The members of the Comité Científico Internacional (CCI) of the Canary Islands Observatories met today on the island of La Palma. The ISC is the body established in the International Agreements that gave rise to the Canary Islands Observatories managed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and guarantees the effective participation of the User Institutions in decision-making regarding their use, maintenance and improvement.
The meeting, held at the Hotel H10 Taburiente Playa, began with a minute's silence in memory of Professor Francisco Sánchez, founder of the IAC, whose legacy continues to guide the development of astrophysical research in the Canary Islands.
During the meeting, new proposals for facilities were debated, the latest advances in astronomical research were discussed, future efforts were coordinated, and the status of ongoing projects at the two observatories that make up the IAC network was reviewed: the Teide Observatory (OT) in Tenerife and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) in La Palma.
Follow-up has been given to the decisions on actions taken at the previous meeting, which took place at the end of May 2025 in Toulouse, including the monitoring of road safety measures at the ORM, the next call for the International Time Programme (ITP) for observation at the various telescope facilities, access to data and transparency in its use, together with the necessary observational restrictions for future infrastructures, as well as the training and education activities carried out by the observatories.
Plans were also presented for the completion of the ASTRI project's Cherenkov telescope array at the OT, the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) telescopes at the ORM, and progress on the European Solar Telescope (EST) project with the creation of a management committee incorporating representatives from the Ministries of Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Spain.
Based on reports from the observatory administrators, their current status was reviewed. Both observatories form part of the network of Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS), a recognition that has recently been renewed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Emphasis was placed on the important role that the two ICTS managed by the IAC play in the national and international scientific community and the efforts being made to strengthen their connection with Canarian society through outreach activities and institutional cooperation.
The CCI emphasised the importance of international collaboration in astronomical research and reaffirmed its commitment to the coordinated development of projects carried out at the Canary Islands Observatories, one of the world's most important scientific infrastructures for studying the Universe.
