ALMA at the Astro-Engineering Seminar in Chile
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ALMA at the Astro-Engineering Seminar in Chile

6 November, 2013 / Read time: 2 minutes

The Head of the ALMA’s Department of Computing, Jorge Ibsen, has given one of the first talks at the second version of the Seminar on Astro-Engineering in Chile organized on November 4th and 5th, 2013.

The Seminar, organized by the Chilean Economic Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other institutions, was aimed exchanging experiences and knowledge between astronomical observatories located throughout the country, Chilean research centers, and industrial sectors willing to take advantage of opportunities in new technology and innovation that astronomy provides.

"Astronomy has been identified as a major booster for innovation in Chile and this event provided an opportunity to explore these possibilities further", said Jorge Ibsen. ALMA participated in a panel discussion, between observatories, universities and the industrial sector.

To date, Chilean companies have sold 6 million dollars in products and services for observatories. But more observatories will be built in Chile in the coming years, which will result in Chile being home to 70% of the deep space observations from Earth by 2020, according to the local government. "We can do even more. That is why in the seminar we showed all the options and calls for tender will come from the observatories, so the Chilean companies can apply for these new opportunities. Observatories are huge technological laboratories", said Valentina Strappa, Industry-Astronomy Liaison Officer at the Chilean Economic Ministry.

Contact:

Valeria Foncea 
Education and Public Outreach Officer
Joint ALMA Observatory
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 2467 6258
E-mail: [email protected]