A group of distinguished Australian scientists have condemned the Albanese government\u2019s decision to withdraw its association with the European Southern Observatory (ESO), claiming the move risks Australia falling behind in global science and innovation. <\/p>\n
The ESO, also known as the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, is an intergovernmental science organisation that designs, builds and operates world-class observatories. <\/p>\n
Full ESO membership was a recommendation of the National Committee for Astronomy\u2019s decadal plan for 2026-25. <\/p>\n
NewsWire understands full membership costs the taxpayer around $500m. <\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s decision to discontinue membership means local access to the organisation will be cut off by 2027 when the current 10-year arrangement ends.<\/p>\n
It is understood government consultation with the sector will then begin on next steps. <\/p>\n
The move comes days after the launch of the Artemis II lunar mission and less than four months after astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg was named 2026 Australian of the Year. <\/p>\n
The latter was a milestone many saw as signalling the country\u2019s growing role in space, with Anthony Albanese describing Ms Bennell-Pegg as \u201can inspiration to the next generation of Australian scientists, engineers and astronauts\u201d in January. <\/p>\n
But withdrawal of ESO membership has sparked fears this progress could be undermined and sideline Australia at a moment of renewed global space ambition. <\/p>\n
\u201cStepping back now risks long-term damage to our capability and competitiveness, and this decision means Australia will no longer remain at the forefront of astronomy research and discovery,\u201d Australian Academy of Science policy secretary Margaret Sheil said. <\/p>\n
She described ESO as a \u201cgateway to collaboration\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt connects Australian researchers to world-leading facilities and international teams, multiplying the impact of domestic investment,\u201d Dr Sheil said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn a field defined by scale and precision, partnerships are not optional extras, they are core capability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen baseline funding is already thin, withdrawing from shared global infrastructure reduces access to data, talent, and opportunity \u2013 without solving the underlying problem. You cannot build world class science in isolation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAstronomy does more than deliver discoveries. It inspires students, engages communities, and builds the pipeline of future scientists. <\/p>\n
\u201cStepping back from a flagship international collaboration at the very moment the world is looking up risks dimming that inspiration for a generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres acknowledged the discontinuing of Australia\u2019s full ESO membership would be difficult news for those impacted by the update. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Australian government is focused on making sure every dollar of R & D investment delivers maximum possible value for Australians,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat means prioritising investments that generate new opportunities for the research sector as a whole. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve moved to associate to this round of Horizon Europe, the world\u2019s largest research and development fund, valued at A$155 billion.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cFast-tracked treaty talks should see Australian scientists, researchers and businesses benefiting from that global pool of talent and funding from 2027.\u201d. <\/p>\n
Horizon Europe is the European Union\u2019s billion-dollar funding program for research and innovation.
It involves matched funding from the Group of Eight universities. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A group of distinguished Australian scientists have condemned the Albanese government\u2019s decision to withdraw its association with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":591536,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[2095,2324,288897,1724,288890,238053,64,63,689,288889,288884,2492,243315,288898,288895,288880,30330,288882,288892,288902,288888,74750,2588,288896,288893,269425,288886,288901,177527,288906,5575,31479,113241,42590,288883,288904,288903,288899,68808,288907,3354,180257,677,288905,288881,288891,128,288894,11298,12540,285,288900,39185,52255,288885,288887],"class_list":{"0":"post-591535","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-anthony-albanese","10":"tag-arrangement-ends","11":"tag-asia","12":"tag-astronomy-innovation","13":"tag-astronomy-research","14":"tag-au","15":"tag-australia","16":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","17":"tag-australian-academy","18":"tag-australian-academy-of-science","19":"tag-australian-government","20":"tag-australian-researchers","21":"tag-australian-scientists","22":"tag-baseline-funding","23":"tag-billion-dollar-funding-program","24":"tag-chile","25":"tag-development-fund","26":"tag-distinguished-australian-scientists","27":"tag-domestic-investment","28":"tag-european-organisation-for-astronomical-research","29":"tag-european-southern-observatory","30":"tag-european-union","31":"tag-exit-risks","32":"tag-extremist-group","33":"tag-fuel-rationing","34":"tag-global-astronomy-innovation","35":"tag-global-space-ambition","36":"tag-government-consultation","37":"tag-intergovernmental-science-organisation","38":"tag-iran","39":"tag-jason-clare","40":"tag-katherine-bennell-pegg","41":"tag-lunar-mission","42":"tag-margaret-sheil","43":"tag-means-prioritising-investments","44":"tag-membership-means","45":"tag-move-risks","46":"tag-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration","47":"tag-national-committee-for-astronomy","48":"tag-news-headlines","49":"tag-newswire-politics","50":"tag-oceania","51":"tag-policy-secretary","52":"tag-r-ampamp-d","53":"tag-research-sector","54":"tag-science","55":"tag-science-ambitions","56":"tag-south-america","57":"tag-southern-asia","58":"tag-space","59":"tag-space-deal","60":"tag-tim-ayres","61":"tag-treaty-talks","62":"tag-voices-frustration","63":"tag-world-class-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=591535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/591536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}