UK invests big in SKA

2 April 2014 News

UK science minister, David Willetts, announced that the United Kingdom will provide a funding boost for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project to the tune of £100 million.

Emphasising just how big a deal the SKA is to the world’s scientific community, Willetts declared upon announcing the investment that “After the International Space Station and the Large Hadron Collider the world’s next great science project is the Square Kilometre Array.

He also illustrated the kingdom’s long-view approach to science by saying that “Investment in science is a crucial part of this government’s long-term economic plan. It’s about investing in our future, helping grow new industries and create more jobs – and that will mean more financial security for people across the country.”

This represents a major investment in the SKA, whose first phase of construction has been cost-capped at €650M. Under the current schedule for the project, funding for construction of Phase 1 is due to be confirmed by 2016 with the start of construction expected in 2018 and early science expected to start in 2020.

The UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) also confirmed that it is investing £19 million over the next four years in the SKA project, made up of a capital investment in ‘big data’ of £11 million and a further £2 million a year in the ongoing core programme.

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