LOFAR ERIC coordinates the development and efficient operation of LOFAR (the LOw Frequency ARray), a vital radio astronomy instrument for world-class scientific research with cohesively operated facilities located in several countries.
LOFAR ERIC continues its rapid expansion with the Czech Republic joining as its newest member country, following the Council’s approval in September 2025. The addition brings the consortium to nine member nations and further strengthens Europe’s position at the forefront of low-frequency radio astronomy.
The Czech Republic’s accession adds both geographic reach and scientific expertise to the LOFAR network. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will represent the country, with Dr. Jan Buriánek serving as delegate to the LOFAR ERIC Council and Dr. Miroslav Bárta of the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences acting as scientific delegate.
LOFAR ERIC’s founding members, Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, were joined by Sweden and the United Kingdom earlier in 2025. The Czech Republic will, as part of its commitent, construct and operate a national LOFAR station within the next three years, extending the telescope’s coverage further into Central Europe.
Welcoming the new member, Council Chair Jacqueline Mout said the Czech Republic’s entry “reflects the growing momentum behind LOFAR’s scientific mission,” noting that the country brings “valuable expertise and energy” to the collaboration and will play an important role in shaping the next phase of LOFAR’s development.
LOFAR ERIC Director Michiel van Haarlem said “He was delighted to welcome the Czech Republic to the LOFAR ERIC and the thriving community involved in its development and scientific exploitation. With the addition of a LOFAR station in the Czech Republic, we expand the scientific reach of the network and deepen collaboration across the consortium. This is an exciting step forward for LOFAR and radio astronomy in Europe.”
Czech researchers will contribute to a wide range of LOFAR science areas from galaxy evolution and cosmic magnetism to solar and space-weather physics, atmospheric studies, and astro-particle research. Czech institutes will also support LOFAR users across Europe, building on their experience with the ALMA observatory.
Looking ahead, Dr. Jan Buriánek and Dr. Miroslav Bárta highlighted the opportunities the membership brings for the national research community, noting that it opens new possibilities for scientists, students, and engineering teams. “We are committed to building a state-of-the-art LOFAR station and seeing this collaboration as an exceptional opportunity for the Czech research community,” they said.
The LOFAR ERIC Council has appointed Professor Peter Gallagher as its new Chair, effective 1 January 2026. He succeeds Jacqueline Mout, who has led the Council since the establishment of LOFAR ERIC in December 2023.
LOFAR ERIC continues its rapid expansion with the Czech Republic joining as its newest member country, following the Council’s approval in September 2025. The addition brings the consortium to nine member nations and further strengthens Europe’s position at the forefront of low-frequency radio astronomy.
First Announcement
We are happy to announce that the 8th LOFAR Data School (LDS2026) will take place at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (Dwingeloo, The Netherlands) from 16 to 23 September 2026.
We are excited to announce that the LOFAR Family Meeting 2025 will be held in Paris, France, from 22 to 26 September 2025!
The conference will take place at the Paris Institute of Planetary Physics (IPGP), located in the historic Latin Quarter, just steps away from the beautiful Jardin des Plantes.
Sweden and the United Kingdom have joined the LOFAR ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) as a member, following the decision of the Council on 26 March 2025. This significant expansion brings the total membership to eight countries, marking an important milestone in the growth of this pioneering research infrastructure.
The LOFAR ERIC Council has appointed Dr. Michiel van Haarlem as the new Executive Director of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), established by the European Commission in December 2023.
On December 20, 2023 the European Union officially established the LOFAR ERIC: a European Research Consortium Infrastructure. The activities of the Dutch International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) foundation are now continued by the European LOFAR ERIC.
To celebrate this milestone, delegates of all ten participating countries came to the Netherlands, the hosting country of the LOFAR ERIC and location of the LOFAR core.
The LOFAR Family meeting 2024 will take place from 3 - 7 June 2024 in Leiden. It is hosted by Leiden Observatory, the astronomical institute of Leiden University, in the Netherlands. Established in 1633 to house the quadrant of Rudolph Snellius, it is the oldest operating university observatory in the world.
The Low Frequency Array European Research Infrastructure Consortium (LOFAR ERIC) is looking for a new executive director, who will play a pivotal role in representing LOFAR ERIC to all relevant stakeholders and ensure the efficient joint operation of the LOFAR facilities.
We write to follow the announcement you have received from René Vermeulen describing his imminent extended leave, starting on 1 March.
We take this first opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for René in leading LOFAR to its current heights. René’s painstaking work has enabled LOFAR to build from a nascent Dutch facility into an ever-growing and strong European collaboration of members, now numbering 10 countries.
LOFAR ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) has been officially launched at its first Council meeting today. The world-leading LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) Distributed Research Infrastructure has already revolutionised low-frequency radio astronomy research, resulting in an avalanche of scientific publications in the past decade. LOFAR ERIC is now a single legal entity across the European Union.
