Last week the first CTAO ERIC Council Meeting was held in Bologna, Italy, and marked the beginning of a new management era. The CTAO ERIC Council was formally established during this inaugural meeting, solidifying the governance framework of the CTAO. Following the European Commission’s creation of the CTAO ERIC in January 2025, the newly formed Council plays a fundamental role in steering the organisation’s future. As the Observatory’s governing body, the Council brings together delegates from all governing parties that form the CTAO ERIC to oversee strategy and decision-making in pursuit of CTAO’s mission and objectives.

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First meeting of the CTAO ERIC Council in Bologna. Photo: CTAO

“We now have a powerful instrument to drive the observatory forward. DESY will take its role in the community and will strengthen the scientific activities in the field of gamma-ray and multi-messenger astronomy,” adds David Berge, head of the gamma group at DESY and chair of the CTAO ERIC Administration and Finance Committee.

“The Council elected Francisco Colomer (Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities) as its Chair and Mathieu de Naurois (Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet IN2P3-CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, France) was appointed as Vice-Chair of the CTAO ERIC Council.

“We are witnessing the birth of a long waited European Research Infrastructure Consortium, CTAO ERIC, to build and operate a unique instrument, only possible thanks to the cooperation of many international parties,” says Colomer. “This demonstrates that science brings people together, different interests can be accommodated when we work for a common goal.”

During the meeting, the Council also appointed Stuart McMuldroch as CTAO ERIC Director General. McMuldroch, who became a Director of the Observatory in May 2023, will now lead the next phase of the Observatory’s development as it moves from design to construction and operation.

“It is an honour to have the confidence of the Council to lead the Observatory at such a pivotal moment,” says McMuldroch. “I am passionate and determined to make this exciting project a success, driving it toward groundbreaking scientific discoveries.”

The CTAO ERIC Members are Austria, Czech Republic, European Southern Observatory (ESO), France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Additionally, Switzerland is an Observer, Japan is a Strategic Partner and Australia is a Third Party.

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