Development through Radio Astronomy Global Network

We propose to build partnerships between the three separate projects in development through radio astronomy that we have already established via the Newton Fund in Africa, Latin America and South East Asia. This collaboration will form a global network of expertise in the mobilization of radio astronomy for economic development. The network will establish and build 'south-south' connections that will help the sharing of experiences and lessons learned in how to translate the high tech skills of radio astronomy into local job creation and entrepreneurship. The activities in this project centre on four international workshops that each focus on a key aspect of economic development through radio astronomy research. These include the conversion of old telecommunications dishes into radio telescopes, the formation of regional collaborations using networks of radio telescopes working together, utilizing the big data aspects of radio astronomy for translation into other areas of industry and commerce, and the transfer of the high tech skills in radio astronomy into the related areas of space science, geodesy, satellite communications and telecommunications and entrepreneurship. We will encourage other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the three continental regions to join the established activities and build strong regional collaborations around this theme. This will help cement the UK's position as a world leader in radio astronomy and its applications.