Slovak industry may take part in building the largest solar telescope in Europe
EST Slovakia Infoday, taking place on June 24, 2025 at 9:00 AM at the Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) in Bratislava, is an exclusive event presenting opportunities for Slovak industry to get involved in the construction of the European Solar Telescope (EST). The Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Astronomical Institute of SAS will introduce this unique European scientific project to the professional community. The aim of the event is to connect key stakeholders from industry, research, and public administration and to open a discussion on how Slovakia can participate in this ambitious pan-European initiative.
„Slovak companies have a real opportunity to apply their expertise in technologies, large mechanical structure construction, optics, and control systems within the EST project. The Infoday is a chance to enter the discussion and become part of the construction of one of the most important scientific facilities in Europe,,“ aid Peter Gömöry, Director of the Astronomical Institute of SAS „In a figurative sense, EST can be seen as a new CERN for the field of solar physics,“, added Director.
The event will feature experts and representatives of the international scientific community. The keynote speakers will be Prof. Manuel Collados-Vera, President of the EST Foundation, and Dr. Héctor Socas-Navarro, Director of the EST Foundation, who will present the current status of the project and its significance for global research. This will be followed by a presentation on telescope subsystems and B2B meetings with potential cooperation partners.
About the EST Project
The European Solar Telescope project was launched in 2008, and Slovakia has been involved since its inception. The project is currently managed by the EST Foundation – Fundación Canaria, in which Slovakia holds the position of Vice-President. The telescope will be located on La Palma Island (Canary Islands), and once completed, it will be the largest facility of its kind in Europe. It will focus on studying plasma physics and dynamic phenomena on the Sun.
Prepared by Silvia Múcsková, Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics, SAS