Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory established as ERIC

The European Commission established the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory European Research Infrastructures Consoritum (CTAO ERIC). This Consortium will construct and operate the world's largest and most powerful ground-based gamma-ray observatory, making a significant milestone in global astro-particle physics. Before the ERIC establishment, the design and implementation of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) was prepared as a non-profit company under German law, providing the administrative and operational foundation for its transition to a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).

The ERIC is a specific legal form under EU law that facilitates the establishment and operation of Research Infrastructures with European interest. A European Commission decision is required to set up a new ERIC. CTAO is the 29th ERIC created since 2009 and proves that the ERIC legal instrument facilitates pan-European and international scientific collaboration.

At the forefront of modern astrophysics, the Observatory will tackle some of the most fundamental questions of our time, including the origin and role of relativistic particles, the properties of extreme environments, and the frontiers of physics. Czechia is engaged in the CTAO ERIC consortium through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) and the CTA-CZ large research infrastructure project of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The scientific community of the Czechia plays an important role in the preparation of CTA, in particular through the development of optical components and the construction of devices for the characterisation of the atmosphere.

More information at:  CTAO ERIC