Establishing and directing the World’s most significant radio astronomy infrastructure investment: the Square Kilometre Array

  • Andrew Faulkner (Participant)
  • Simon Garrington (Participant)
  • Grainge, Keith (Participant)
  • Michael Kramer (Participant)
  • Scaife, Anna (Participant)
  • Richard Schilizzi (Participant)
  • Ralph Spencer (Participant)
  • Stappers, Benjamin (Participant)
  • Peter Wilkinson (Participant)

Impact: Policy, Economic

Narrative

The international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, due for construction this decade, will be the world’s largest scientific facility, built at a cost of ~EUR2,000,000,000 by a consortium of 15 member countries. The larger part of the instrument will be sited in Africa (nine partner countries) with a complementary part in Australia. The University of Manchester’s (UoM) Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA) has been central to the establishment of this multinational radio astronomy infrastructure. The impact in the 2013-2020 period is on:
i) international science policy and priorities, with the establishment of the SKA Organisation (SKAO) as an Inter-Governmental Organisation (IGO) at Jodrell Bank Observatory (GBP16,500,000);
ii) UK business return (EUR121,900,000);
iii) the local North-West economy (~GBP6,200,000).
Impact date1 Aug 2013 → 31 Jul 2020
Category of impactPolicy, Economic
Impact levelAdoption

Documents & Links

Related content