Finland joins ESO

Brussels, 08 Jul 2004

Finland, famous for its expertise in many frontline scientific domains, became the 11th member of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) on 7 July.

This new accession 'will contribute to [the] strengthening of pioneering research with the powerful facilities at ESO's observatories, to the benefit of astronomy and astrophysics as well as European science in general. ESO also looks forward to collaboration with the Finnish high-tech industry' said ESO in a statement.

By becoming a member of ESO, Finland is hoping not only to increase its scientific and technological expertise, but also to improve the public's understanding of science.

In a statement, the Finnish government expressed its commitment to increasing the public research funding so as to advance the quality, impact and internationalisation of research.

'Membership of ESO offers unique facilities for astronomical research which would not otherwise be available for Finnish astronomers. Finland is also very interested in taking part in technological development projects in fields like ICT, optics and instrumentation. For young scientists and engineers, ESO is a challenging, international working and learning environment,' reads the Finnish statement.

For more information on ESO, please visit:
http:///www.eso.org

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities
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