Today, in the Sala dei Giganti of the University of Padua, Italy, partners and collaborators of the CTAO gathered to celebrate the launch of activities of the CTAO ERIC. The ceremony, organised by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), brought together representatives from the CTAO Founding Members, including the Italian Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, alongside authorities and the wider scientific community.
Earlier this year, the European Commission formally established the CTAO as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), marking the official start of its construction phase — a key milestone that has seen remarkable progress over the past few months. The transition to this final legal form was formally completed on 30 September with the signing of the asset transfer agreement from the previous entity to the CTAO ERIC. Today’s event in Padua celebrates this achievement and the beginning of a new chapter for the Observatory on its path to becoming the world’s largest and most advanced gamma-ray observatory.
“The CTAO has become an ERIC, a European organisation with reach and support that extends beyond the continent. With this step, we have been able to start large-scale construction activities at our South site and increase our support for the North site activities. This has only been possible with the support of an ever-growing list of members from around the world to whom we are grateful,” explains Stuart McMuldroch, CTAO Director General. “It is a pleasure to be here today to celebrate this international progress that will lead to significant scientific discoveries.”
Since the establishment of the CTAO ERIC, construction activities have advanced rapidly. At the CTAO-North site, located at the IAC’s Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain, four Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) now stand at various stages of construction, with completion expected next year. At the CTAO-South site, in ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile, a major contract was recently signed to build the telescope foundations and a 17-kilometre access road, paving the way for the installation of the first Medium-Sized Telescopes (MSTs) and Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs) as early as next year. Additionally, computing systems have been expanded and integrated to ensure the large-scale operations and data flow expected once the Observatory becomes fully operational.
The establishment of the ERIC has also enabled a major recruitment and capacity-building effort, strengthening teams across the Observatory’s four facilities: the CTAO Headquarters, hosted by INAF in Bologna (Italy), the Science Data Management Centre hosted by DESY in Zeuthen (Germany), and the two telescope sites in Spain and Chile.
During the event, Anna Maria Bernini highlighted the key role that Italy, hosting country of the Observatory, has played in the project.
“With the launch of activities at the CTAO, we celebrate a moment of great pride for research and for Italy,” stated Anna Maria Bernini, Italian Minister of University and Research. “The CTAO demonstrates Italy’s ability to play a central role in the construction of the most advanced research infrastructures. Our country is not only among the founding members of the CTAO ERIC, but has led the negotiations for its establishment and continues to provide decisive contributions in terms of expertise and technology.”
The CTAO ERIC members include Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Further countries — Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, and the United States — are currently engaged in the process of joining the CTAO ERIC under the status of Strategic Partner or Third Party.