The Government of the Azores signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN), for the acquisition and installation of stations that will integrate the Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations, in a ceremony that was presided over by the President of the Government of the Azores on the island of Santa Maria on Thursday.

The cooperation protocol estimates the establishment of Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations (REAGE), through the implementation of a project that will install and operate four geodetic stations which are fundamental for the study of astronomy, geodesy and geophysics. One station will be installed in Spain, another in the Canary Islands and the remaining two will be installed in the Azores, one on Santa Maria and the other on Flores.

For the Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures, enhancing the regional territory by conducting studies and projects using the most advanced techniques in geodesy and geophysics is one of the main concerns of the Azorean Government “in order to improve the provision of public services, particularly in areas such as georeferencing, navigation, surveillance, natural hazard warning, which will also enable the construction of a more accurate tectonic model for seismic studies.

“The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by the Government of the Azores and the Spanish National Geographic Institute represents another step in our science and technology journey that will enhance our Atlantic centrality as well as our geodynamic context, as it happened with the ESA Station, stressed José Contente.

The geographical position of the Azores at a global level is an advantage for the implementation of these projects. The geodesy and radio astronomy stations to be built will enter into operation during the next four years, representing a total investment up to 25 million Euros to be undertaken by the Government of the Azores and the IGN.

According to José Contente, “once again we are implementing structuring projects on two cohesion islands, Santa Maria and Flores. Such had happened before with the ESA station and the National Centre of Maritime Surveillance of the Atlantic which were installed on Santa Maria; the ARM Project and the Infrasound Station to monitor nuclear tests of the Preparatory Commission of the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty were implemented on Graciosa, just to mention some projects of great scientific and technological impact at an international level.”

These scientific projects provide new job opportunities in the archipelago and, proportionally, increase the attractiveness of the islands for scientific research through science and space technology which, in turn, will attract new companies.

With this protocol, the Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures, is in charge of executing, maintaining and improving the geodetic referential system, the levelling network and the gravity network of the Region. In addition, the Government will implement and manage a network of permanent GNSS reference stations in the Azores and promote their integration in the national and European networks.

In the context of this Protocol, the Government of the Azores challenged the University of the Azores to actively integrate in the qualification of human resources in scientific areas where there are projects being developed at a regional level.

For example, José Contente mentioned the need to train higher technicians in the area of geology as they are necessary in the feasibility phase of the geodesy and radio astronomy stations. For the Regional Secretary the qualification of human resources should also comprise the National the Institute of Meteorology and other companies in the construction and power sectors to meet up “the requirements established for such projects.

“Therefore, we open the Azores to modernity and innovation, accompanying  the emergence of a convergence model that combines speed, complexity, risk, change and surprise with economic systems and trade in the context of new technological and scientific platforms,” added the Regional Secretary.

The recent development of VLBI techniques applied to geodesy and geophysics and achieved results to establish the reference systems and the Earth rotation parameters are required for the operation of space navigation and global positioning systems, such as GPS or Galileo.