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.
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.
Research institutes from both Sweden and the United Kingdom have been long-standing collaborators with the LOFAR distributed infrastructure and research programme. Their transition from collaborators to full members underscores both countries' commitment to advancing radio astronomy research and strengthens Europe's position at the forefront of low-frequency radio astronomy.
LOFAR ERIC’s Founding Members are Bulgaria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. For more than two decades, research institutes from Sweden and the United Kingdom have been active collaborators in the LOFAR distributed infrastructure and research program. Onsala Space Observatory in Sweden has hosted a station of the LOFAR array since 2011 and the station at the Chilbolton Observatory in the UK was opened in 2010.
LOFAR ERIC Council Chair Jacqueline Mout expressed her enthusiasm about the expansion: "The addition of Sweden and the United Kingdom as full members represents a significant advancement for LOFAR ERIC and strengthens European collaboration in astronomy research. This expansion consolidates LOFAR's position as one of the most productive radio astronomy observatories in the world.”
Michiel van Haarlem, Director of LOFAR ERIC, added: “Astronomers from both the United Kingdom and Sweden have already been part of many successful collaborations and this will now continue. Their extensive expertise in radio astronomy and data science will further enhance our research capabilities and contribute to groundbreaking scientific discoveries."
In addition, John Conway, Director of the Onsala Space Observatory, highlighted the strength of the LOFAR ERIC partnership: “We are extremely happy that Sweden has now officially joined LOFAR ERIC as a member. We look forward to soon upgrading our station to the new LOFAR 2.0 standard and working closely with our colleagues around Europe in operating together the cutting edge LOFAR telescope to enable new discoveries in astronomy.”
Associate Director of Astronomy at STFC-UKRI, Jenny Hiscock, emphasised the significance of the UK’s membership, stating: “The UK accession to the LOFAR ERIC is a significant milestone for the UK and its radio astronomy community. LOFAR is a flagship international science infrastructure that brings together a wealth of technology and expertise to help us probe some of the fundamental questions about the origins of the universe. Joining the ERIC highlights the importance of strong collaboration to deliver research and innovation, enriching lives across the globe.”
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.
