SKAO Annual Report 2023

Our purpose

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is an intergovernmental organisation comprised of member states and partners from five continents whose mission is to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation.

The SKAO’s mid-frequency telescope (SKA-Mid), under construction in the Karoo region of South Africa, will comprise 197 dishes operating at frequencies between 350 MHz and 15.4 GHz (and up to 24 Ghz), while the SKAO’s low-frequency telescope (SKA-Low), which is being built on Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia (WA), will be an array of 131,072 antennas operating at frequencies between 50 MHz and 350 MHz. Complementary by design, the SKA-Low and SKAMid telescopes will both be the most powerful radio telescopes on Earth in their respective frequency ranges. As part of the longer-term vision of the Observatory, a later expansion is envisioned in both locations and into other African partner countries.

Together with other state-of-the-art research facilities, the SKAO’s telescopes will explore the unknown frontiers of science and deepen our understanding of key processes in the Universe, including the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, fundamental physics in extreme environments and the origins of life, among other key areas of astrophysics and cosmology.

Through the development of innovative technologies and its contribution to addressing societal challenges, the SKAO is playing its part in addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by delivering benefits to the local and Indigenous communities in the areas in which it operates, as well as across its membership and beyond.

The SKAO is working in partnership with its host communities and recognises the Indigenous peoples and cultures that live on the lands in which its facilities are located. The SKAO acknowledges the Wajarri Yamaji People as the Traditional Owners and native title holders of Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Murchison Radioastronomy Observatory site where the SKA-Low telescope is being built in Australia. Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara means “sharing the sky and stars” in the Wajarri language.

With telescopes in South Africa and Australia and its headquarters in the UK, the SKAO will operate two of the world’s largest radio telescope arrays. Credit: SKAO

Our Values

Diversity and Inclusion

We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, there is fairness and respect for everyone as an individual, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive.

Creativity and Innovation

We foster a culture of creativity and innovation where we take time to seek innovative, better solutions and problem-solving, focusing on delivering value to our user community.

Excellence

We value professional excellence in the delivery of world-class transformational science. This is founded on ways of working where leadership, integrity and personal responsibility are at the heart of everything we do.

Collaboration

We are aligned around common goals and actively create and promote collaborative working across cultural and geographical, functional and specialist boundaries. In doing this, we will communicate appropriately and in an open manner, delivering on commitments and building long-term supportive, trusting and professional relationships.

Safety and Sustainability

We pledge to look after our environment and the safety and well-being of ourselves, and each other. We take a long-term view and ensure that due care for our social, financial, ecological, cultural and environmental responsibilities is part of everything we do. By this, we demonstrate our commitment towards the people, places and resources on which we rely and seek to build long-term sustainable relationships.

About this report

Welcome to the SKAO 2023

Annual Report – our third Annual Report

In this report, we invite you to find out about how the SKAO is delivering on its value proposition to its member countries and society as a whole, highlighting our commitment to transparency in communication with stakeholders and demonstrating how our actions align with corporate sustainability principles. This report covers the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.

Chairperson’s overview

In 2023 we saw great progress across the SKAO, in every aspect, as described in this report. Thanks to the skilled efforts of the SKAO global staff, the project is thriving.

In particular, key infrastructure work is now well advanced on both sites. In October, the Council visited the Low site on Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara and was greatly impressed. It also admired Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS) version 3, a small but real prefiguration of an element of the Low telescope. Meanwhile, the first SKA dish was integrated into its factory in China, and at the end of the year, the second dish was shipped to South Africa.

At the same time, as can be expected with such an ambitious endeavour operating on an international scale, the SKAO was hit by the global crisis. The SKAO and its Council acknowledged the dire effect of financial pressures driven by recent events in the world and started seeking solutions to minimise the damage to the Observatory.

In pursuit of the SKAO’s mission and objectives, the SKAO Council and its members have been busy, diligently

representing the interests of all stakeholders on a variety of issues and assisting the SKAO leadership in making strategic decisions for the Observatory’s future. As you will read in more detail in this report, the Observatory continues to grow, with Spain completing its accession, and positive decisions by Germany and Canada to move to membership, reaffirming the determination of countries that have been involved in the SKA project for many years to formalise their involvement in this exciting enterprise. The SKAO Council’s inclusive approach to working to ensure ongoing collaborative relationships with countries progressing towards membership has continued as well, with extensions to various agreements throughout the year.

During 2023 the SKAO Council convened on three occasions. In March, the Council gathered in Rome, Italy, hosted by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), to consider the Observatory’s progress and plans. In July, the Council met at the SKAO UK Headquarters,

This remarkable progress is a demonstration of the commitment of many people who contributed their hard work, dedication and focus to operational and strategic achievements throughout 2023.

where it resolved to tackle the various external financial pressures of inflation and escalated hardware costs with actions to reinforce the SKAO’s budget. Even in these difficult times, the willingness of our members to work together to address the various issues was positive and encouraging. For many though, I am sure, the October session in Perth, Australia, was a highlight, enabling Council delegations to visit the SKA-Low telescope site in person, one year after the visit to the SKA-Mid site in South Africa. The Council saw for themselves the progress and commitment of the teams on the ground, as well as the care being taken to ensure Wajarri Yamaji culture and heritage protection is a priority throughout construction.

It is with pride that I once again commend this report and the SKAO’s excellent performance throughout 2023. This remarkable progress is a demonstration of the commitment of many people who contributed their hard work, dedication and focus to operational and strategic achievements throughout 2023.

As I write these words, I am reminded that with the many challenges to peace, international relationships, and collaboration that we see in the world nowadays, the SKAO is a shining example of the positive results of international cooperation through science, spanning geographical borders and cultural boundaries across the five continents. I am optimistic about the future, and I look forward to continuing to share the remarkable journey of this organisation and its achievements.

Happy reading,

Dr Catherine Cesarsky, SKAO Council Chairperson

DirectorGeneral’s letter

I am delighted to present to you the SKAO’s 2023 Annual Report, describing the progress in our journey towards delivering the world’s most capable radio telescopes and enabling science that will change humanity’s understanding of its place in the Universe.

2023 has been marked by great achievements, building on the momentous step of the Construction Commencement Ceremonies at the end of the previous year. Our Observatory teams in both Australia and South Africa have grown significantly with interdisciplinary teams now in place. Together with our team at the UK Headquarters, we have an incredible group of talented people who are using their passion and expertise to realise the Observatory’s mission. Infrastructure work has progressed at both sites with incredible pace and the arrival of the first antennas for both SKA-Low and SKA-Mid in early 2024 is eagerly awaited. The vast majority of our construction-related contracts have been placed across the world; there is a vibrant community of industry, institutes and teams active across the range of work packages.

All this is happening at a time of challenge, however. The impacts of the various global geopolitical and economic challenges are being felt in our personal lives and across

the work of research infrastructures alike. At SKAO, the pressures the current situation brings have manifested through increased risk and increased costs in many areas. We have been working closely with our members to tackle these challenges, with dialogue on the potential for additional resourcing and actions internally to minimise future financial risk. 2024 will hopefully see us, and indeed our peer scientific organisations, emerge from this period. I am confident that the SKAO’s incredible progress and the strength of support we have, will see us achieve our goals, with a new generation of radio astronomy beginning with our operations later this decade. Supporting scientific operations and facilitating the connection to the global astronomy community will require a ‘regional centre’ network of unprecedented scale. 2023 has featured work from many to take us to a point where the SKA Regional Centre Network (SRCNet) project can get under way; you will find more details in the report.

The vast majority of our construction related contracts have been placed and across the world there is a vibrant community of industry, institutes and teams active across the range of work packages.

International tensions such as we see now also serve as a reminder of the importance of collaboration between countries through science. The term “science diplomacy” is fashionable at present and perhaps overused at times, but here at SKAO, I firmly believe we live the real meaning of the term. 2023 has seen progress with announcements and actions towards broadening our membership. Spain is now a member of the SKAO and political statements of intent towards membership from Canada and Germany are important in enhancing our global footprint. With the Council’s encouragement, we have also initiated contacts with several countries outside the current partnership, in the spirit of enlarging even further our global collaboration, making us stronger for the future. Another crucial milestone includes solidifying our partnership with the European Southern Observatory (ESO), signing a collaboration agreement to enhance our capabilities and resources for future endeavours, and enabling us to work more closely on areas of mutual interest with the only other international organisation dedicated to ground-based astronomy.

Speaking personally, this year I was honoured to be asked by the Council to remain as director-general until May 2026. Although with many day-to-day challenges in an organisation and project such as ours, it is often difficult to pause and evaluate where we really are. When I do, however, I feel incredibly proud of the progress being made. It genuinely is the highlight of my professional career to lead the Observatory and I will continue to devote all possible effort to ensuring the SKAO is a success.

To conclude, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your constant support, loyalty, and dedication to our common goal. In this annual report, you will read where we are today; working together, in the coming years, we will deliver an Observatory that will help us unravel the secrets of the Universe, and in doing so, achieve a significant positive impact on the world.

Professor Philip Diamond SKAO Director-General

Our Highlights in 2023

Canada states its intention to seek membership of the SKAO

Signature of the agreements on bilateral collaboration, describing the SKAO’s operational relationships with collaborating organisations in South Africa and Australia

Visit from the Indian Department of Science and Technology’s Secretary Dr Srivari Chandrasekhar, to the SKAO Headquarters

Inaugural Annual SKAO Programme Review held

Joint SKAO-ngVLA science meeting in Vancouver, Canada

SKAO confirmed as high strategic priority in the ASTRONET Science Vision and Infrastructure Roadmap 2022-2035

Support from G7 science ministers regarding the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference’s (CPS) mission

Visit to the SKAO HQ from Dr Bonginkosi Emmanuel “Blade” Nzimande, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and Antony Phillipson, British High Commissioner to South Africa

First SKA Open Science School held in Granada, Spain, organised by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA)

German Federal Minister for Research announces the intention of Germany to become a member of the SKAO

SKAO Council meeting #8 in Rome, Italy

Spain completes its accession process to become a member of the SKAO

Wajarri Yamaji-led cultural awareness training sessions begin in Australia, for staff working at or visiting the SKA-Low telescope site.

Start of the design of the prototype power station for SKA-Mid

Announcement from SKA pathfinder telescopes providing evidence of gravitational waves in landmark papers

SKAO Council meeting #9 at the SKAO HQ

Council approves collaboration agreement between the SKAO and ESO

MeerKAT five-year science anniversary and celebration

10-year anniversary of operation of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)

Two-thirds of SKAO contracts successfully awarded

Germany and Canada confirm their intention to join the SKAO as full members

SKAO highlighted in the South Korea-UK landmark accord during a state visit to the United Kingdom

Staged delivery, array assemblies and layout documents released

Conclusion of the third SKAO Science Data Challenge (SDC)

First SKA-Mid telescope production dish assembled in China

Review of progress towards the implementation of the collaborative SKA Regional Centre Network by a subpanel of the Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC)

IAU Symposium on Astronomy and Satellite Constellations: Pathways Forward

SKAO Council meeting #10 in Perth, Australia, including a visit to the SKA-Low telescope site

Meeting between the SKAO directorgeneral and the Netherlands’ Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf

Visit from the vice-mayor of Shanghai and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) delegation to the SKAO HQ and signing of SKAO-SHAO memorandum of understanding on collaboration on SKA Regional Centres

First light achieved with Aperture Array Verification System 3 (AAVS 3), an SKA-Low technology demonstrator

SKAO IN NUMBERS

4

Cooperation agreements signed with partner institutions

2,207

New technical and organisational documents registered in the configuration management tool

1,134

Attendees in four Planning Increment (PI) meetings hosted by the SKAO Software and Computing teams

34

Employees recruited by the SKAO across the UK, Australia and South Africa

6,651

Mentions of the SKAO in online articles worldwide

16

Collaboration staff members recruited in South Africa, employed by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)

41,165

Visitors to the SKAO website

20

Collaboration staff members recruited in Australia, employed by CSIRO

234

Participants spread across 33 teams and 16 countries took part in the third SKAO Science Data Challenge

German Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (in cream suit) with leaders from the SKAO and SARAO at the MPG-funded SKA-Mid prototype dish in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. Credit: SARAO

Growing our organisation

Alongside the SKAO’s impressive progress towards implementation of the construction programme in Australia and South Africa, the organisation itself has continued to evolve and grow.

Following a flurry of activity in 2022, culminating on 5 December with ceremonies celebrating the start of on-site construction in Australia and South Africa, early 2023 saw two important statements of commitment being made.

In January, the Canadian government announced its intention to move to membership, building on the existing cooperation agreement between the SKAO and the

National Research Council (NRC), signed in 2021. Following a rapid negotiation of terms, the Council unanimously approved Canada’s membership in June 2023, enabling the accession process to proceed domestically. Canada has been an important participant in the SKA project for many years, with significant interest from its engineering and scientific communities.

In March 2023, during a visit to the SKA-Mid telescope site and the SKAO’s offices in Cape Town, German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger announced that Germany will pursue membership of the SKAO. With approval from the SKAO Council in place, the national parliamentary approval process continued during the year, and the German Federal Cabinet officialised the membership decision just before Christmas. In the meantime, the interest of the German community was represented through a cooperation agreement between the SKAO and the Max Planck Society (MPG). The MPG funded a prototype dish at the SKA-Mid site which proved incredibly valuable for technical commissioning and scientific use since being erected in mid-2018, helping improve the design and performance of the SKA-Mid dishes. In parallel, the MPG

sponsored the construction of the MeerKAT extension project, which will bring a further 14 SKA-compliant dishes to the 64-dish South African MeerKAT facility.

The process to complete Spain’s accession to the SKAO concluded in April with the government’s approval of membership.

During 2023, the SKAO Council extended several current cooperating agreements that act as interim arrangements before membership processes are completed. These agreements have been critical in allowing the SKAO to continue to work with communities moving through the membership process and permitting continued contractual and governance engagements.

Prof. Philip Diamond, Director-General of the SKAO, and his counterpart at the European Southern Observatory, Prof. Xavier Barcons, signed a cooperation agreement in July 2023. Credit: ESO

The agreement establishes a general framework for cooperation and informationsharing between the SKAO and ESO.

A relationship of a different kind was formalised in July 2023 when the SKAO’s director-general, and his European Southern Observatory (ESO) counterpart, Professor Xavier Barcons, signed a collaboration agreement at the ESO headquarters in Garching, Germany. ESO operates three observing sites in the Chilean Atacama Desert on behalf of its 15 member states and is currently building one of the nextgeneration optical extremely large telescopes. The agreement establishes a general framework for cooperation and information-sharing between the SKAO and ESO, promoting strategic coordination of the organisations’ long-term plans and specific areas of discussion and collaboration in various policy areas.

The SKAO’s activities in the international policy arena have two primary objectives. The first is to play our part on the international stage as a major global research organisation, working with relevant stakeholders and partners to support the SKAO’s mission. The second is to ensure an effective relationship with our members and to explore the potential for growth and engagement with prospective member countries and partners.

In relation to the first objective, the SKAO has supported national and regional strategic community meetings. A specific SKAO session took place at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Washington DC in March 2023, and a joint science workshop with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) was held in Vancouver in May 2023. Both events are part of a broader approach to maintaining alignment and a close collaborative relationship with the US radio astronomy community and its research infrastructure plans. 2023 also saw SKAO teams participating in the South African Astronomy

Town Hall and National Research Network meetings, giving updates on construction progress and plans for the first science data to be produced by SKA-Mid. Staff also featured in the 2023 National Research Foundation (NRF) Annual Awards ceremony celebrating 20 years of SKA activities in South Africa. This was also the first year that the SKAO participated in the African Astronomical Society’s (AfAS) annual meeting, held in Johannesburg. The SKAO’s critical role in scientific community outreach will develop further with a prominent sponsorship role at the IAU General Assembly to be held in Cape Town in August 2024.

In Europe, the SKAO continues to collaborate with the activities of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) on its work programme and was a participant in ESFRI’s 2023 Conference on Research Infrastructure Sustainability and Stakeholder Forum. The SKAO was ranked highly in the ASTRONET Science Vision and Infrastructure Roadmap 2022-2035, published in 2023, reflecting the visible and influential position of the SKAO’s scientific communities around Europe.

In December 2023, the SKAO was a high-profile participant in the South Africa Science Forum, with a well-attended policy discussion session on the future role of Africa in the SKAO, and other government and public interactions.

Our efforts towards effective identification and monitoring of the socio-economic impacts of our work were highlighted in an international workshop convened by the European Organization for Nuclear Research and hosted at the European Space Agency headquarters in Paris in May 2023. Several other major international scientific organisations attended the workshop.

Related to the significant efforts to plan and deploy the SKAO Regional Centre Network, the Vice-Mayor of Shanghai Municipality visited the SKAO HQ for discussions and to witness the signature of a memorandum of understanding between the SKAO and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO).

In relation to the second objective, there has been growing attention on the optimal route to ensure longterm financial and organisational sustainability. The SKAO Council commissioned a strategic working group to examine near and medium-term financial challenges to the Observatory. The group’s recommendations are now being considered and acted upon by our members. Linked to this work, the Council’s expert Science and Diplomatic Task Force has continued its work to explore

and implement discussions and engagement routes with prospective SKAO partners and communities. Supporting these activities is a detailed examination of the SKAO’s policy environment. This is to ensure that coherent approaches are in place to support the development of business cases for prospective partners and that such policies are appropriately targeted to support organisational resilience and sustainability.

Specific scientific community and government engagement activities are under way with several prospective member countries. Meanwhile, dialogue is beginning about the African region, and discussion about potential routes to partnership is commencing. Similar considerations are being explored for other global regions.

Prof. Zhiqiang Shen, Director of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, signs the MoU with the Director of the Director-General’s office, Dr Simon Berry, in the SKAO Council Chamber. Credit: SKAO

Our commitment to benefitting society

As a world-leading multinational scientific organisation, the SKAO has a responsibility and a mandate to ensure sustainability is well anchored in its policies and practices, as detailed in the Environment and sustainability section in this report.

It is also determined to deliver a significant positive impact on individuals and society. In collaboration with its political, institutional, academic and industrial partners, the SKAO is already delivering

tangible benefits around the world in a variety of ways, promoting scientific excellence and fostering multilateral cooperation at various levels.

Space Sustainability

The SKAO, as a permanent observer of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), has the critical role of raising awareness on the impact of large satellite constellations on radio telescopes on behalf of the global radio astronomy community. In 2023, significant progress was made. The topic was extensively discussed at the COPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee meeting in February at the initiative of the SKAO, its astronomy partners ESO and IAU, and supported by many countries. Awareness of this issue at the political level became evident in May through a supporting statement from G7 science ministers on dark and quiet skies and the importance of continuing to discuss the impact of large satellite

constellations on astronomy. Separately, the SKAO and the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), the Observatory’s co-host of the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Interference, secured financial support for Our Fragile Space. This exhibition on space debris and satellite constellations by renowned photographer Max Alexander was exhibited at the United Nations office in Vienna during a full session of COPUOS in June. Additional financial support was secured for the exhibition at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement, where it was seen by thousands of people during the popular bluedot summer festival.

Open Science

In May 2023, the first SKA Open Science School was organised in Granada, Spain, by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía under the IAA-CSIC Severo Ochoa Programme. The school, endorsed by the SKA Regional Centre training programme, was attended by 80 participants both in person and online.

Open Science encompasses all the practices that go towards making science transparent and accessible to all and is rooted in the SKAO’s foundational principles. Open Science promotes the reproducibility of scientific results so that findings can be examined, tested and confirmed by others – a key element of the scientific method dating back to the 17th century. It also increases scientific collaboration and enables new research to build on previous works.

The SKA telescopes will produce unprecedented quantities of data, so much so that the Observatory will not be able to store it in its raw form; instead, scientists will have access to processed data for their observations.

The SKAO is already playing a major role in the sphere of Open Science. SKAO partners are adopting Open Science principles in the development of the SKA Regional Centre Network (SRCNet), which will enable geographically distributed teams of researchers to collaborate. The centres will provide access to data, computational resources, analysis tools, support and training while being equally accessible independent of user location. Through the provision of dedicated analysis tools and workflows, the SKAO will support a diverse skillset that extends beyond that of the traditional radio astronomy community.

The SKAO is also adopting Open Science principles in its data challenges for the scientific community (see the Science section) to encourage participants to embed this approach in their methodology from the outset. The Open Science School was a great opportunity to remind members of the community of the SKAO’s commitment to Open Science regarding data volumes and have thought-provoking discussions on changing practices in the era of Big Data as well as workshops on how to prepare reproducible analysis pipelines.

Piero Benvenuti, Director of the IAU CPS, opens the Our Fragile Space exhibition at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in the presence of several COPUOS delegations.

Outreach and Education

Astronomy is well-known for its ability to attract young people to science and technology careers. The SKAO and its partners around the world already enthuse tens of thousands of children, students and adults every year through open-day events at their facilities, public engagement initiatives, travelling exhibitions, and other events.

In 2023, several SKAO members of staff strengthened their public engagement skills by taking part in

outreach initiatives where they shared their work and raised awareness about the Observatory with thousands of enthusiasts. These initiatives included the annual science-music festival bluedot hosted at the Jodrell Bank site next to the SKAO HQ and the National Science Weeks in Australia and South Africa. In the UK, this provided a great opportunity to put SKAO’s newly developed low-cost table-top radio telescope to the test with observations of the hydrogen line emitted by our Milky Way, to the amazement of bluedot festival goers.

SKAO’s new home-made, low-cost table-top radio telescope being showcased and tested by SKAO staff before being used at the Bluedot festival Credit: SKAO

As was the case in previous years, the SKAO HQ in the UK welcomed work experience students as part of the Observatory’s ambition to encourage the interest in and uptake of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. In June, the SKAO also hosted students from its neighbouring village’s Goostrey School and its twin school, the Elizabethfontein Primary School in South Africa’s Cedarberg region.

In South Africa, in collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the SKAO took part in the popular Take a Girl Child to Work initiative, hosting a visit for two dozen high-performing students from underserved schools with interventions by senior members of staff talking about their SKAO journey. This initiative aims to inspire the minds of young girls mid-way through high school and encourage them to think about the wide array of career options in the astronomy, scientific, computing and engineering fields.

In Australia, together with CSIRO colleagues, the SKAO participated in the Ancient Lands under Brilliant Skies festival in Murchison and led a National Science Week

event in the Mid West region hub town of Geraldton to update the local community on progress regarding SKA-Low. Towards the end of the year, a large team comprising SKAO staff and Australian collaboration volunteers attended Western Australia’s biggest annual astronomy event, Astrofest. Additionally, the SKAO was invited to participate in South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney the first time this international arts and entertainment conference was held in Australia.

As was the case in previous years, the SKAO HQ in the UK welcomed work experience students, as part of the Observatory’s ambition to encourage the uptake of, and interest in STEM subjects

Two dozen students from underserved schools had the opportunity to visit the SKAO offices in Cape Town and meet some of the team as part of the Take a Girl Child to Work initiative. Credit: SKAO

Local and Indigenous communities

It is vital that the positive impact of the SKAO is also felt at the community level by the people who live close to the telescope sites. As part of delivering on the SKAO’s social licence to operate and the organisation’s intention to operate considerately and as a good neighbour, the SKAO ensures that conditions are in place to support local community participation and the uplift of the local economy around its telescope sites.

Workers from Wajarri Holdings with Wajarri representative on site for the start of infrastructure activities for the SKA-Low telescope in September 2023. Credit: Ventia

SKA-Mid

In South Africa, contractors, including those providing major infrastructure elements, are expected to source goods and services from local vendors and providers near SKA-Mid, focusing first on the four towns surrounding the SKA-Mid site (Carnarvon, Brandvlei, Vanwyksvlei, and Williston) and only then considering further providers.

During 2023, Power Adenco employed 56 local community members from the four towns to work on site; this number is expected to increase in 2024. Of these community members, 38% are women and 55% are youth (18-35 years old). Ten local community members are undertaking Level 4 Construction Supervision National Qualification Framework training over 12 months. The group is doing extremely well with the programme, which comprises three months of theory (completed in December 2023) and nine months of practical experience on site (2024).

Meetings with local subcontractors were undertaken to identify work packages that they can deliver, with the first subcontracting opportunities to be realised during the first half of 2024.

SKA-Low

As is the case in South Africa, in Australia the SKAO and its hosting partners share a strong commitment to ensuring that Indigenous and local communities benefit from opportunities provided by the SKA telescopes.

In late 2023, CSIRO and the SKAO ran several recruitment events in Geraldton together with the Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation to promote SKA-Low job opportunities in the region. The events promoted roles available over the next 12 months to encourage people, particularly those in the Wajarri community, to apply for roles at the SKAO and CSIRO. The first SKA-Low field technicians were hired under the collaboration in December, and the team – which will lead the installation of the SKALow antennas on site – will grow in 2024. The SKAO is also committed to continuing to engage with the Wajarri, directly and through its collaboration with the Australian Government and CSIRO, to provide up-to-date information on procurement and contract opportunities and direct employment.

During 2023, Power Adenco have employed 56 local community members from the four towns to work on site

SKA-Low infrastructure contractor Ventia has seen positive outcomes from their plan for extensive regional and Wajarri engagement, developed in collaboration with the SKAO. Five local Wajarri companies have been engaged by Ventia, providing substantial benefits to Indigenous small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region. In consultation with the SKAO, Ventia implemented a Wajarri engagement initiative to encourage the direct employment of Wajarri staff as well as encourage their subcontractors to do the same. This resulted in 40 Wajarri Yamaji People working on site on average in October. Overall, Ventia has consistently exceeded 20-25% Wajarri employment on site.

There has been significant engagement with local and regional SMEs. Ventia used more than 15 regional SMEs under contract and many local suppliers; the SKAO awarded contracts or established accounts with over 81 businesses in Geraldton and the Mid West region.

SKAO –One global observatory, two telescopes, three host countries

Established as an intergovernmental organisation (IGO) in 2021, the SKAO is the result of the committed collaboration of its participating member states and institutions. As codified in the SKAO Convention, this collaboration is undertaken in the first instance through the construction of two radio telescope facilities which, along with the Observatory’s Headquarters, will operate across three host countries.

Photo of the SKAO treaty.

Credit: SKAO

The structure of the organisation has been designed to evolve and support the full range of the SKAO’s operational responsibilities, spanning the establishment of the SKAO, the current construction phase and the start of telescope operations later this decade.

The SKAO Council is the governing body of the SKAO. The Council has appointed the director-general to act as the chief executive officer of the SKAO and to act as its legal

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

representative. The director-general is responsible to the Council for the effective leadership of the Observatory. The director-general has established the SKAO’s organisational structure and appointed staff necessary for the achievement of its mission.

The Executive Leadership team is the primary internal forum advising the director-general on strategy and decision-making concerning the Observatory.

The SKAO’s high-level organisational structure consists of the directorgeneral’s office and six directorates with specific areas of responsibility.

Director General’s Office

Director-General’s Office:

Focuses on all activities that support the strategy, legal aspects, stakeholder management, external and internal communications, and administration of the SKAO. It supports the director-general in all external activities and is responsible for governance activities that ensure the organisation is meeting its legal and strategic commitments. As a part of delivering this, it participates in activities where close contact with the director-general is required.

Programmes:

Responsible for the delivery of project construction and the establishment of the necessary computing and software capabilities. The Programmes team works closely with the Science and Operations directorates as well as the broader scientific and engineering communities to ensure the design and build of the telescopes meet both the scientific needs and practical requirements of telescope operations. In addition, Programmes coordinates the delivery of joint host agreement obligations with the host countries and the existing facilities on the construction sites.

Human Resources:

Responsible for all people-related practices at the strategic and operational levels. This includes defining and delivering a people strategy that meets the current and future needs of the SKAO, where people are integral to the success of the organisation.

Operations:

Responsible for coordinating and managing Observatory operations across host sites to meet stakeholder needs and deliver the Observatory’s mission. Operations ensures the effective preparation and planning of observing programmes, the operation and maintenance of observing instruments and the management of data at SKA Regional Centres. In telescope operations activities in the telescope host countries, the SKA teams are led by the SKA-Low telescope director and the SKA-Mid telescope director.

Science:

Leads the scientific direction of the Observatory, acting as the guardian of the delivery of science in line with the SKAO’s mission. This includes the development of the science strategy and working with the scientific community and SKAO stakeholders to lead the way in scientific discovery.

Finance:

Responsible for leading all financial and commercial matters at the strategic and operational levels. This includes the management of all financial policies and procedures, financial planning, budget, cash flows, accounts management, banking and treasury, and the enterprise resource planning system. In addition, the Finance directorate is responsible for procurement activities and insurance and manages the general services of the SKAO, including logistics.

Assurance:

Focuses internally, providing assurance to the director-general that all processes and procedures are aligned with quality, Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE), Spectrum Management (SM) and other standards mandated by SKAO policies. The Assurance team is also responsible for the oversight of Observatory risk and spectrum policy and management.

SKAO facilities

The SKA Observatory will consist of the following physical infrastructure components.

SKAO Global Headquarters (HQ)

Global headquarters situated at Jodrell Bank in the United Kingdom.

SKA-Low

An array of 512 stations, each equipped with 256 log-periodic antennas and associated signal processing, at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. Telescope operations and data processing will be conducted from the Science Operations Centre and the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, both in Perth. The Engineering Operations Centre is located in Geraldton.

SKA-Mid

An array of 197 steerable dishes, including the 64-dish MeerKAT telescope array and assorted supporting elements is supported by the Engineering Operations Centre in Klerefontein and the Science Operations Centre in Cape Town.

The historic Lovell Telescope reflected on a window of the SKAO Global HQ, UK.

Credit: SKAO/Cassandra Cavallaro

SKAO Global Headquarters

The SKAO Global Headquarters at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire, UK, serve as the central administrative and operational hub for the SKAO. The facility is designed to support the extensive scientific and technological needs of the Observatory. As the coordination centre for the Observatory’s global efforts, the SKAO HQ houses a diverse team of scientists, engineers, project managers and business-enabling staff from around the globe.

SKA-Mid

In 2023, the Site Management team took occupancy of the interim Engineering Operations Centre (iEOC), which provides offices and meeting and catering space for Karoo-based personnel and visitors. In Cape Town, the interim Science Operations Centre (iSOC) was expanded to cope with the growth in staff numbers.

SARAO’s activities to provide the long-term SKA-Mid Science Operations Centre and Science Processing Centre saw the establishment of a Cape Town hosting infrastructure system to meet both SKAO requirements and the plans of SARAO. As part of the input into these requirements, SKAO teams visited several Data Centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

In Cape Town, the interim Science Operations Center (iSOC) was expanded to cope with the growth in staff numbers.

The interim Engineering Operations Centre) in Klerefontein, Karoo. Credit: SKAO/Lindsay Magnus

SKA-Low

With the growth of the team, the interim premises in both Perth and Geraldton needed expansion. In Perth, an extra area was opened on the third floor of CSIRO’s Australian Resources Research Center (ARRC) building, providing additional office space in the interim Science Operations Centre. This area also included the first telescope operations room, from which the team operates the Aperture Array Verification System version 3 (AAVS3) array. In Geraldton, substantial improvements were made to the iEOC and additional office space was leased in a building in the centre of Geraldton, ready for staff to occupy in early 2024.

In February, the installation of the SKA-Low integration and test facility (ITF) was completed, and the ITF infrastructure readiness review was conducted. Test cases are now being prepared by the Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) team. This facility is critical to the project: it is where all the different subsystems of the telescope come together for the first time to be tested as a whole. Preparations have begun for the installation of a reverberation test chamber, a key facility for measuring radio frequency interference (RFI) using equipment to be deployed at the SKA-Low site.

Sunset over the SKA-Low fly camp.

Credit: SKAO

Science

In 2023, the SKAO remained actively involved with the worldwide astronomy community to prepare for the scientific breakthroughs that will come from a fully operational SKA Observatory.

Photo of the SKAO science books. Credit: SKAO/Joe Diamond

SKA Science Working Groups

SKA Science Working Groups (SWGs) provide advice on issues affecting user interactions, scientific capability, and SKAO efficiency during design, construction and future operations. SWGs are one of the most important forums for engagement with the scientific community. The 14 SWGs involve more than 1,300 astronomers from 50 countries and represent astronomers at all career stages, from graduate students and early-career scientists to established academic researchers.

The SKAO Science team held monthly SWG meetings throughout 2023. The meetings provided crucial information to the scientific community about new astronomy technologies, the SKAO’s construction advancements, Observatory access, Science Data Challenges, prototype initiatives, and reports from the Council and the Science and Engineering Advisory Committee. Interactions with the SWGs also ensure that the SKAO remains well-informed regarding the priorities of the scientific community regarding the use of Observatory facilities.

Global distribution of membership of the SWGs. The number of SWG members in 2023 in each country is encoded in purple according to the scale on the right-hand side of the map. Credit: SKAO

SKAO science conferences and events

In 2023, the SKAO continued to foster engagement in the scientific community through the organisation of and participation in international events and conferences.

In May 2023, the SKAO and the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory jointly hosted the New Eyes on the Universe: SKAO and ngVLA conference in Vancouver, Canada. More than 200 scientists joined the event in person and around 100 joined online, altogether originating from 21 countries. The

conference explored the cutting-edge complementary scientific opportunities that will become possible this century with the radio regime covered by the SKAO and the proposed next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) facilities. An important session on broader impacts and community and Indigenous engagement was held during the conference. This included the role and social impact of large astronomical facilities and the engagement activities planned and under way at both the SKAO and the NRAO.

In August, the SKAO had a significant presence at the European Astronomical Society’s (EAS) annual meeting in Krakow, Poland. A notable portion of the 1,500 participants were PhD students and potential future users of the SKAO. The Observatory organised two events at EAS: a town hall to foster interest, support and participation in the SKAO from Polish astronomers and a special lunch session open to all participants that featured updates by SKAO representatives and scientific talks by members of the broader community.

During the year, SKAO scientists were actively involved in regional conferences around the world, including the IAU Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in Koriyama, Japan, and the General Assembly of the International Union of Radio Science in Sapporo, Japan. They also participated in national events in partner countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK.

During the year, SKAO scientists were actively involved in regional conferences around the world

The SKA-Low Head of Science Operations and SKAO Operations Scientist joined SKA Japan partners in Koriyama for the Asia Pacific Regional IAU Meeting in August. Credit: SKAO

Science Data Challenges

Throughout 2023, the Science team continued to host Science Data Challenges to aid the scientific community in preparing for the size and complexity of SKAO data products. Each challenge encourages participants to solve a particular problem, fostering the creation of new analysis techniques that can enhance scientific discoveries with upcoming SKAO data. The data products created from each challenge remain accessible to assist in planning future SKA observations and improving analysis techniques. The challenges also provide the SKAO with the opportunity to test the strategies, technologies and prototype software being created within the framework of the SKA Regional Centre (SRC) network.

To facilitate the challenges, various computational facility partners, some of which are proto-SRC facilities, provide computational resources for the teams involved. The communication between the centres and the teams provides a first-hand understanding of the computational and software requirements of the community for the SKAO data analysis presented in the challenge. These requirements are then used to develop the SRC software pipelines. The requirement to move the simulated data between various sites offers a chance to evaluate the data transfer protocols being created in the SRC network. Improved integration of SRC prototype solutions is facilitated by close collaboration with the SRC software development team.

Graphic showing worldwide participation in the Science Data Challenge 3. Credit: SKAO

The Science Data Challenge 3a, which ran from March to September 2023, invited participants to remove the bright foreground emission and characterise the underlying epoch of reionisation signatures in a simulated deep observation undertaken with the SKALow telescope. The resulting database of 7.5 terabytes was hosted for participant retrieval and processing by a network of 12 supercomputing centres. A total of 20 teams generated Challenge submissions, and all team members are now contributing to a scientific article which will be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The simulation software

used to produce the challenge data will be made publicly available to support the scientific community in producing custom simulations of the sky as it will be observed by SKA-Low.

Meanwhile, the Science team has been developing Science Data Challenge 3b, which addresses the accurate extraction of cosmological parameters from epochs of reionisation data, and Science Data Challenge 4, which addresses the detection and characterisation of magnetism throughout the Universe.

Slices of a SDC3 data cube showing the simulated EoR signal (top) and the foreground emission which is obscuring it (bottom: orange dots are galaxies, and the ribbon-like shape is diffuse gas in our galaxy). While the features of each image appear equally bright here, in the data cube the background is millions of times fainter than the foreground. Credit: Dr Philippa Hartley (SKAO)

Precursor and pathfinder science highlights

Over the past 15 years, several pioneering astronomy facilities have been established globally as a consequence of the SKAO collaboration. These facilities, known as the SKA pathfinder and precursor telescopes, are integral components of an international endeavour to advance the development and deployment of more sensitive instruments for observing the radio sky and fostering the growth of scientific and technical communities worldwide. These telescopes are allowing astronomers to improve existing techniques and explore new phenomena that will be relevant to the SKAO, as exemplified by the exciting discoveries they have already enabled.

These telescopes allow engineers to develop innovative technical solutions and play a key role in training a new and more diverse generation of astronomers, engineers and technicians who will be ideally placed to make use of the SKAO’s telescopes. Moreover, they will contribute to building a more knowledgeable society and provide input to the SKAO’s construction and operations programmes.

2023 was an exciting year for scientific discoveries and breakthroughs from the precursors and pathfinders along with other astronomical facilities around the world. Notable highlights include:

Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) commensal detection of a fast radio burst and its host galaxy in HI (neutral hydrogen) as a demonstration of the potential to detect and localise thousands of FRBs with the SKAO;

Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) detection of a brown dwarf as a potential precursor to the SKAO’s detection of radio-emitting exo-planets;

Coordinated stochastic detection of nano-Hz gravitational waves by various pulsar timing arrays around the world;

Discovery by the MWA of a 21-minute period magnetar;

First release of the MeerKAT absorption line survey data, with many discoveries of HI and OH in absorption to constrain star formation and active galaxy evolution.

These telescopes are allowing astronomers to improve existing techniques and explore new phenomena that will be relevant for SKAO, as exemplified by the exciting discoveries they have already enabled.

MEMBERS OF THE SKA OBSERVATORY HOST COUNTRIES: AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, UNITED KINGDOM

OBSERVERS OF THE SKA OBSERVATORY

AFRICAN PARTNER COUNTRIES

CANADIAN HYDROGEN INTENSITY MAPPING EXPERIMENT (CHIME) - CANADA

NENUFAR - FRANCE

LOW FREQUENCY ARRAY (LOFAR) - THE NETHERLANDS

FIVE-HUNDRED-METER APERTURE SPHERICAL TELESCOPE (FAST) - CHINA

GIANT METREWAVE RADIO TELESCOPE (GMRT) - INDIA

VLBI EXPLORATION OF RADIO ASTROMETRY (VERA) - JAPAN

EUROPEAN VLBI NETWORK (EVN) - EUROPE

ENHANCED MULTI ELEMENT REMOTELY LINKED INTERFEROMETER NETWORK (E-MERLIN) - UNITED KINGDOM

MEERKAT RADIO TELESCOPE - SOUTH AFRICA

AUSTRALIAN SKA PATHFINDER (ASKAP) - AUSTRALIA

MURCHISON WIDEFIELD ARRAY (MWA) - AUSTRALIA

EFFELSBERG 100M RADIO TELESCOPE - GERMANY

Programmes

The Construction Commencement Ceremony in December 2022 was a critical milestone for the SKAO, celebrating the access to the SKA telescope sites and the commencement of the foundational infrastructure deployments development for that together provide the infrastructure environment, power and connectivity necessary for the detector systems.

Following the placement of major contracts for these underpinning elements, the works have proceeded with great efficiency throughout 2023. The physical landscapes changed daily, from the erection of the construction camps to the careful clearing of the telescope and station areas, as well as the first station mesh deployments for SKA-Low, and the building of the first foundations for SKA-Mid dishes.

During 2023, most of the remaining subsystem procurements have been completed across the SKALow and SKA-Mid telescopes. These include the SKALow signal processing, power and signal distribution systems and the SKA-Mid dish structures and single-pixel feeds for bands 1 and 2. Following the deployment plan agreed with the Council, manufacturing was initiated to secure the initial components required for Array Assembly 0.5 to ensure its early assembly as a demonstration of the technical capabilities of the SKAO designs and subsequent deployment stages. Additionally, dozens of software engineering framework contracts were awarded to secure the skills and capacity to develop and integrate critical controls and analysis pipelines to establish integrated working facilities.

Over the last year, the formation of the unified SKAO team across its three sites has been the real indicator of progress. The impressive success of our planning is largely thanks to the consistent commitment of our staff and their strong dedication to the SKAO’s mission.

In 2023, the continuing complex global financial situation significantly impacted the construction programme, affecting supply chains and increasing costs. Shortages of raw materials and semi-finished products led to delays in obtaining electronic components and increased prices for these parts and electronic assemblies. The Red Sea crisis started in October 2023 and exacerbated these issues as cargo ships rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, causing further delays and higher shipping costs. These challenges contributed to the broader trend of global inflation driven by lingering COVID-19 disruptions, geopolitical tensions, volatile energy prices, and climaterelated agricultural disruptions, all contributing to higher costs across sectors.

The following sections address the on-site activities and pivotal design refinements that facilitated the manufacturing of intricate SKA-Low and SKA-Mid subsystems.

SKA-Low

This year saw the commencement of construction activities on the SKA-Low site on Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in the Mid West region.

Early works this year included the completion of various permitting processes, final geotechnical testing of key locations and several land surveys. The SKAO worked with contractors, including the infrastructure prime contractor Ventia, who completed detailed design drawings and commenced purchasing materials and engaging with subcontractors. The SKAO also continued the procurement of free-issue materials – items that are supplied by the SKAO directly to contractors. These included the many hundreds of kilometres of power and fibre optic cables that will be installed around the site, as well as the 103,000 sheets of steel mesh that form the ground plane of the 256 antennas, each with a 42 m-wide station.

As part of the construction activities, Wajarri heritage monitors are contracted through CSIRO to look for heritage materials in the ground that may have been missed during earlier surveys. Preserving Wajarri heritage is a key tenet of the SKAO’s ethos in building the instrument. Up to 16 heritage monitors have been onsite to perform this key monitoring activity.

To enable the construction of the telescope, the SKAO must provide accommodation for the many people involved. A 176-bed camp was constructed on site, preceded by a 103-bed fly camp housing the contractors that built the main camp. This long-term construction village was gifted a Wajarri name – Nyingari Ngurra –meaning zebra finch home, as the zebra finch will lead you to fresh water in the semi-arid region where SKALow is being constructed.

SKA-Low site manager with Cape contractors, standing near the ‘golden mesh’, the first piece of mesh to be laid as part of the SKA-Low telescope.

Credit: SKAO

The SKAO placed significant emphasis on contracting local and Wajarri small and medium enterprises (SMEs for the construction of the SKA-Low telescope, as well as direct employment of Wajarri Yamaji People, with major successes in this area.

The first ground-clearing works were performed by Wajarri Holdings, a Wajarri-owned and operated

business subcontracted by Ventia. Five Wajarri companies were subcontracted for on-site infrastructure work in 2023, and more than 40 Wajarri Yamaji People have undertaken infrastructure, civil, camp village and transport works, as well as heritage monitors working on site.

Early site works consisted of many preparatory civil activities, including the construction of turkey nests (water dams next to bores from which water is pumped), borrow pits (quarries for road and track building materials), laydown yards for materials and equipment coming to the site, and the site offices.

By the end of 2023, the key infrastructure works recorded major progress, with the initial track clearing of the full southern spiral arm and the core completed, along with good progress on the northern arm. In addition, over 30 km of power and fibre cable was laid, the first mesh for the stations was installed, and foundations were poured for the AA0.5 Remote Processor Facilities (RPFs).

Staff walk through the SKA-Low construction camp. Credit: SKAO

Wajarri Holdings at the SKA-Low construction site. Credit: SKAO

SKA-Mid

2023 featured progress in finalising the legal and administrative arrangements for access to the SKA-Mid site. By the end of the year, 73 out of the required 74 land servitudes had been secured across the three spiral arms. Site licence and lease agreements were drafted to enable the SKAO to co-share existing SARAO facilities (licences) or have exclusive use (leases). The Site Conditions report was submitted for final review by SARAO and will be concluded in early 2024.

A second general authorisation was obtained from the Department of Water and Sanitation for the river crossings in the three spiral arms, with a third submission under preparation for the outstanding river crossings to be submitted in 2024. Flora translocation permits were also obtained, as was the construction work permit to start construction activities on site.

The bulk infrastructure for the SKA-Mid contractor camp was completed by the MeerKAT Extension infrastructure contractor in June. With SARAO’s support, the SKAO allowed infrastructure contractor Power Adenco to install bulk civil and

SKA-Mid iEOC, Klerefontein, Northern Cape, South Africa

Credit: SKAO

electrical connections as well as the above-ground infrastructure, which includes accommodation, a canteen, offices and entertainment areas. The construction camp was completed in February 2024 and is ready for occupation.

Line route surveys and outstanding geotechnical investigations continued, and substantial clearing work was undertaken in the core area of the SKAMid site. Both the opening of borrow pits and the construction of new roads are under way.

The deployment of the low-frequency communication network commenced with the installation of high masts at three sites and negotiations with a landowner for a fourth mast to provide the required coverage across the SKA-Mid site. The network will be functional in June 2024, providing connectivity for staff and contractors working on site.

Ground preparation for drilling in the SKA-Mid core.

Credit: SKAO

Design and production

During 2023, the SKAO continued to work with contractors to start, complete and adopt relevant designs. This collaborative work saw SKAO engineers, project managers, system scientists and quality assurance engineers working together and very closely with contractors. In 2023, the SKAO team ran around 20 technical reviews with different contractors to ensure the quality of the deliverables. The following two highlights provide some insight into their relentless work.

SKA-Low highlight (AAVS3)

During 2023, Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS) version 3 was assembled and put into operation at the MWA site. This is the first complete end-to-end replica of the SKA-Low design assembled using pre-production hardware. Its objective is to validate a new proposed SKA-Low station layout by verifying computer simulations of its performance. The installation of AAVS3 was completed in August by the Operations lead of the Station Deployment team. The test readiness

review conducted in September was successful, and a test campaign and observations started soon after. In the first quarter of 2024, the posttest review was held. So far, there is a very good agreement between simulations and observations, which means that the first objective has been achieved. During 2023, the SKA-Low team had the opportunity to learn how to install, operate, monitor and maintain a station that is equivalent to AA0.5 stations.

Council members and SKAO staff stand in front of the AAVS3 prototype station at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.

Credit: SKAO

The “big lift” of the first SKA-Mid production dish, which saw the reflector lifted onto the pedestal at a test site in CETC54 facilities in China.

SKA-Mid highlight (First dish structure shipment)

In 2023, the first SKA-Mid dish was completed and fully integrated by the CETC54 company in China. Factory acceptance testing of this dish confirmed its mechanical performance per design and simulations. The dish will remain on CETC54 premises and serve as a test bench for the resolution of any issues identified during the deployment of additional dishes.

The second dish was completed in November and was prepared for shipping to the SKA-Mid site; it departed from China on the long trip to Cape Town on 19 December.

Credit: SKAO

Software and Computing

One of the SKAO’s significant achievements has been the expansion of our software supplier network to over 30 organisations from nine countries, with a workforce exceeding 150 individuals. With the forthcoming membership of India in the SKAO, we anticipate a further increase in our development capacity.

The software infrastructure has evolved in tandem with telescope construction, supporting the execution of integration tests at the Mid and Low integration and test facilities (ITFs). All computing hardware has been procured for the initial implementation of AA0.5. Efforts are now moving towards acquiring the computing resources necessary to meet the growing data processing needs of our telescopes during construction and beyond.

An important milestone for the computing and software team was the planning increment 21 (PI21) session held in Rome in December 2023. Gathering approximately 300 participants, it facilitated crucial face-to-face interactions and work planning for the subsequent three months, ensuring alignment and momentum across over 25 development teams. Beyond software development, these teams work on the correlators, hardware and firmware development, subsystem and system integration and verification, and networks.

Project performance

Overall, the SKAO project has largely adhered to its execution plan in 2023, with measured delays driven by complications related to dish structure for SKA-Mid and the camps for SKA-Low. Spending was slightly lower than planned.

Significant contingency funds and schedule contingency were employed to manage Observatory-level risks, which are still below the thresholds defined at the start of construction in 2021.

Group photo of the PI21 event in Rome, Italy.

Credit: SKAO

Operations

Implementation and growth were the themes of the SKAO’s operations in 2023. The focus was on recruitment, establishing teams and processes – especially business practices – in Australia and South Africa, and embedding the close collaborative relationships with CSIRO and SARAO underpinned by the Agreements on Bilateral Collaboration across SKAO activities.

Support for construction work was a particularly high priority and will continue to be throughout the construction period. Recruitment continued apace, especially in Australia and South Africa, with frequent adjustments in recruitment to align with construction works so that the ramp-up of staff is perfectly timed.

The burgeoning activity Year in the Life of the SKA, led by the Science Operations team, was a highlight of the year. This activity is described in detail below and is notable for the way it brought together groups across the Observatory, starting with the Science and Science Operations teams but quickly drawing in more engineering and computing groups, including

construction teams. It was a significant topic at the eighth SEAC meeting in September 2023, framing a wide range of current and future interactions with the scientific user community.

Two resolution working groups involving senior representatives of CSIRO, SARAO and the SKAO met regularly in 2023 to address and resolve issues that pose challenges to progress on SKA-Low and SKA-Mid activities in Australia and South Africa, respectively.

A Trilateral Collaboration Committee, with members including the SARAO managing director, the CSIRO director of space and astronomy and the SKAO director of operations, was established in 2023 to share best practices across the parties involved in the two Agreements on Bilateral Collaboration. This committee met in July during the ninth meeting of the SKAO Council, which took place at the SKAO Global Headquarters in the UK.

The Telescope Host Country Monitoring Committees, which play a key role in monitoring and reporting to the Council on the implementation of the host country agreements, continued to meet throughout 2023. The first reports to the Council and the director-general were prepared. These two committees are formal structures of the relevant Australian and South African government departments, with responsibility for the SKA project and the Observatory.

Science Operations

The Science Operations team from across the Observatory began working on a project to investigate what a typical “Year in the Life” of the SKAO looks like. This initiative looks at the variety of projects that each SKA telescope will undertake, the required telescope configurations, how the projects will be scheduled (taking into account opportunities for commensal observing), and the data transmission rates required to feed scientific data products to the community via the SRC Network. This work will impact array configurations and what sub-arrays are made available to the community and will inform the science data processor development team about computing loads and workflow design. It is also a very valuable tool for understanding and addressing a range of SKAO requirements, including

power, software and maintenance requirements.

A tool was developed to provide a single point of reference for the array assemblies, including a list of antennas and their coordinates. The tool, made available as a Python package, simulates interferometric observations using either all the antennas in an array assembly or a sub-array of available antennas. The SKA-Low and SKA-Mid telescopes will allow for up to 16 sub-arrays each, providing a lot of flexibility for both operations and scientific observations. The tool can be used for planning observations as part of science verification (starting with AA2) or even for the full design baseline (AA4).

A simulation for an array layout (left panel) giving the expected uv coverage (middle panel) and cumulative histogram of the baseline distribution for SKA-Low in the AA* array assembly (right panel). Credit: SKAO

Data operations and SRCNet

Both the SKA Regional Centre Steering Committee (SRCSC) and the Observatory continued to explore models for a collaborative SKA Regional Centre Network (SRCNet), which is necessary to complete the end-to-end system that will deliver SKA data products to scientific users. Resourcing and delivery of these essential capabilities lie outside the scope of the Observatory. Following a review of SRCNet’s progress in September, the SKAO Council considered a proposal to restructure the SRCNet development project, requesting a revised proposal for consideration in 2024.

Despite the complexities related to high-level SRCNet governance, the collaborative SRCNet team made

good progress. There were four planning increment meetings in 2023 and SRC Network development continued over the year. A community of software development teams gained momentum, resourced by a number of the countries participating in the SKA endeavour. Highlights include the successful prototyping of a science gateway, a science platform, and identity management and global data management tools. This progress serves as a firm foundation for the SRCNet collaboration to enter 2024 with a good set of candidate tools to deploy in the first (internal) version of SRCNet0.1, due by the end of the year.

Engineering Performance

Throughout 2023 the Engineering Performance team developed and implemented the Problem Reporting and Tracking System (PRTS). This will allow engineering teams to report and track problems as they arise and follow progress towards resolution. The PRTS was utilised for AAVS3 to test and demonstrate the system.

SKAO Engineering teams undertook a review of the Engineering Management System, and in particular the Computerised Maintenance Management System during 2023, leading to a substantial revision of the approach to implementation. This will be a significant activity through 2024 and beyond.

Power

Extensive work on the specification and design of the systems to provide electrical power for the telescopes in Australia and South Africa continued throughout 2023. For SKA-Low, three project deliverables are relevant: the provision of power for the commissioning of equipment to be delivered by the infrastructure work packages that are part of the construction project; shielded power generators for AIV and science commissioning; and the delivery of the long-term renewable solution for operation of the SKA-Low telescope. For SKA-Mid, the focus was on planning upgrades to the MeerKAT backup generation equipment and grid-connection infrastructure and progressing the design and plan of a prototype RFIshielded remote power station to supply electricity to dishes distant from the SKA-Mid core. The SKAO’s Power team also continued to contribute substantially to the requirement specification and design of the

power infrastructure of the future site of the SKA-Mid Science Operations Centre and Science Processing Centre at the NRF iThemba LABS site in Cape Town.

The fully shielded remote power station prototype for SKA-Mid is an important demonstrator for the central power stations to be implemented for SKA-Low and SKA-Mid since many of the challenges related to ensuring radio quietness affect both sites.

Load shedding from the electrical grid in South Africa continued throughout 2023, creating a very challenging and uncertain environment for the implementation of the SKAO’s power strategy. This issue was mitigated in late 2023 after ministerial intervention resulted in the exemption of the MeerKAT/SKA-Mid site in the Karoo from load shedding.

Workers laying down cables in the newly dug trench on the SKA-Mid site. Credit: SKAO

Contractors undertaking trenching work, as they prepare to lay cable for the SKA-Low telescope. Credit: SKAO

SKA-Low

With the start of on-site construction at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, 2023 was a year of firsts for the SKA-Low team in Australia. These included the first deployment of a telescope on site after the test facility AAVS3 was built by the Operations and Construction teams in collaboration with Curtin University. It also saw the first installation of SKA equipment in the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre and the first data from AAVS3 collected by the Science Operations team. The lessons learnt from these activities facilitated the preparations for AA0.5, including technical

improvements to stations and logistics and better collaboration in the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre and across teams.

The SKA-Low team in Australia continued to increase rapidly during the year. With the growth of the team, the interim premises in both Perth and Geraldton needed expansion. Discussions continued with CSIRO and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on plans to deliver permanent buildings.

The AAVS3 demonstrator was installed in 2023. Credit: SKAO

Engineering Operations

In February 2023, the first shipment of SKA-Low antennas from Italy was received; in early May, the SKA-Low team in Australia led the deployment of the antennas for AAVS3, the final SKA-Low technology demonstrator. AAVS3 is the first instrument owned, operated, and maintained by SKAO staff in Australia.

Being a complete SKA-Low station, AAVS3 was used to trial an alternative layout for the antennas to identify

the layout with optimal performance. The deployment of AAVS3 was an opportunity to test the building process to be used for the SKA-Low stations and the first building blocks for the verification of the telescope. With 256 antennas deployed and power and fibre cables connected, testing and commissioning of AAVS3 were done in collaboration with partners at Curtin University.

The Aperture Array Verification System version 3 during its installation (right) and its predecesslr AAVS2 at the SKA-Low site, Western Australia. Credit: SKAO

Science operations

The SKA-Low Science Operations team started to work with AAVS2 to become familiar with low-frequency operations. This led to successful first observations with the third iteration of the prototype system, AAVS3.

The SKA-Low Science Operations team worked with the System Science team to define a core set of observations that would allow the performance of AAVS3, such as its sensitivity and stability, to be assessed. This set includes correlated and beamformed observations of specific targets including the Sun, bright continuum sources such as Fornax A and pulsars, and the drifting sky, at a range of frequencies within the SKA-Low band. Observations varied from scans of a few minutes to 24hour runs. The observations were made by the operators with assistance from Operations scientists, software development staff and specialists from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Perth.

Although the software and interfaces will differ, the experience of observing and operating both AAVS2 and AAVS3 is assisting the SKA-Low Science Operations team in preparing to operate AA0.5.

Software and computing

Another major milestone was the establishment by AARNet of the long-haul network link between AAVS3 on site and the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre.

Much of the work of the team centred on the installation and commissioning of hardware and networks for the Observatory in Australia. The team successfully procured, installed, and configured the networking and computing cluster for the Integration and Test Facility (ITF).

Another major milestone was the establishment by AARNet of the long-haul network link between AAVS3 and the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre. The team arranged and managed storage and computing allocations from Pawsey for AAVS3 and contributed to the procurement and installation of cabinets and computing infrastructure for AA0.5. This was the first installation of SKAO computing equipment at the Pawsey Centre and a key milestone in this long-term relationship. A collaboration agreement between the SKAO and Pawsey is expected to be finalised in 2024.

The first image from AAVS3 shows the arcing pale band of the Milky Way’s galactic plane, with the brighter spots of the Centaurus A galaxy and our Sun on the right of the picture. Credit: SKAO

SKA-Mid

In 2023, all senior management roles for SKA-Mid in South Africa were filled for the first time, marking another major step forward while the Observatory started the construction of the SKA-Mid telescope in the Karoo. Recruitment continued to be a major area of focus for the team and the number of staff members increased substantially, requiring additional space to be made available in the interim Science Operations Centre at Black River Park in Cape Town. The SKAO worked with SARAO to address the challenge of maintaining staff resources for SARAO’s MeerKAT operations and the MeerKAT extension project while also recruiting for the SKA-Mid Operations team. Agreements for

joint approaches for the Engineering Operations and Science Operations teams are being developed.

The SKA-Mid telescope and site construction directors travelled with the SARAO leadership to meet the mayors and councillors of the district and local municipalities in which the SKA-Mid telescope will operate. This was the first interaction with these key stakeholders, setting the foundation for close relationships with local authorities and providing an opportunity for the SKAO to outline the process for involving local communities in construction contracts.

First foundational meeting with local authorities

Credit: SKAO

Engineering Operations

An agreement was negotiated in 2023 with SARAO for a single SARAO-employed team to jointly support the construction and maintenance of MeerKAT and SKA-Mid. This team now provides logistics support for construction activities. The team was responsible for the development and review of the SKAO technical specifications for the Cape Town hosting infrastructure system.

Science Operations

2023 saw the appointment of the former head of science operations for MeerKAT to the role of head of science operations for SKA-Mid. This is part of an agreement with SARAO to jointly implement scientific operations involving the two telescopes until MeerKAT is incorporated into SKA-Mid. Recruitment of suitably qualified staff to build up the team in South Africa has proved especially challenging and several possible changes to the recruitment plan for the SKA-Mid Science Operations team were identified.

Software and Computing

The Software and Computing team successfully deployed AA0.5 computer infrastructure and networks in the Karoo and supported the ITF systems in Cape Town. They were also responsible for the establishment of support and operations practices, providing feedback for future deployments, and supporting integration and test efforts. Preparations for a substantial round of recruitment to bolster the team were undertaken, together with close consultation with SARAO to ensure the recruitment of suitably qualified candidates.

The software and computing team successfully deployed AA0.5 computer infrastructure and networks in the Karoo

Spectrum management and radio frequency interference

Spectrum protection

For the SKAO, spectrum protection encompasses Spectrum Management (SM) in accordance with international regulations on radio spectrum usage, which are directed internationally and implemented nationally. It also involves the management, monitoring, and control, of Radio Frequency Interference. In November and December 2023, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the UN agency responsible for international coordination of spectrum regulation, held a World Radio Conference (WRC-23). As

in the previous conference (WRC-19), the emphasis for the SKAO was on the threat of interference from new low Earth orbit telecommunication systems, known as mega-constellations. As a formal member of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector, the SKAO spent the whole of 2023 preparing positions and submissions for WRC23 on this and other topics relevant to radio astronomy.

Credit: SKAO

The 66th session of UN COPUOS took place in Vienna, Austria, with dark and quiet skies on the agenda.

This preparation was carried out in collaboration with interested national telecoms administrations, notably the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa regional groups such as the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, radio astronomy spectrum protection groups such as the Committee on Radio Astronomy

Frequencies, and the Dark and Quiet Skies (CPS) interest group of the IAU. The latter, the CPS, was cofounded by the SKAO and saw continuous growth in membership and outreach activities during 2023. As of December 2023, the IAU CPS had more than 260 individual members.

CPS MEMBERS

The year-end saw the topic of the protection of Dark and Quiet Skies being recognised on the agenda of WRC27. After much discussion and the reconciliation of geopolitical positions across the world, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space agreed to consider the topic at future meetings.

Radio frequency interference

Nearer to the telescopes, the development of the means to achieve RFI monitoring, and control continued apace. Facilities to measure the minuscule RFI emissions of SKA telescope hardware were developed both in-house at the SKA-Low Engineering Operations Centre in Geraldton and externally at Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).

IAU CPS support

The SKAO continued to play a key role in supporting the work of the IAU CPS in 2023. Two important scientific papers by the CPS were published by the SKAO. The paper published in July was the first to reveal unintended radio emissions from Starlink satellites at low frequencies using the international LOFAR telescope. The paper published in October presented optical observations of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker3 satellite showing it was one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Both publications picked up significant interest on social media and in the scientific press.

Trails in the night sky left by BlueWalker 3 over the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, San Pedro Martir, Mexico, observed on 12 November 2022. The breaks in the trail are caused by breaks between the exposures that were stacked to create this image. Credit: I. Plauchu-Frayn

Human Resources

People are at the core of the SKAO’s operating strategy and are the Observatory’s greatest asset. Building and retaining the best teams, equipped with the capability to deliver the Observatory’s mission, remains one of the SKAO’s top priorities.

Since the establishment of the Observatory in 2021, the HR agenda has focused on building and implementing the key people foundations upon which good people practices can be developed. In 2023, HR focused on the next phase of the development and implementation of the people practices necessary to deliver the SKAO’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). The EVP sets out the SKAO’s commitment to staff across the employee lifecycle and is summarised in the following figure.

The SKAO aims to be a great place to work for both staff employed by the SKAO and collaboration staff working full time on the project who are employed by CSIRO and SARAO.

In achieving this, embedding our values is central to everything we do and continued to be a focus in 2023.

Other priority areas in 2023 included:

Attraction and recruitment, including refreshing our online recruitment portal;

Staff capability development, including the launch of a new online induction for all SKAO and collaboration staff;

Staff engagement, which was measured through our staff survey and supported by the launch of the Speak Up initiative and the SKAO’s approach to reward and recognition;

The launch of the SKAO’s Independent Employment Tribunal.

Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Attraction and recruitment

In 2023, 70 new starters were recruited, of whom 34 were employed by the SKAO and 36 were employed as collaboration staff by CSIRO and SARAO.

The SKAO aims to be an appealing and attractive employer for diverse international talent.

*EXCLUDING CONTINGENT, SECONDEES, AGENCY WORKERS AND STAFF TRANSFERRING BETWEEN LOCATIONS

In recruiting for SKAO roles, 1,003 applicants were screened, representing 65 nationalities. The SKAO continues to focus on building a diverse candidate pool through the continuous improvement of its recruitment methodology. The recruitment portal was relaunched in 2023, highlighting SKAO policies and benefits related to supporting diversity. The diversity of applicants for SKAO roles is detailed on the next page. In recruiting for SKAO

The diversity of applicants for SKAO employed roles is detailed below:

% OF APPLICANTS BY GENDER FOR SKAO JOBS

LOCATION OF APPLICANTS FOR SKAO JOBS 2023

In seeking to recruit a diverse workforce for the SKAO project, working closely with partners and communities to attract local candidates is critical. During 2023, the SKA-Low team partnered with the Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation and the Central Region Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute to promote employment opportunities locally. This included entry-level roles supported by a 12-month training

programme co-designed with representatives from the Wajarri community and TAFE to develop the skills needed in the future, both for the telescope and the wider industry in the region.

The recruits in 2023 brought the total project headcount at the end of the year to 271, including CSIRO and SARAO collaboration staff, contingency resources and secondees.

Headcount as at 31 December 2023

There were 25 SKAO and collaboration team leavers in 2023, resulting in a turnover rate of 10.8% based on the average headcount across the year. The length of service of staff employed by the SKAO is reported below.

SKAO Employed Staff by Length of Service as at 31st December 2023

HEADCOUNT

162

18

TOTAL: 13

TOTAL: 53

TOTAL: 4

Capability development

Enabling employees to reach their potential.

Building on the launch of the career framework and the SKAO Learning platform in 2022, in 2023 the SKAO focused on establishing a strategy for learning and development for staff across locations. To achieve this and align with SKAO job families, head of profession roles were introduced; these senior functional experts will work with HR to ensure technical capability development aligns with business needs.

In line with the SKAO’s development priorities, a comprehensive online induction was developed and

Staff engagement

Creating an environment where staff feel valued and respected, their employment needs are met, and they can contribute to exciting and challenging work.

Several Speak Up workshops were organised in 2023 to give colleagues confidence and knowledge to recognise and call out inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. In the second half of 2023, 110 staff attended over 10 workshops.

In 2023, all staff were invited to take part in a staff engagement survey that covers satisfaction with pay and benefits among other topics and is to be repeated every two years. The survey yielded a high response rate of 77% and, overall, positive results. Areas for improvement and opportunities were identified and

launched, targeted at all new SKAO and collaboration staff. Delivered through the SKAO Learning platform, this induction provides an introduction to the SKAO which is easily accessible by all staff irrespective of their location and time zone.

Additional e-learning programmes were launched to address compliance training and performance management. There were 324 staff enrolments on e-learning courses during 2023.

discussed with the Staff Association and in staff focus groups, resulting in the development of an action plan.

The SKAO is determined to provide a competitive reward package for its staff. A market review of comparable pay data was conducted in 2023 to examine the pay by job size across the Observatory’s three host countries. The findings were fed into the annual review of the SKAO pay structure in preparation for the 2024 pay review.

In examining pay, the SKAO monitors the overall average difference between SKAO-employed men and women. The percentage difference as of the end of 2023 is shown in the table on the next page.

In addition to base pay, the SKAO aims to offer competitive benefits, enabling the Observatory to attract and retain the talent it needs. All staff can access an appropriate retirement plan based on location and employee type. The breakdown of SKAO-employed staff by retirement plan is shown below.

SKAO Recognition and Awards

Building on the launches of the recognition toolkit in 2022 and the guide to the SKAO’s values in 2023, the SKAO celebrated the inaugural Annual Recognition Awards in 2023. These awards highlight and celebrate the excellent work of SKAO staff in line with SKAO values across our locations.

Through these awards, the SKAO recognised 15 members of staff who demonstrated the five SKAO values or showed outstanding leadership throughout 2023. These awards complement more frequent informal recognition of all the excellent work carried out across the Observatory every day, allowing us to celebrate the success of all members of our community.

These awards highlight and celebrate the excellent work of SKAO staff in line with SKAO values across our locations.

SKAO Independent Employment Tribunal

Due to the SKAO’s status as an intergovernmental organisation, employment disputes in the organisation do not fall under the jurisdiction of national courts. In line with the SKAO’s commitment to staff, the Observatory launched the Independent Employment

Tribunal in 2023. This provides SKAO employees with a legal remedy for the settlement of disputes that cannot be resolved internally in the organisation. The tribunal consists of six independent judges appointed by the SKAO Council.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The SKAO is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and to the principles of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The SKAO aims to create an inclusive environment that values all, is free from bias and enables the Observatory to attract, retain and develop a diverse workforce, benefitting from the different talents and perspectives of all.

The SKAO has the ambitious EDI objective of becoming an exemplary employer in science, building on our values and being an employer of choice for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

During 2023, there has been a particular focus on embedding EDI into everything we do, especially recruitment and communications, with outcomes measured and reported to drive continuous improvement. Guided by the implementation plan developed by the EDI task force in 2022, this work aims to deliver gender balance, diversity that reflects member countries and equity of access to all SKA activities, including scientific ones.

To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the SKAO created a new Women in STEM page on its website, bringing together more than a dozen profiles and videos showcasing scientists and engineers from across the SKAO and partner organisations.

During 2023, significant progress was made on the nine actions identified in the EDI implementation plan. Most notable were the update of the welcome pages and induction on the SKAO portal for new staff, and the implementation of EDI-specific design, policy and behavioural elements in remote accommodation facilities at the SKA-Low and SKA-Mid telescope sites.

SKAO diversity data

The SKAO is focused on improving gender diversity, especially in STEM-related parts of our workforce. The proportion of women employed by the Observatory and collaboration partners has increased from 35% in 2022 to 37.6% in 2023. Our gender diversity data is shown below.

Gender Diversity of all SKAO Staff, Including Collaboration Staff as at 31st December 2023

SKAO Staff by Job Family & Gender as at 31st December 2023

The SKAO monitors the diversity of all SKAO and collaboration staff by member country. The figure below shows the staff breakdown by nationality.

Diversity by nationality of all SKAO Staff including Collaboration Staff as at 31st December 2023

Age diversity is also measured across all SKAO and collaboration staff, with the SKAO hiring and retaining staff of all ages to create a more inclusive workplace. The age distribution in 2023 was similar to those of previous years, with the 35-44 age group accounting for the highest number of staff.

Health, safety and security

The health, safety, well-being and security of all staff working for the Observatory are the SKAO’s highest priority. In 2023, the SKAO undertook a significant effort to provide a safer work environment for all.

The team’s prestart morning meeting at the SKA-Low site Credit: SKAO

2023 saw the establishment of full operations for the Health and Safety teams in the host countries. At the policy level, the architecture of health and safety governance was agreed upon, allowing host country organisations to both align with the practices and policies of the SKAO’s collaborating institutes, SARAO and CSIRO, and conform to national regulatory requirements, including identifying responsible persons and meeting reporting requirements.

A statistical reporting system has been established centrally. Accidents, incidents, and near misses have

SKA-Mid

In 2023, efforts continued to embed and enhance health, safety and security at the SKA-Mid site. The establishment of the SKA-Mid Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Committee, representing all facilities, underscores our commitment to maintaining a safe working environment.

Key performance indicators at the Observatory level include the number of live investigations, which are diligently monitored, and the number of Section 24 incidents, which are events that must be reported to the national occupational health and safety regulator, the Department of Employment and Labour. In 2023, there were no Section 24 incidents.

Efforts to improve incident and accident reporting and tracking were initiated through the implementation of the Key360 platform. While training of the HSE team on the system is ongoing, only minor incidents and accidents were recorded for the year.

Regarding the implementation of ISO 45001, the Stage 1 external audit was concluded in 2023, paving the way to commence the Stage 2 certification audit in July 2024.

been defined to allow comparisons to be made and to inform the Council of the Observatory’s safety record in a transparent way.

The record for 2023 shows that, during a period when on-site activities were intensifying across the Observatory, the event rate was low. The low number of reported near misses is a possible indication that reporting, which is key to the development of a robust safety regime, was incomplete. As a result, training was conducted to improve reporting practices.

Throughout 2023, a security management plan for the site was developed and set for finalisation in 2024. The plan recognises the need for a unified Disaster Management Plan (DMP) to be implemented by both the SKAO and SARAO to allow for a joint effort in responding to emergencies and disasters. To this end, SKAO and SARAO site-based teams have undertaken international Incident Command System (ICS) training.

A revised disaster management plan for incidents in the Karoo that integrates ICS principles was drafted and awaits finalisation upon acceptance by the SKAO and SARAO. A contract for the provision of emergency medical services on site was awarded in December to ER24 Emergency Medical Services with a start date of January 2024.

Continuous engagement with contractors through various awareness campaigns, toolbox talks and monthly HSE awards has fostered a positive safety culture. Monthly meetings with contractors address specific areas of focus and non-compliance, ensuring effective mitigation measures and safe working procedures are in place.

SKA-Low

In 2023, a consistent and collaborative HSE approach was critical as construction commenced on site, which involved the SKAO working with multiple principal contractors and other contractor groups to deliver a safe, successful project. A big focus was on reporting to record and share lessons learnt, as well as on HSE training, HSE systems, medical and emergency responses, and improving health and well-being.

The SKA-Low team uses the Donesafe online system for reporting hazards and incidents and conducting risk assessments. Through this online system, issues can be logged in real time and the relevant people are sent notifications automatically so they can provide support. Donesafe can also capture and track corrective actions that are implemented as a result of learning from hazards and incidents. The SKAO has worked hard on cultivating a reporting culture among SKAO staff and contractors, emphasising the importance of reporting hazards early to prevent actual incidents and injuries.

Training for all SKA-Low staff and contractors is managed by the HSE team, which is also responsible for monitoring key requirements such as the possession of a construction white card, four-wheel drive car training, remote first aid training and role-specific requirements such as forklift training. The HSE team also coordinates internal training to further upskill and develop staff through courses such as Incident Investigation, HSE for Supervisors and Managers, and manual handling training.

This year saw significant progress in the adoption of detailed HSE policy and procedures for all SKA-Low locations in Australia. The SKA-Low HSE management plan was further reviewed and updated in late 2023. Key updates focused on clarifying roles and responsibilities, incident reporting requirements and how to enable collaborations with CSIRO on HSE matters. The SKALow HSE team has aligned its document management

system and processes with ISO 45001 to establish a positive position for future accreditation opportunities.

A contract with St John’s Ambulance was signed in 2023 to provide paramedic services on the SKA-Low telescope construction site, greatly improving the emergency response capability on what is an exceptionally remote site. Having a construction camp that promotes health and well-being is also important: facilities such as a gym, yoga area, recreation room, board games and sporting equipment have been provided to promote the wellbeing of all workers on site. A programme of after-hours activities and talks is being developed.

The SKA-Low team has started a Health and Safety Committee made up of representatives from different teams across locations. The committee’s meetings give workers the opportunity to come together regularly, raise HSE issues, help inform health and safety decisions and consult on HSE matters.

A big focus was on reporting to record and share lessons learnt, as well as on HSE training, HSE systems, medical and emergency responses, and improving health and well-being.

Environment & sustainability

The SKAO takes a long-term view and ensures sustainability is integrated into everything the Observatory does, taking into account its social, financial, ecological and environmental responsibilities both globally and locally.

In doing so, the SKAO demonstrates care towards the people, places and resources on which the Observatory relies and seeks to build long-term sustainable relationships. Consistent with the references to sustainability in the SKAO Convention and the Observatory’s foundational documents, safety and sustainability are core values of the SKAO.

A team exploring Open science and green computing for sustainable SKA Regional Centres. Credit: IAA-CSIC

The Observatory’s Sustainability Steering Group (SSG) continued to work on the development of an Observatory statement on sustainability and identified five priority areas to frame the SKAO’s sustainability strategy and activities.

Those priorities are:

Science - to provide facilities that will contribute to advancing our understanding of the Universe, answering some of the most challenging questions.

Environmental footprint - to measure, monitor and minimise the SKAO’s environmental footprint, taking practical steps to ensure we do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Education and opportunities - to contribute to human capital development through effective partnerships with organisations in the host and member countries.

Social equity - to contribute to fair and equitable outcomes for diverse individuals and groups in the Observatory and in stakeholder communities.

Radio spectrum - to work on retaining access to the radio spectrum to facilitate ongoing use for diverse purposes, including radio astronomy.

As a young organisation building a new global science facility, the SKAO aims to limit any negative impact, especially environmental impacts, the Observatory will have and deliver significant positive impacts.

Greenhouse emissions

In 2023, the SKAO initiated a pilot audit of greenhouse gas emissions associated with activities centred on the Global Headquarters, building on the learning from its interactions with ESO in 2022. The pilot proved useful in establishing processes and tools to assess, track and ultimately limit greenhouse gas emissions associated with SKAO activities. The scope of the audit will be substantially expanded in 2024 and beyond, spanning a broader range of activities in Australia and South Africa as well as at the UK Headquarters.

Once the SKAO is fully operative, its greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be dominated by the generation of the electricity needed by the telescopes and computing. During 2023, the dual approach of constraining the electricity use of array subsystems and using clean renewable energy sources continued to be a key element of the SKAO’s power procurement activities, which are summarised in the Operations section of this report.

Electric cars

Electric vehicles (EVs) mark a profound shift in transportation. Acknowledging the significance of this transition, the SKAO actively encourages the adoption of electric vehicles through schemes that help employees lease EVs in Australia and the UK. Additionally, as part of our commitment to

sustainability, the SKAO HQ has four dual plug-in electric vehicle charging stations and a fully electric pool car is available for employees to use on business trips. The electricity supply at the HQ is provided wholly from renewable energy sources.

Electric car recently purchased for use by staff at the SKAO HQ. Credit: SKAO

Biodiversity

SKA-Low

In Australia, the SKAO continues to closely monitor the flora and fauna in its licenced area and work to minimise its impacts. Notably, the region that is becoming home to SKA-Low is also home to a vulnerable species of lizard, the western spiny-tailed skink. To ensure construction operations do not impact this native creature, the SKAO commenced the first western spiny-tailed skink survey programme in 2023, with SKA-Low staff accompanying a fauna specialist to search for evidence of the animal

and issue clearing permits. Several SKA-Low staff have since been approved as fauna specialists to lead future surveys.

During 2024, the SKAO, in conjunction with the CSIRO Site Entity team and the Wajarri Yamaji People, will commence land rehabilitation in some areas where construction works are already completed.

SKA-Mid

To comply with the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998, a strategic environmental assessment was undertaken for the SKA-Mid site. An Integrated Environmental Management Plan (IEMP) was approved by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. The IEMP sets out pre-construction and construction requirements for the SKAO and its contractors. All construction contractors respond to the IEMP through the development of their own environmental management plans, which are submitted to an independent environmental control officer. Inspections and audits

were undertaken on the SKA-Mid site in 2023 to ensure compliance with contractor environmental management plans and the IEMP.

One of the requirements in the IEMP is to undertake environmental (ecology, aquatic, heritage, flora and fauna) walkthroughs of the SKA-Mid site. These walkthroughs are conducted to ensure that infrastructure is not routed through highly sensitive areas. An annual external environmental audit was undertaken in November 2023, with the SKA-Mid site achieving an impressive 95% compliance.

The Murchison landscape along the Kalli Road making the most of the recent rainfall. Credit: SKAO

Water management

SKA-Mid

Water is a scarce resource and needs to be actively managed. Water and waste management licences have been obtained for the SKA-Mid site. These licences state conditions that the SKAO and its contractors must comply with. Active monitoring of water usage from approved boreholes on site takes place monthly. Water balancing is also undertaken to utilise different

SKA-Low

Water is also a critical resource in Western Australia where the SKA-Low telescope is being built. Early construction activities require significant quantities of water for civil works, especially road and track construction. Water is pumped from widely dispersed boreholes tapping into different aquifers to minimise the SKAO’s impact. Wastewater from

boreholes on site and ensure a stable water table. Grey water is utilised for dust suppression during the construction of new roads and rehabilitation of existing roads. Regular reports are provided to the Department of Water and Sanitation in compliance with the licences.

the construction camp goes through a rigorous treatment system before being dispersed. Active monitoring of water usage from boreholes on site is undertaken and reported to CSIRO and the Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

Delivery and installation of the tanks for wastewater treatment system at Nyingari Ngurra. Credit: SKAO

Waste management

The SKAO is restricting the use of non-organic shipping materials such as polystyrene foam and will implement a wood and cardboard reuse and recycle programme in 2024. Scrap steel and packaging materials are destined for reuse or recycling as described in the Procurement section.

Energy management

Energy management is among the most important elements of the SKAO’s sustainability strategy. A power budget was produced to define the maximum power consumption of each subsystem of the SKA telescope systems that later became design requirements for the design consortia. It is estimated that in the absence of this top-down specification, the electricity consumption of the completed telescopes and associated computing systems may have been twice as high as currently expected.

Complementing the power budget approach, the SKAO aims to meet a substantial fraction of the

Observatory’s electricity needs using sustainable generation systems, notably solar photovoltaic systems at the remote, dry and very sunny telescope sites in Western Australia and the Karoo region in South Africa. Further information is provided in the Operations power section.

Although it represents only a small fraction of the total future energy consumption of the SKAO, the electricity for the Global Headquarters building at Jodrell Bank is sourced entirely from renewable energy sources.

Staff Association

The Staff Association is a representative body serving the interests and rights of SKAO staff across all business functions and geographical locations. It comprises four UK-based representatives and, since November 2023, one representative from Australia and one from South Africa.

The Staff Association is currently characterised by balanced representation, with 50% of the representatives being citizens of their resident countries and the remaining 50% comprising international staff subject to privilege and immunity protocols. Gender parity is also maintained, with 50% of the panel identifying as female and the other 50% as male. The representatives collectively represent three ethnicities, reflecting the cultural diversity of the organisation.

The representatives engage with staff via various communication channels including one-to-one and town hall meetings, emails, internal electronic messaging, and anonymously via an online form. As an internal consultative body, the Staff Association enables the views of staff to be considered by the SKAO management team when making decisions that impact the safety, well-being and general working conditions of staff. It champions the culture and values of the SKAO in support of the delivery of the SKAO’s mission.

The Staff Association provides feedback to the SKAO management team mainly through the Joint Consultative Group, which comprises the director of operations (chair), the director of HR, the HR manager, and Staff Association representatives.

In 2023, the Staff Association undertook a wide range of activities, including:

Supporting the director-general’s decision regarding the implementation of the 2023 annual pay award.

Providing feedback and advice on the market pay data review that informed the annual pay awards for 2024 and subsequent communications to staff members.

Providing feedback on the travel policy to enhance its effectiveness and alignment with organisational objectives.

Providing recommendations on the establishment of an Independent Employment Tribunal to ensure fairness and impartiality in workplace matters.

Contributing to internal focus recognition groups to foster employee engagement and recognise valuable employee achievements

Hosting a hybrid town hall meeting with staff on 1 November 2023, which attracted more than 100 attendees.

Contributing to the resolution of issues raised by staff, such as tax issues, contributions to international savings schemes, arrangements for flights home, international health insurance coverage, credit card usage policies, residence status queries, adjustments related to salary structure and VAT considerations for car purchases.

Finance

RSM UK Audit LLP, as appointed external auditors of the SKAO, have provided their opinion that the financial statements for the year ending on 31 December 2023 present a true and fair view of the SKAO’s financial activities in accordance with the SKA Observatory Convention, its financial protocol and supporting policies.

The accounts are prepared under the International Financial Reporting Standards framework, as adopted by the European Union, on an accruals basis of accounting. Although the SKAO has registered offices in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom, the financial statements are reported on a consolidated basis, including the accounting related to the construction of the telescopes and associated software.

For the 2023 financial year, the SKAO reported a surplus of €177.7m. The surplus is expected to be expended on operating and capital expenditure related to the construction of the telescope assets in the coming years. The operating expenditure of the SKAO increased by €23.3m compared to 2022 owing to the expected increased headcount and the establishment of offices, operations centres and construction camps in the host countries. Other operating expenditure more than doubled compared to 2022. This includes €4.4m, which is largely related to the expensed proportion of software development costs, which does not fulfil the capitalisation criteria of the financial standards. This expenditure category also includes €6.8m of loss allowances and provisions related to tax receivables from member countries that have been recognised in accordance with SKAO accounting policies. It is expected that these receivables will be fully recoverable in future years; the unutilised provisions will be reversed at that time.

In December 2023, the SKAO Finance team conducted its first asset count at the SKA-Low site, verifying the

existence and completeness of the accounting of the fixed assets on site. As the value of assets continues to grow, an asset count is planned for both sites for the 2024 year-end.

The SKAO holds a significant net asset position, underpinned by the large cash balance generated from the accumulated surplus. During 2023, the SKAO continued to invest surplus cash balances into money market funds and deposit accounts that are selected and managed in accordance with the SKAO’s Treasury and Financial Investment Management policy. The SKAO earned €8.7m of financing income from these investments in 2023, recording an average yield of 4.6%.

The SKAO reported a foreign exchange loss of €2.6m in 2023, of which €1.3m is unrealised at the reporting date. While the SKAO receives a large portion of member contribution income in euro, expenditure is primarily incurred in the currencies of the HQ and host countries: Australian dollars (AUD), British pounds (GBP) and South African rand (ZAR). The SKAO has adopted a hedging strategy whereby currency cash requirements are purchased for contracted and highly probable cash outflows once the annual budget is approved. As a result, it holds significant cash balances in AUD, GBP and ZAR. Of the total unrealised foreign exchange loss, €1.6m relates to those cash balances held to cover future certain or highly probable outflows; the €0.3m gain relates to the foreign exchange revaluation of other financial assets and liabilities.

The cash balance increased to €326.3m in 2023 as member contribution income continued to outweigh expenditure. However, this cash is expected to reduce in future years as expenditure on non-current assets in the form of tangible and intangible assets from the telescopes’ construction continues. The capital expenditure at the telescope construction sites was €98.4m in 2023 and €40.1m in 2022, reflecting the increase in construction activity in 2023.

In the 2023 Statement of Financial Position reported below, there is a significant increase in other receivables compared to 2022. This largely relates to accrued income from member contributions not yet invoiced, along with prepayments made to suppliers for the manufacture of infrastructure equipment and telescope dish structures, with the goods to be received in 2024.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

The increase in non-current liabilities reflects the lease liabilities recognised for the host-country premises, including the construction camp at the SKA-Low site in Australia established in 2023. In addition, construction activity accomplished in the year resulted in the firsttime recognition of a provision for the decommissioning of the SKA-Low site. Most construction activity at the SKA-Mid site is on the MeerKat telescope site, which has not yet been handed over to the SKAO. Any provision for decommissioning would be immaterial as of 31 December 2023 and, therefore, has not been accounted for. The provision for SKA-Low is in accordance with the requirements in the financial reporting standards: there is an obligation in the host country agreement to restore the site in the event of termination of the agreement.

OPERATING

EXPENSES

Salaries and on-costs (14,670,670) (11,649,972) Employment and recruitment (280,098) (369,231)

Employee benefits (902,918) (505,064)

Depreciation and amortisation (2,226,028) (992,349) Buildings expenditure (8,980,215) (1,020,051) Computer expenditure (2,186,828) (1,338,044)

Audit fees (83,291) (132,888)

Other operating expenditure (19,188,937) (9,206,808) (48,518,985) (25,214,407)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES

Finance costs (145,947) (53,463)

Finance income 9,103,871 843,025

Foreign currency gains / (losses) (2,625,684) (5,536,983) 6,332,240 (4,747,421)

The total 2023 expenditures are split into operating and capital expenditures. The operating expenditure is further broken down in the following two charts.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE

TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURE

EXPENDITURE

(1,398,581) (194,736) (110,874,725) (107,036,600)

term provisions (3,990,271) (90,389)

(484,586) (484,586)

liabilities (4,984,012) (504,669) (9,458,869) (1,079,644)

LIABILITIES (120,333,594) (108,116,244)

ASSETS 485,129,293 307,434,606

RESERVES

Procurement

2023 was a challenging year for procurement at the SKAO, as it has been for many other infrastructure organisations worldwide due to prevailing global economic conditions.

Despite adverse global circumstances, the Procurement Services team exhibited innovation and flexibility in developing and implementing strategies for the acquisition of materials and services, ensuring support for the business areas of the organisation through meticulous planning, ordering, purchasing and delivery processes.

As reported elsewhere in this report, during 2023, the team’s focus continued to be on awarding contracts for major infrastructure works in Australia and South Africa. The SKA-Low infrastructure prime

contract to Ventia is particularly noteworthy as its extensive subcontracting arrangements facilitate the engagement of local businesses. These arrangements included technical subsystems and services required for complete plant systems, with particular emphasis on long-term items needed for AA0.5. Comprehensive phased deliveries for AA* were also part of the procurement agenda.

Of notable importance in 2023 were the acquisitions related to the SKA-Low system, which included the signal processing system, other infrastructure contracts such as Camps, main accesses and an aircraft landing strip. For the SKA-Mid system, acquisitions focused on critical components such as the correlator beamformer, the digitiser and the band 1 and 2 receivers.

SKA-Low Telescope Director speaking at Ventia’s Construction Milestone Ceremony. Credit: SKAO

Contracts endorsed by Tender and In-Kind Review Subcommittees

In 2023, 30 high-value contracts with an overall value of €221.5m were awarded. These contracts were distributed among various suppliers as both cash and in-kind acquisitions as follows.

25 Construction contracts awards with a combined value of €213.9m:

€44.2m of in-kind awards

€9.3m from a significant Ventia contract amendment for the construction of the SKA-Low site camp.

€160.4m of cash awards

5 Operations contracts awards with a total combined

Through a competitive process, three software framework cash contracts totalling €7.5m were awarded to Akkodis, Critical S/W, and Dotmodus. In addition, an in-kind software contribution worth €2.6m was agreed with India’s National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA). These software development contracts were tailored to acquire the necessary software for supporting the Observatory’s operations and objectives.

In 2023, construction contracts were awarded to the member countries highlighted in the following table. This international distribution underscores the SKAO’s commitment to engaging with a diverse range of partners to advance its projects and initiatives.

The highest-value cash contract awarded in 2023 amounted to €44.6m and was awarded to Elemaster in Italy for manufacturing the SKA-Low signal processing system. The highest-value in-kind contract award totalled €36.5m and was awarded to the National Research Council of Canada for manufacturing the SKA-Mid correlator beamformer system.

Supply chain activities

The SKAO’s supply chain partners play a crucial role in the successful construction of the Observatory. For this reason, the SKAO continually works to build strong relationships across its global supply chain. The SKAO emphasises its core values and strategy to ensure suppliers are aligned with its policies, standards and key principles as defined in the Code of Ethics and Supplier Code of Conduct.

Pedestal of the first SKA-Mid production dish being transported in China for shipping. Credit: SKAO

Commitments to sustainability in the supply chain

In 2023, the SKAO made efforts to minimise its environmental footprint and promote sustainable and responsible waste management practices across all its operations. During the year, the Procurement Services team collaborated with the SKAO’s global supply chain to minimise environmental impacts, mainly by maximising sea shipments.

The SKAO Procurement Services team took proactive steps to minimise plastic waste, striving to reduce it wherever possible. Key initiatives include using sustainable packaging for imported cables and utilising timber sourced from sustainable forests. Furthermore, the steel cable drums were engineered for disassembly, reducing their volumetric weight and facilitating transportation for off-site recycling.

The strong collaboration with Ventia ensures that all the timber used to fulfil their contract is repurposed into recycled products, further contributing to sustainable practices and community engagement efforts, as outlined below:

Timber collected from skip bins at the SKAO Boolardy site is recycled and repurposed into furniture by locals. Some of this recycled timber is donated to the Carnarvon Christian School on Babble Island Road, Carnarvon. Additionally, locals visit the yard to obtain timber for furniture making.

Timber waste and steel from mesh pallets are provided to a local group in the Murchison region that utilises the materials for the construction of various small projects.

Another example of sustainable practices is the use of engineered cardboard packaging to protect the SKALow antennas during shipping from Italy. Procurement Services collaborated with contractor Sirio to not only pack the sea containers to optimal density but also ensure that all packaging materials are made of recyclable cardboard.

Global shipping and logistics

The Procurement Services team is responsible for managing the SKAO’s macro supply chain, that is, the global shipping of telescope products between suppliers and the two telescope construction sites. This activity includes customs clearance and ensuring the Observatory can export and import goods without paying duty or other taxes.

This global shipping activity expanded rapidly in 2023; by the end of the year, 64 significant shipments had been completed, mainly comprising telescope products delivered by sea and road to the SKA-Low construction site.

Sustainability is always an important consideration when shipping telescope products. Shipping by sea is by far the best environmental choice and the SKAO has a policy of only shipping high-value, high-tech electronics by air; everything else defaults to shipment by sea.

A good example of sustainability in our supply chains is our use of shipping containers as workshop spaces at the SKA-Low site. Several new sea containers have been purchased outright, filled with telescope products and then, rather than being returned, they are reused as cost-effective and sustainable secure storage or workshop facilities. An example of this type of reuse is shown in the photo below.

SKA-Low Senior Electrician unloading components.

Credit: SKAO

Risk management and controls

Risk Management

During 2023, the Observatory’s framework for risk reporting was put into action to enable the effective flow of information, monitoring ongoing exposure to risk and producing more detailed reporting.

Risk registers compiled and utilised within business units were periodically reviewed in synchrony with formal risk reporting for the Finance Committee, and some risks were considered for escalation in the Observatory Risk Report. This escalation methodology involves assessing the situation around an event to prioritise and rescore impacts and probabilities in a broader context than that considered for lower-level registers. This process was carried out successfully for each Risk Report in 2023, providing the transparency that the Finance Committee requires.

A critical element of risk assessment is the Observatory’s risk appetite, which was endorsed by the Finance Committee and used throughout 2023 to determine any further actions needed beyond the SKAO’s plans to transfer or mitigate risks.

Risks are categorised according to their major aspects (financial, reputational, etc.) and the level at which the Observatory can tolerate them in planned activities within each category. The agreed risk appetites are shown in the figure below. The Observatory uses a risk exposure scale from one to 25 where each risk is calculated as the product of its likelihood and its impact, each on a scale of one to five. This scale is illustrated in the colour-coded figure below.

RISK CATEGORY

FINANCIAL RISKS

LEGAL RISKS

PROPERTY AND COMMERCIAL RISKS

INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY RISKS

TECHNOLOGY RISKS

PROJECT RISKS

OPERATIONAL RISKS

REPUTATIONAL RISKS

The colour-coded scale corresponds to the allowable risk exposure, which is the product of the risk’s probability and its impact, each scored 1-5. The exposure is rated after all mitigation measures have been implemented.

At the end of 2023, the Observatory Risk Report consisted of some purely financial risks and others arising from host country deliverables and in-kind contributions. For some of these risks, the SKAO’s appetite was exceeded, and further action was undertaken. As noted elsewhere in this report, a key area for risk mitigation was financial pressures from external events; here, Council action has been of particular importance in 2023, and this area will remain a focus in 2024.

Compliance and transparency

The Observatory recognises that its success depends on its ability to sustain its core business case, and where it is active as a construction project, its social licence to operate. To achieve this, the SKAO is committed to actively listening to its stakeholders, representatives of member countries, and the communities in which it operates to understand their perspectives and respond to their needs and concerns in a transparent, appropriate and accountable manner.

Building and maintaining strong relationships based on mutual respect and trust are fundamental to the SKAO. To this end, the SKAO strives to ensure that its decisions and actions are guided by ethical

Ethical conduct

The SKAO places a strong emphasis on ethical conduct and maintaining a respectful work environment free from bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination.

Multiple tools are available to ensure that employees have access to the necessary resources for maintaining a healthy and respectful organisational environment.

The SKAO Code of Ethics serves as a guiding framework for promoting ethical, responsible and

principles to not only meet regulatory requirements but also exceed expectations, demonstrating our unwavering dedication to responsible and sustainable operations that benefit society as a whole.

In 2023, all SKAO employees were required to participate in online compliance training. This training served as a crucial reinforcement of the principles outlined in our internal policies and Code of Conduct. It was designed to provide comprehensive guidance on compliance with relevant laws and regulations while emphasising the importance of integrity, honesty and transparency in all interactions and decisions.

transparent management practices. In cases of observed or experienced violations, employees are encouraged to utilise the Code of Ethics to report concerns and grievances promptly and confidentially.

Ethical champions, who are nominated members of staff, are available to provide support and guidance to individuals seeking to raise complaints. Additionally, the Employee Assistance Programme (online) offers confidential advice, support and counselling services to address personal and work-related issues.

During 2023, the SKAO launched a series of Speak Up workshops, reaffirming its commitment to its core values. These workshops aim to stimulate discussion about workplace interactions by illustrating scenarios that deviate from the SKAO’s values, standards of conduct and behaviour, and Code of Ethics. The workshops also provide guidance on how to report such situations and obtain additional support. The fact that the scenarios were acted out by SKAO staff made the workshop series especially powerful. By encouraging participation from all employees and promoting self-reflection through open dialogue about professional behaviour, the SKAO continues to nurture a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to the success of the organisation.

In 2023, the SKAO continued to conduct an internal audit to evaluate the Observatory’s adherence to internal policies and processes and assess their effectiveness.

Internal audit

In September 2023, the oversight body for internal audits, the Finance Committee, approved the Internal Audit Charter, the internal audit plan for 2024 and the internal audit strategy for 2024-2026. To ensure the independence and quality of the audits, a competitive process was initiated to select a reputable audit firm to undertake this important work.

The ongoing internal audit programme reflects the Observatory’s commitment to evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of organisational processes, maintaining solid governance practices, and ensuring compliance with established policies and procedures.

Policy management

The SKAO remains committed to providing its staff and all other members contributing to the Observatory’s activities with clear, succinct policies and guidance for delivering the Observatory’s objectives.

The SKAO’s Policy Framework and policy development process are guided by the provisions of the Observatory Convention, the SKAO’s strategic objectives and the needs of the SKAO as a growing organisation.

SKAO policies are grounded in the principles of collaboration, compliance, sustainability, continuous improvement, and the underpinning aim of promoting the One Observatory approach across all its offices and sites.

In the period since its inception, the SKAO has continued to develop policies that support operationalisation of the SKAO across all its sites. This process is coordinated through the DirectorGeneral’s Office and involves relevant subject matter experts and the Executive Leadership Team, with approval from the Director-General or the Council depending on the nature of the policy.

The SKAO conducts a policy review annually; and in 2023, the Council approved changes to the Finance Policy, Procurement Manual, and Staff Regulations.

Data security and services

Service and data security improvements

The implementation of a Virtual Private Network linking all SKAO sites significantly enhanced security for both the organisation and the project

In 2023, the Information Technology team focused on increasing security, supporting the Observatory, and improving the quality and uniformity of services across all sites. This took place while onboarding 85 new members of staff, supporting 29,000 meetings over Zoom (a total of 7 million meeting minutes) handling 2.3 million inbound emails (including blocking 830,000 as spam) and responding to nearly 5,000 helpdesk support requests.

The implementation of a Virtual Private Network linking all SKAO sites significantly enhanced security for both the organisation and the project, enabling secure and seamless access to systems across the SKAO. However, this development also underscored the security challenges associated with the project, particularly concerning the diverse array of contractors and collaborators from around the globe who require secure access to various SKAO systems. A major firewall and security system upgrade is planned for 2024, with a key requirement being the implementation of support tools for managing this inherent system complexity.

Information security and data protection

2023 saw a significant rise in the number of successful “hacker” attacks on organisations globally, including scientific and research institutions, which reinforced the need for strong information security measures. The Information Security Management Forum (ISMF) continuously assessed how to bolster the SKAO’s security. From the user perspective, 2023 included a comprehensive Information Security (IS) awareness campaign, the introduction of MultiFactor Authentication (MFA) across many systems, mandatory phishing training and monthly phishing simulations.

Personal data privacy is another key aspect of information security and is a complex legal area.

The SKAO Data Protection policy is aligned with the UK, Australian and South African data privacy laws. It sets out how personal data is collected, used and managed, and includes how individual rights are supported. This year SKAO has completed an update of where personal data and special category data is hosted and ensured that appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect this data. Data protection impact assessments are performed where appropriate to identify and mitigate privacy risks and ensure that privacy and data protection are central considerations in the processing of personal data .

Communications, outreach and education

The Communications team is responsible for disseminating information to a wide variety of stakeholders to build, maintain and strengthen support for investment in, and engagement with, the Observatory. This is achieved by highlighting the Observatory’s positive outputs, outcomes and impacts, whether they are scientific, technological or societal, through a wide range of channels across the Observatory’s partner countries.

In 2023, the Council approved the SKAO’s strategic framework for communications. Developed with the SKA Communications and Outreach Network (SKACON) Steering Committee, this document provides the strategic direction for communications and stakeholder engagement during the construction of the SKA telescopes.

The key objectives defined in the framework are as follows:

1. Position the SKAO as a sustainable, responsible and impactful global research infrastructure that delivers transformational science and contributes to addressing societal challenges.

2. Maximise communication opportunities stemming from the construction of the SKA telescopes and prepare for early and full science by identifying, leveraging and promoting relevant developments and milestones across science, computing, engineering and procurement.

3. Continue to raise the international profile of the SKAO and grow a community of supporters and future users by sustaining interest, excitement and buyin into the SKAO and its vision, mission and values.

The production of the strategic framework was supported by a detailed implementation plan developed by the Communications team, with input from both the SKACON and two communications strategies for the SKA telescopes focused on the telescope host countries.

SKACON

Throughout 2023, the Communications team worked closely with the SKACON to maximise the reach and impact of SKA-related opportunities. Successful joint initiatives included communication-related collaborations around key events, such as the SKAngVLA science meeting in Canada, and construction milestones like the completion of the AAVS3 test station

in Australia and the assembly of the first SKA-Mid production dish in China. It also included the allocation of contracts to industry and participation in SKA-related events in partner countries. At the end of 2023, the SKACON had 38 members, of whom 47% were women, and represented 15 partner countries.

Media release from Swedish company AAC Clyde Space announcing their SKAO contract. The release was coordinated with the SKAO communications team.

SKAO website

2023 marked the first full year of operation for the SKAO’s new public website, which was developed in collaboration with the Dutch web company Betawerk. It saw a strong increase in readership, with over 120,000 visits during the year and a 50% growth in average weekly views compared to the previous year. Visitors came from around the SKA partner countries and beyond, with the US, UK, Australia, and China each recording more than 10,000 visits.

0 5,190 2,595

VISITS (DECEMBER 26, 2022 – DECEMBER 31 2023) (ALL VISITS) (…) XXX 26 2022 – JAN 1, 2023 MAY 29 – JUN 4, 2023 OCT 30 – NOV 5, 2023

Weekly SKAO website visits, comparison between 2023 (blue) and 2022 (orange). Tracking started in July 2022.

Contact magazine

Contact is the SKAO’s flagship publication for project partners and interested parties and is published by the SKAO. In 2023, three issues were published, with a total of 123 articles written by dozens of contributors to report on SKArelated activities, developments and scientific news across the project’s 16 participating countries.

NUMBER OF TOTAL ARTICLES

Contact 14 - November 2023

Contact 13 - May 2023

Contact 12 - January 2023

Contact 11 - September 2022

Contact 10 - April 2022

Contact 9 - November 2021

Contact 8 - July 2021

Contact 7 - March 2021

Contact 6 - December 2020

Contact 5 - September 2020

Contact 4 - June 2020

Contact 3 - March 2020

Contact 2 - December 2019

Contact 1 - September 2019

By the end of 2023, the digital publication of Contact registered 2,000 subscribers and over 6,000 reads from 75 countries.

Contact: The number of articles per issue has been growing steadily since the inception of the magazine.

Social media

Social media continues to play a key role in SKAO communications. As well as managing the Observatory’s social media channels on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), the Communications team manages channels for the IAU CPS as part of the SKAO’s co-hosting responsibilities. The total number of accounts the team maintains climbed to 10 with the creation of two new dedicated LinkedIn pages for the SKA-Mid and SKA-Low teams to support their recruitment efforts. X continues to be the most followed account, with a large active user base among peer institutions, media and governments across participating countries.

The Communications team employs different content strategies across social media channels, adapting content for different audiences and using each platform’s strengths to maximise reach. LinkedIn continued to perform strongly in professional networks. The consistent focus on employee experiences, job opportunities and the Observatory’s values in practice resulted in a 30% increase in followers and attracted many international job applicants. On Instagram, the team continued to deliver live behind-the-scenes coverage of major SKA-related events. Notably, the team covered the SKA-ngVLA science conference in Vancouver, Canada, interviewing some 20 participants at the conference about their research, Canada’s involvement in the SKAO and the latest construction progress. The channel saw increased engagement, particularly among young science influencers, achieving a 14% increase in followers.

In support of the IAU CPS, the Communications team ran live coverage of the IAU Symposium on Astronomy and Satellite Constellations and conducted interviews with 15 participants. Additionally, the team produced a post-event video featuring experts and key stakeholders, including IAU President-elect Prof. Willy Benz, that received more than 3,200 views across platforms.

Finally, the Communications team used social media and video production to increase the visibility of partner countries’ activities, such as covering Sweden’s National SKA Science Day early in the year and equipped several partner institutes with video filming kits and training.

As part of the SKAO’s EDI commitments, a particular emphasis was put on content accessibility, ensuring all videos are subtitled and all images include alternative text.

The consistent focus on employee experiences, job opportunities and the Observatory’s values in practice resulted in a 30% increase in followers and attracted many international job applicants.

Media interest in the SKA project continued to grow following the start of construction of the SKA telescopes and the establishment of the SKAO offices in Australia and South Africa.

Media relations

More than 6,000 articles were published about the Observatory and its telescopes in 2023, with the US, Australia, South Africa, India, and China providing over half of the total coverage. Readership numbers are often inflated as they simply add all potential readers; a realistic estimate is that 14 million individuals read about the SKAO online in 2023. Some of the most viewed pieces were published on Space.com, Australia’s ABC News, India’s Deccan Herald, South Africa’s Engineering News, the UK’s Daily Mail, and the Faces of Africa episode Echoes of the Skies produced by CGTN, whose visit to South Africa was facilitated by the SKAO team.

Internal communications

During 2023, the SKAO issued 13 internal newsletters that included a total of 244 articles contributed by teams across the Observatory. The publication, called Pulse, aims to improve cross-communication and information exchanges within the Observatory. The Observatory relaunched the SKAO Speaker Series, a hybrid seminar featuring speakers from across the Observatory and beyond, with a new programme of monthly science-related hour-long talks. Each presentation is followed by a Q&A session that aims to help SKAO staff learn about related fields, drive knowledge sharing and best practices, and introduce staff to key contacts to foster collaboration with other institutions, businesses and observatories.

The Observatory relaunched the SKAO Speaker Series, a hybrid seminar featuring speakers from across the Observatory and beyond

Our Governance

SKAO Council

Chairperson:

Dr Catherine Cesarsky

Vice-Chairperson:

Mr Daan du Toit

The Council, which serves as the primary governing body of the SKAO, operates in accordance with the regulations specified in the Convention. The Council is in charge of “the overall strategic and scientific direction of the SKAO, its good governance, and the attainment of its purposes.” Meetings are attended by designated representatives of each member and observers from non-members, including parties that have cooperation agreements or arrangements with the SKAO. The director-general and other SKAO staff also routinely attend.

In 2023, the Council had three meetings where it received updates from the SKAO executive on construction and operation activities, the establishment of Operations teams in the telescope host countries, and membership and cooperation agreements.

The Council also met on several occasions in Committee of Council mode, a format that permits informal discussion and is only attended by member representatives and SKAO leaders. The Council is supported by two subcommittees, the Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC) and the Finance Committee (FC), which are described below.

The three Council meetings held in 2023 addressed several issues and topics, including the following.

March 2023 (Rome, Italy):

Approved an extension to the SKAO-NCRA Cooperation Arrangement.

Approved the payment schedule 2023, an amended Construction and Operations Funding Schedule (COFS), and an external audit plan for the year ending on 31 December 2022.

Approved amendments to the Council’s Rules of Procedure and the procedures for the selection of future Director-Generals.

Approved the creation of the Independent Employment Tribunal.

July 2023 (SKAO HQ, UK):

Discussed the SKAO’s financial position and agreed on measures to mitigate external financial risk to enable the successful completion of the Council-approved construction programme.

Approved an extension to the SKAO-Chalmers University (Sweden) Cooperation Arrangement.

Approved an extension to the term of office of the Director-General Prof. Philip Diamond, until May 2026, and the respective continuation of Dr Cesarsky and du Toit as the council chairperson and vice-chairperson until 2 February 2025.

October 2023 (Perth, Australia):

The Council visited the SKA-Low construction site and surrounding activities.

Approved extensions to the cooperation agreements between the SKAO and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, and the National Research Council (NRC), Canada, until 31 December 2025 and 31 March 2024, respectively.

Approved the budget and payment schedule for 2024, updates to the payment schedule for 2023, and the Construction and Operations Funding Schedule strategy (rev. 3), reflecting Spain’s funding commitments and a new policy on the indexation of member contributions.

Council representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Council observer representatives

Canada

France

Germany

India

Japan

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Ms Janean Richards

Dr Douglas Bock

Dr Jian Sun (until January 2023)

Prof. Zhao Jing (from January 2023)

Dr Rongfang Wang (from January 2023)

Prof. Marco Tavani

Ms Judith Vermeer

Dr Jessica Dempsey

Mr Ricardo Conde

Mr Luis Serina

Dr Phil Mjwara

Ms Pontsho Maruping

Ms Inmaculada Figueroa Rojas (from June 2023, on Spain’s accession)

Dr Rafael Bachiller (from June 2023, on Spain’s accession)

Mr Xavier Reymond (until April 2023)

Dr Simon Berger (from May 2023)

Prof. Jean-Paul Kneib

Mr David Rawlings (until April 2023)

Ms Felicity Howe (from April 2023)

Prof. Mark Thomson

Dr Luc Simard

Dr Michael Rupen

Dr Guy Perrin

Dr Michel Pérault (until March 2023)

Dr Chiara Ferrari (from March 2023)

Mr Patrick Hartmann

Prof. Michael Kramer

Mr Sunil Ganju

Prof. Yashwant Gupta

Prof. Hideyuki Kobayashi

Dr Takuya Akahori

Asst. Prof. Dr Bong Won Sohn

Dr Hyunwoo Kang

Ms Inmaculada Figueroa Rojas (until June 2023, on Spain’s accession)

Dr Rafael Bachiller (until June 2023, on Spain’s accession)

Mr Mathias Hamberg

Prof. Lars Börjesson

Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC)

Chairperson:

Prof. Naomi McClure-Griffiths - Australian National University (ANU), Australia

Vice-Chairperson:

Prof. Kristine Spekkens - Royal Military College of Canada and Queen’s University, Canada

Science and Engineering Advisory Committee

representatives provide advice to the Council and director-general regarding construction, technology and engineering aspects of the project. They review the progress outlined in the Construction Monthly Report and “act as individual experts and do not represent any members’ views.” The SEAC comprises experts nominated by members and observers as well as several at-large independent experts who are nominated by the director-general.

At every meeting, the SEAC receives a comprehensive project update from Observatory staff to contextualise their discussions. The update includes information on scientific activities, construction progress, operational developments and design updates for each telescope. The SEAC often receives “charges” from the Observatory and the Council to consider specific issues and points.

The SEAC met three times in 2023, with key areas for discussion including:

The outcomes of the inaugural Annual Programme Review

Steps towards planning and implementing SRCNet and the outcomes of a progress review

Work towards finalising access rules and regulations for telescope time and Observatory resources

The Year in the Life project, which supports modelling and planning for Operations, and the development of systems.

At every meeting, the SEAC receives a comprehensive project update from Observatory staff to contextualise their discussions.

SEAC representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Prof. Naomi McClure-Griffiths

Dr Qian Zheng

Dr Gianfranco Brunetti

Dr Wim van Cappellen

Dr Cláudio Melo (until October 2023)

Dr Marta Gonçalves (from October 2023)

Mr Francois Kapp

Dr Antxon Alberdi

Prof. Andre Csillaghy

Prof. Carole Mundell (until July 2023)

Ms Laura Wolz (from July 2023)

SEAC representatives from observer countries and at-large representatives

Canada

France

Germany

India

Sweden

At Large

At Large

At Large

At Large

At Large

Prof. Kristine Spekkens

Dr Ng-Guiheneuf Cherry (from July2023)

Dr Gundolf Wieching

Prof. Uday Shankar

Prof. Garrelt Mellema

Mr Brian Glendenning

Dr Dale Frail

Dr Andreas Kaufer

Dr Adrian Russell

Dr Gillian Wright

Finance Committee

Chairperson:

February - Mr Colin Vincent - Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), UK;

June/September - Mr Bishen Singh - National Science Foundation (NRF), South Africa

Vice-Chairperson:

Ms Ana Reis - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal

The Finance Committee (FC) oversees the financial management, efficiency, transparency and accountability of the Observatory, advising the Council on financial and procurement matters across all Observatory activities. The committee comprises representatives appointed by members and its meetings are also attended by observers from nonmembers. To address specific financial aspects, the Finance Committee relies on three subcommittees: the Administration Subcommittee, the Tender Subcommittee, and the In-Kind Review Subcommittee (IKRS). These subcommittees are described on the next page.

During each meeting, the Finance Committee receives financial management accounts, a risk report and a project update as background information for its discussions.

During each meeting, the Finance Committee receives financial management accounts, a risk report and a project update as background information for its discussions. Additionally, subcommittees report on actions they have taken, contributing to a comprehensive view of the SKAO’s financial position and ongoing initiatives. Four meetings took place in 2023 with discussion and recommendations to the Council on a range of matters, including:

Advice on budgetary and financial planning matters regarding the funding and payment schedules, as required by the Finance Committee’s terms of reference;

Review and recommendations for the external audit plan for the year ending on 31 December 2022 for approval by the Council;

Consideration of recommendations from an adhoc working group on the SKAO’s funding strategy, including specific work to advise on the need for additional funding to support the Observatory;

Detailed technical work on methodologies for contribution to indexation;

Further advice on risk management for the Council and Observatory leadership.

Finance Committee representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Ms Caroline Quan

Ms Xiaoyun Sun

Mr Vincenzo Lozito

Mr Jeroen Arts

Ms Ana Reis

Mr Bishen Singh (until March 2023)

Mr Shawn Basson (from April 2023)

Ms Esther Martín Malagón

Mr Xavier Reymond (until April 2023)

Dr Francesca Stocker (from April 2023)

Mr Christopher Wrench

Finance Committee observer representatives

Canada

France

Germany

India

Japan

South Korea

Mr Morrick Vincent

Ms Stéphanie Lê Vàn

Ms Julia Rucha (from January 2023)

Mr Arjit Sagar

Prof. Hideyuki Kobayashi

Asst. Prof. Bong Won Sohn

Subcommittees

The Finance Committee is supported by three subcommittees tasked with examining, advising and making recommendations to the Council on specific areas outlined in their mandates. Each member nominates its representative to these subcommittees; parties with observer status may also nominate a representative. Subcommittees are afforded delegated oversight responsibilities by the Finance Committee, as summarised below.

Administration Subcommittee representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Administration Subcommittee

The Administration Subcommittee (AS) is responsible for administration management, including reviewing staff remuneration and amendments to SKAO staff regulations. The Administration Subcommittee met once in 2023 to consider the market review of the SKAO pay framework and the salary component of the 2024 budget, as well as to discuss applications for the post of data protection compliance officer.

Ms Caroline Quan

Ms Jie Yang

Mr Marco Guerrieri

Mr Jeroen Arts

Ms Carolina Rêgo Costa

Ms Pontsho Maruping (until July 2023)

Mr Shawn Basson (from July 2023)

Ms Esther Martin Malagón

Mr Xavier Reymond (until May 2023)

Dr Francesca Stocker (from May 2023)

Ms Vikki Gledhill

Administration Subcommittee observer representatives

Germany

Ms Viola Tegethoff

In-Kind Review Subcommittee

In-kind contributions to the SKAO, such as providing staff for projects, are non financial; the In-Kind Review Subcommittee (IKRS) reviews and endorses the award of such contributions and approves cost book values on behalf of the Finance Committee. The IKRS met three times in 2023 to consider three contracts.

IKRS representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

IKRS observer representatives

Germany

Japan

Ms Caroline Quan

Ms Shuang Liu

Dr Andrea Argan

Dr Michiel van Haarlem

Dr Cláudio Melo (until October 2023)

Dr Adrian Tiplady (chairperson)

Dr Javier Echávarri Delmás

Mr Xavier Reymond (until May 2023)

Dr Francesca Stocker (from May 2023)

Mr George Madden

Prof. Dr Jochen Weller

Prof. Hideyuki Kobayashi

Tender Subcommittee

The Tender Subcommittee (TS) reviews and endorses competitive contract award recommendations above €500k and single or sole-source contract award recommendations above €250k for final approval by the director-general. It also oversees the administration of the fair work return formula and ensures it is correctly applied in all tender evaluations. The Tender Subcommittee met 13 times in 2023 and considered 31 tender awards.

TS Representatives

Australia

China

Italy

Netherlands

Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Ms Caroline Quan

Ms Yu Lu (joint chairperson until September 2023)

Dr Corrado Perna (joint chairperson until September 2023)

Dr Michiel van Haarlem

Dr Luis Serina

Mr Shawn Basson

Mr Javier Echávarri Delmás

Mr Xavier Reymond (until May 2023)

Dr Simon Berger (from May 2023)

Ms Justine Mannino (Chairperson from September 2023)

Tender Subcommittee observer representatives

Germany

Japan

South Korea

Prof. Dr Jochen Weller

Prof. Hideyuki Kobayashi

Asst. Prof. Bong Won Sohn

Glossary

AAs Array Assemblies

AA0.5 Array Assembly 0.5

AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science

AAVS Aperture Array Verification System

AAVS3 Aperture Array Verification System 3

AfAS African Astronomical Society

AIV Assembly, Integration and Verification

ANU Australian National University

AS Administration Subcommittee

ASKAP Australian SKA Pathfinder

AUD Australian Dollars

CEPT European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations

CNRS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

COFS Construction and Operations Funding Schedule

COPUOS United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

CPS Centre for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference

CSIRO Australia’s national science agency

DMP Disaster Management Plan

EAS European Astronomical Society

EDI Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

ESFRI European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures

ESO European Southern Observatory

EVP Employee Value Proposition

EV Electric Vehicle

FC Finance Committee

FCT Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

GBP British Pounds

HQ SKAO Headquarters

HSE Health, Safety and Environment

HSSE Health, Safety, Security and Environment

IAA Instituto Astrofísica Andalucía

IAU International Astronomical Union

IEMP Integrated Environmental Management Plan

iEOC interim Engineering Operations Centre

ICS Incident Command System

IGO Intergovernmental Organisation

IKRS In-Kind Review Subcommittee

INAF National Institute for Astrophysics

IS Information Security

ISMF Security Management Forum

ISO International Organisation for Standardisation

iSOC interim Science Operations Center

ITF Integration and Test Facility

ITU International Telecommunications Union

LOFAR Low-Frequency Array

MFA Multi-Factor Authentication

MPG Max Planck Society

MWA Murchison Widefield Array

NCR National Research Council

NCRA Indian National Centre for Radio Astrophysics

ngVLA next-generation Very Large Array

NOIRLab National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory

NRAO National Radio Astronomy Observatory

NRF National Research Foundation

NSF National Science Foundation

PI21 Planning Increment 21

PRTS Problem Reporting and Tracking System

RISE Research Institutes in Sweden

RFI Radio-Frequency Interference

RPF Remote Processor Facility

SARAO South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

SDC Science Data Challenge

SDC3a Science Data Challenge 3a

SDC3b Science Data Challenge 3b

SDC4 Science Data Challenge 4

SDGs United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

SEAC Science and Engineering Advisory Committee

SHAO Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

SKA Square Kilometre Array

SKACON SKA Communications and Outreach Network

SKA-Mid SKAO’s mid-frequency telescope

SKA-Low SKAO’s low-frequency telescope

SKAO SKA Observatory

SM Spectrum Management

SMEs Small and Medium enterprises

SRC SKA Regional Centre

SRCSC SKA Regional Centre Steering Committee

SRCNet SKA Regional Centre network

SSG Sustainability Steering Group

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

STFC Science and Technology Facilities Council

SWG Science Working Group

TAFE Technical and Further Education institute

TS Tender Subcommittee

UK United Kingdom

US United States

ZAR South African Rand

WA Western Australia

WRC-19 World Radio Conference 2019

WRC-23 World Radio Conference 2023

WRC-27 World Radio Conference 2027

WYAC Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation