergovernmental organisation, as well as associate members from two additional countries
Address
Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory gGmbH (in liquidation)
Saupfercheckweg 1
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Commercial Register
HRB 720310, Local Court Mannheim
Value Added Tax Identification Number
The value added tax identification number for the CTAO gGmbH in liquidation is: DE296943397.
Contact
Should you have any query regarding the CTAO gGmbH in liquidation please contact ctao-accounting@cta-observatory.org.
Representation
The CTAO gGmbH in liquidation is legally represented by its Liquidator, Federico Ferrini.
Leadership
Chair, CTAO gGmbH Council: Markus Schleier
Vice-Chair, CTAO gGmbH Council: Massimo Cappi
CTAO gGmbH Council Members and Associate Members
| Member Country | Institute | Delegates | Country Entrance Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australia Astronomy Limited | Gavin Rowell, James Murray | 2018 |
| Austria | Innsbruck Universität | Olaf Reimer | 2016 |
| Czech Republic | Institute of Physics of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic | Michael Prouza, Marek Vyšinka | 2015 |
| France | Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) | Nicolas Leroy, Martin Giard | 2016 |
| France | Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) | Franck Sabatié | 2016 |
| Germany | Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) | Christian Stegmann, David Berge | 2014 |
| Germany | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) | Severin Berger | 2016 |
| Intergovernmental Organisation | European Southern Observatory (ESO) | Xavier Barcons, Nikolaj Gube | 2019 |
| Italy | Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) | Isabella Pagano, Filippo Zerbi | 2014 |
| Italy | Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) | Marco Pallavicini (Statement M.Pallavicini) | 2017 |
| Japan | University of Tokyo | Masahiro Teshima, Hidetoshi Kubo | 2015 |
| Slovenia | University of Nova Gorica | Danilo Zavrtanik | 2018 |
| Spain | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) | Ana Maria Aricha Yanguas, Valentín Martínez Pillet | 2015 |
| Switzerland | Université de Genève | Teresa Montaruli, Xavier Reymond | 2014 |
| United Kingdom | UK Research and Innovation – The Science and Technology Facilities Council | Helen Beadman | 2015 |
| Associate Member Country | Institute | Delegates | Country Entrance Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Dutch Research Council (NWO) | Saskia Matheussen, Jacco Vink | 2015 |
| South Africa | National Research Foundation | Markus Böttcher | 2015 |
The Statutes of the CTAO gGmbH: Articles of
Annual Reporting Documents:
Annual Report 2015 on Implementation of Principles of German Public Corporate Governance Cod