As part of Open Government Week, which is being held from 19 to 25 May, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) has organised open days at its facilities in La Laguna (Tenerife) to bring its research and technological activity closer to the public. This international initiative aims to promote the values of transparency, citizen participation and accountability in public administrations.

The visits, in which dozens of people took part in different shifts, were held on Monday 19 May at the IAC headquarters and on Tuesday 20 May at the IACTEC building, the Institute's technological and business cooperation space.

Journey to the heart of the IAC

During the tour of the headquarters, the visitors were welcomed in the IAC's Aula by the Research Coordinator, Jonay González, and the Higher Education Coordinator, Artemio Herrero, who gave an introduction to the Institute, its main lines of research, its links with the University of La Laguna (ULL) and its doctoral programme in Astrophysics. 

Afterwards, the astrophysicists from the Scientific Communication and Culture Unit (UC3), Alfred Rosenberg and Nayra Rodríguez, guided the groups through the centre, explaining the day-to-day life of the IAC, why the Canary Islands Observatories are among the best in the world for the astronomical quality of their skies and the role played by their telescopes in the exploration of the universe. They also presented some of the most relevant scientific results obtained at the IAC and the Canary Islands Observatories.

LThe visit concluded in the Instrumentation area, where the Institute's engineering staff presented the different technical departments involved in the design, manufacture, assembly and testing of the cutting-edge scientific instruments developed at the IAC: mechanics, optics, electronics, software and specialised workshops. Some of the most outstanding projects, both space developments and instrumentation for ground-based telescopes, were also on display.

IACTEC: technological innovation at the service of science

On Tuesday 20th, the day took place at IACTEC, where attendees were guided by the astrophysicist Alejandra Goded (UC3), by the researcher Natalia Arteaga and the communicator Raquel Conde, both from the LIOM project, together with other professionals from this innovation space. The visitors were able to see the facilities of the IACTEC building, such as laboratories, clean rooms, shared work areas and its multi-purpose room.

During the tour, IACTEC's mission as a technology transfer centre in the Canary Islands was presented, as well as the most important projects it is currently promoting. These include the solar and gamma ray telescopes (EST and CTAO), designed to explore solar and extreme universe phenomena; the future NRT 4-metre robotic telescope, which will operate autonomously from the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory; and the development of optical payloads for satellites within the framework of the IACTEC-Space programme.

Technology transfer initiatives such as TECMED, focused on the application of astrophysical knowledge to medical devices, were also showcased; the Centre for Advanced Optical Systems (CSOA) and the Laboratory for Innovation in Opto-Mechanics (LIOM), dedicated to the development of new optical and mechanical technologies that will form part of the next generation of telescopes capable of detecting biomarkers on exoplanets such as the Small-ELF and the future ELF; and the Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) group, which researches optical data transmission technologies, both classical and quantum.

A commitment to open science

This conference is part of the Open Government Week, a global initiative launched under the name of Open Government Week promoted by the Open Government Partnership. In Spain, this week is coordinated by the Directorate General for Public Governance of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, with the aim of promoting an administrative culture based on transparency, participation and closeness to citizens.

With this initiative, the IAC consolidates its commitment to scientific dissemination and its fundamental mission of making science accessible to society, awakening vocations and promoting knowledge of astrophysics and technology in the Canary Islands.

Getting to know the internal departments better

In addition to this activity, and also as part of the Open Administration Week, an informative proposal has been added through social networks where the centre has made known some of its less visible but essential departments, such as Accounting, Human Resources, Research Management and Instrumentation Coordination, among others.

This is a series of videos in which the protagonists of these departments or teams have revealed some of the essential aspects of their work that make the operation of a centre of international excellence like the IAC possible: from the number of doctoral theses that are completed each year, to the hundreds of invoices and administrative documents that are handled, to the dozens of staff selection processes. All of this keeps the centre's wheels turning so that it can focus on its scientific and technological objectives.