The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation has announced Germany is to quit the organisation due to “difficult national financial circumstances”, although insisting the decision bears no reflection on the country’s confidence in the project.
South Africa was chosen as the location to host the SKA telescope installation – which will form the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the world – in October 2012, while partner organisations across the world are assisting in the design and development of the project and will participate in the scientific research to be conducted once the SKA is complete.
While Germany was one of the key partner countries in the SKA project, the country announced it will withdraw from the project as of June 30, 2015.
“SKA Organisation regrets this decision, and understands it is driven by difficult national financial circumstances around the funding of large research infrastructures in Germany and Europe and that it by no means reflects a lack of confidence in the SKA project,” the SKA Organisation said.
The organisation said the withdrawal of Germany from the project would have little impact on the project itself, and collaboration with German members of the team would continue for the short term.
“While this is disappointing news, the decision to leave SKA Organisation in a year’s time will have no immediate consequences on the project due to the limited German federal funding that has been issued so far,” the organisation said.
“Involvement from German institutions, industry and scientists in the SKA’s science working groups and in design work through the design consortia is unlikely to be affected in the short-term.”
The organisation said German industry as well as the country’s scientific community stand to lose most from its decision to leave the international initiative.
“As the project enters its construction phase in 2017/18 German industry will be most affected by this decision, as it will no longer be in a position to bid for major engineering contracts to be awarded for construction of the SKA,” the organisation said.
“In addition, following the recent board approval of the SKA Access Principles, the ability of the German science community to use the telescope will be compromised.”
Germany still has until June 2015 to change its mind, when its removal from the project becomes effective.
“It is the hope of the organisation that the financial climate will improve sufficiently in the coming year for the German Ministry of Science to reconsider its decision.”
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