RADIOBLOCKS: A New European Consortium to develop Next Generation Technologies for Radio Astronomy Infrastructures

February 2, 2023

The RADIOBLOCKS project, coordinated by JIVE ERIC and including major European research infrastructures for radio astronomy, together with partners from industry and academia, have been granted 10 M€ by the European Commission to develop “common building blocks” for technological solutions beyond state-of-the-art, that will enable a broad range of new science and enhance European scientific competitiveness. The RADIOBLOCKS project will start on 1 March 2023.

 

The RADIOBLOCKS project will take a holistic view of how radio telescopes arrays capture, process, synthesise and analyse cosmic signals and will develop components, technologies and software, applicable to a wide range of instruments, to enable the next major discoveries in radio astronomy.

 

RADIOBLOCKS aims to achieve a maximal boost for the major world-leading research infrastructures in radio astronomy by developing common needed blocks:

 

●  for the development of new correlators, which can efficiently exploit powerful new commercially available accelerator hardware (GPUs). This development will directly benefit the large radio arrays from meter to sub-mm wavelengths;

●  in cutting-edge frontend technologies, addressing the generation and real-time handling of wide band and multi-band data, in particular for the creation of novel detectors and components, both RF and IF, as well as the design of backends, with built-in RFI mitigation;

●  for multipixel (PAF/FPA) receivers, ranging from cm to submm wavelengths, suitable for large single dish facilities, with special relevance for future collaborations with pan-European and global RIs (e.g., SKA-VLBI).

●  for data (post)processing, testing prototype workflows functionality and demonstrating usage of end-to-end simulation tools.

 

"The project RADIOBLOCKS collects the experience and common interests of the radio astronomy community in Europe at large, including several other global parties and industry. For the first time, all will work together to develop the technologies that are necessary for the future evolution of their facilities. This is a paradigm shift, mostly facilitated by the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme", says Dr. Francisco Colomer, director of JIV-ERIC and coordinator of RADIOBLOCKS.

 

The 4-year RADIOBLOCKS project - funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme -

involves 33 major European research infrastructures for radio astronomy, together with partners from industry and academia from 9 European countries, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The engagement with industry to co-develop advanced technologies will increase the partners’ technological levels and strengthen their market positions.

 

The European research infrastructures (RI’s) involved in RADIOBLOCKS are the Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIV-ERIC) and the European VLBI Network (EVN), the Multi Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (eMERLIN), the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR/ILT, in the process to become LOFAR ERIC), the Northern Extended Millimetre Array (NOEMA), the 100-metre Effelsberg Telescope, the Sardinia 64-m radio telescope, the Yebes 40-metre telescope, the IRAM 30-metre Telescope and also global facilities of European interest, such as the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO, an ESFRI landmark), the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA), the Global Millimetre VLBI Array (GMVA), and the Event Horizon Telescope project (EHT).

 

“The RADIOBLOCKS project brings together world-leading academic research and industry experts from across Europe and beyond to co-develop and then exploit new technologies to maximise the science capabilities of current and future radio facilities,” says Prof. Rob Beswick, Head of Science Operations and User Support for e-MERLIN, the UK’s National Radio Astronomy Facility; Deputy Director of the UK SKA Regional Centre and RADIOBLOCKS lead at The University of Manchester.

 

The project builds on the highly consolidated RadioNet consortium, which, since the year 2000, have been supported by the European Commission through their different Framework Programmes. RadioNet has successfully integrated a unique array of capabilities and contributed to the continued advances in radio astronomy, which are recognised as essential in answering key questions in astrophysics.

 

The RADIOBLOCKS project is coordinated by JIV-ERIC, showing its central role as a coordinating research infrastructure bringing together the major research organisation in the radio astronomy field and its expertise coordinating several EC-funded projects in recent years such as the H2020 JUMPING JIVE.

 

For JIVE ERIC and the EVN, RADIOBLOCKS will have a major impact for the development of a next generation Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Correlator. The EVN technology roadmap for 2020-2030 highlighted the need for broad-band developments, extending the observing bandwidth by at least to 5 GHz, which also requires recording the data at a rate of up to 32 Gbps, an observing mode that will be fully compatible with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA-MID). Bringing in the SKA-MID, and several other telescopes is the other way to increase the sensitivity of VLBI observations performed by the EVN. This is particularly important for narrow-band phenomena - like Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) - where the only way of improving the sensitivity and imaging capabilities is increasing the collecting area (i.e., the number of telescopes, distributed evenly on various angular scales). To be able to process these broad-band data for large number of telescopes (>30), a next generation VLBI correlator, including specific modes optimised for processing large fields of view, short transients (microseconds time scale), and high spectral resolution modes, is necessary.

 

During the RADIOBLOCKS project, the VIRAC team will contribute to the development of a software that will be used for data processing in several VLBI networks (EVN (European VLBI Network), ILT (International LOFAR Telescope), ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), SKA (Square Kilometre Array), EHT (Event Horizon Telescope)) and will be useful for the whole radio astronomy community. It should be underlined that during the project, the data processing algorithms previously developed by the VIRAC team will be improved and applied to the observational data of the EVN and ILT networks. These algorithms are based on the KLT (Karhunen-Loève transform) and SSA (Singular Spectrum Analysis) methodologies. The results of the project will be used for further development of a single-base interferometer using the RT32 - RT16 interferometer in the Irbene radio telescope complex, and the results will allow the development of LOFAR VLBI capabilities.


“RADIOBLOCKS is an ambitious project that will bring together 33 partners from industry and academia from all over the world.” says Dr. Giuseppe Cimò, head of Space and Innovative Applications at JIVE and Project Manager of the RADIOBLOCKS project. “It will be an exciting challenge to help develop the common blocks that European Research Infrastructures will use to create exciting scientific results to answer key questions in astronomy and astrophysics.”

The RADIOBLOCKS project will receive funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101093934.

 

Additional information

The RADIOBLOCKS Consortium is comprised by the Joint Institute for Very Long Baseline Interferometry as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (JIVE-ERIC, NL, Coordinator), Stichting Nederlandse Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Instituten (ASTRON, NL), European Southern Observatory (ESO, DE), Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas M.P. (CSIC, ES), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (FRAUNHOFER-IAF, DE), Stichting International LOFAR Telescope (ILT, NL), Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimetrique Societe Civile (IRAM, FR), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG, DE), Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB (GARD, SE), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG, NL), Technische Universiteit Delft (TUD, NL), Universiteit Leiden (ULEI, NL), Ventspils Augstskola (VIRAC, LV), Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica (CNIG, ES), Universite de Bordeaux (UBX, FR), Universität zu Koln (UCO, DE), Syddansk Universitet (SDU DK), Sioux Technologies BV (SIOUX, NL), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF, IT), Observatoire de Paris (OBSPARIS, FR), Lytid (LYTID, ES), TTI Norte, S.L. (TTI NORTE, ES), Stichting Radboud Universiteit (RADBOUD, NL), School of Management and Engineering Vaud HES-SO / University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO, CH), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL, CH), Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI, KR), University of Pretoria (UP, SA), Beyond Gravity Schweiz AG (BGC, CH), the University of Manchester (UNIMAN, UK), the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford (UOXF, UK), United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI, UK) and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAOB, UK).

The EVN and JIV-ERIC have recently compiled a detailed scientific vision for VLBI, based on input from the scientific community (VLBI 2020-2030: a scientific roadmap for the next decade -- The future of the European VLBI Network) in the framework of the H2020 JUMPING JIVE project. The scientific priorities presented in that document drive the EVN technological developments.

The European VLBI Network (EVN) is an interferometric array of radio telescopes spread throughout Europe, Asia, South Africa and the Americas that conducts unique, high-resolution, radio astronomical observations of cosmic radio sources. Established in 1980, the EVN has grown into the most sensitive VLBI array in the world, including over 20 individual telescopes, among them some of the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescopes. The EVN is composed of 13 Full Member Institutes and 5 Associated Member Institutes.

The Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) has as its primary mission to operate and develop the EVN data processor, a powerful supercomputer that combines the signals from radio telescopes located across the planet. Founded in 1993, JIVE is since 2015 a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) with seven member countries: France, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden; additional support is received from partner institutes in China, Germany and South Africa. JIVE is hosted at the offices of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) in the Netherlands.


Contact

Giuseppe Cimò

RadioBlocks Project Manager

JIVE Interim Head Space and Innovative Applications Group

cimo@jive.eu

 

Jorge Rivero González

JIVE Science Communications Officer

communications@jive.eu

Share on other platforms

Other news

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences – a Place Where Science Reaches to Space

By Rota Rulle • June 27, 2025
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is a regional university of applied sciences where scientific activities are carried out in three strategic specialization areas: In natural sciences – implementing research in the fields of mathematical modelling, optical signal technology, astronomy and astrophysics, space technology and engineering electronics, ICT and electronics In social sciences – conducting research in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional economics In the humanities – conducting research in applied linguistics, comparative linguistics, and translation studies In June 2025, the science communication brand researchLatvia paid special attention to the contribution of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences to research activities, emphasising the contribution of Mg. sc. comp. Karina Šķirmante, researcher and lecturer at the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre, to science, technology and astronomy. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences – a university with the largest radio telescope antenna in Northern Europe Although Ventspils University of Applied Sciences will only be 28 years old this year, for most of its existence, it has been home to a world-class research centre – the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VSRC). Ventspils University of Applied Sciences has been home to the largest radio telescope antenna in Northern Europe for 21 years. " If the world stands on three pillars, then VeA has four – three faculties and the VSRC. Science is inseparable from education, and higher education must be grounded in scientific principles. It is this close connection between education and science that has ensured the rapid development of VSRC and the Irbene radio telescope complex over the past 20 years. More than 150 students have developed their bachelor's or master's theses at VSRC - either in science or technology development. The majority of VSRC employees are graduates of our university. VSRC has grown into one of the leading scientific institutions in Northern Europe, specialising in astrophysics and space technologies. VSRC conducts international-level scientific research and contributes to technological innovations, bringing Latvia's name to the world. Shortly, radio telescopes will also be used in a completely new direction - in satellite communications, communicating with space satellites near the Moon," says Andris Vaivads , rector of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. International partners highly value VeA's infrastructure – the radio telescope complex in Irbene is part of the European radio telescope networks (JIVE, ILT) with significant importance in scientific observations. VeA's scientific activities are focused on internationally significant research in collaboration with international partners, including the Swedish Space Corporation and the European Space Agency. In 2024, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences produced 41 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, of which 17 were published in the highest-ranked journals in Q1, and four in Q2. This is an excellent indicator indicating competitive and high-quality research. New researchers are being trained Many employees of the VSRC and the Faculty of Information Technologies work in both structural units, ensuring effective knowledge transfer between researchers and students. Representatives of this field are actively involved in public education throughout Latvia, conducting practical classes in schools and VeA laboratories, as well as giving lectures at the School of Astronomy. The development of a stratospheric probe by third-year students has also become a tradition, attracting public attention and inspiring future researchers. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences students – the most capable young specialists This July, Mārtiņš Leimants , a student in the "Electronics Engineering" study program, will travel to the Dutch city of Noordwijk to start working at the European Space Research and Technology Centre. Mārtiņš is the second Ventspils University of Applied Sciences student to intern at the European Space Agency (ESA) – a place where only the most capable young specialists from around the world have the opportunity to gain experience. In 2022, Rodrigo Laurinovičs went to ESA and spent two years there. If one student at ESA is a significant achievement and recognition, then two already mark a notable trend, confirming the excellence of our study program. Doctoral studies There are currently 22 doctoral students studying and conducting research at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences – 14 students are obtaining a doctorate in social sciences, and eight students in humanities and arts. The Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre is a significant research centre that attracts doctoral students and candidates from other universities conducting research in the field of natural sciences. In the 2023/2024 academic year, the first three graduates of the study program "Economics and Entrepreneurship" received their Doctor of Science degrees at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. Research funding doubled in 2024 Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and the VSRC are actively involved in various international programs and projects. Since 2024, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences has been part of the European university alliance COLOURS, which unites European regional universities from nine countries: France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Sweden. In 2024, the total funding received for research projects reached just under € 2.7 million. This is a significant increase of just under 1.5 million euros compared to 2023. The most significant increase in funding in 2024 is observed in the areas of contract work and intellectual property transfer, demonstrating the university's ability to create practically applicable solutions for industry needs. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences focuses on the creation and transfer of high-value-added knowledge, creating a platform where education, science, and innovation meet. With a clear strategic direction, international vision and modern infrastructure, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre are an essential part not only in the region and Latvia, but also on a global scale! Video with this month's researchLatvia calendar scientist Mg. sc. comp. Karina Šķirmante

Professor Valery Nakariakov open lecture and scientific seminar: "A Plasma Orchestra, or Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar Corona"

By Rota Rulle • June 25, 2025
You are kindly invited to attend a scientific seminar that will take place on June 27, 2025 , at Room D407, VeA IZI VSRC . Seminar Programme 10:00 – 11:00 Prof. Valery M. Nakariakov , University of Warwick, UK "A Plasma Orchestra, or Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar Corona" 11:00 – 12:00 Lunch break 12:00 – 15:00 Scientific seminar “Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar Corona” as part of the JIV-ERIC National Node Scientific Seminar Series Please confirm your participation by marking your name in the Excel sheet: Participation Sheet You can join in person or online via Google Meet . Google Meet link --- A Plasma Orchestra, or Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar Corona Valery M Nakariakov (University of Warwick, United Kingdom) The corona of the Sun is the outermost part of the solar atmosphere. The corona is a very hot, fully ionised plasma dominated by the magnetic field. The corona is the birthplace of extreme events of space weather, and a natural laboratory for plasma physics. One of the most fascinated discoveries made with recent high-precision spaceborne imaging telescopes operating in the extreme UV band is the ubiquitous dynamics of the corona in a form of various large-scale wave motions. An example of such an instrument is the Extreme UV imager on the recently launched Solar Orbiter spacecraft. Typical oscillation periods are several minutes, typical wavelengths are tens to hundred thousand kilometres, and typical speeds are from several tens to several thousand kilometres per second, which make the solar coronal waves the largest electromagnetic wave motions resolved simultaneously in time and space, detected in the Universe. The observed waves are confidently interpreted in terms of the magnetohydrodynamic theory. Various plasma structures of the corona support different types of wave modes, allowing for the use of the waves for the plasma diagnostics via the method of magnetohydrodynamic seismology.

Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) held for the first time at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences

By Rota Rulle • June 25, 2025
The Erasmus+ program offers the opportunity to participate in an innovative and dynamic learning format – the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). This format allows both students and staff to explore a specific topic in depth within an international setting, combining virtual learning with a short but intensive five-day on-site component. Students of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences actively take part in these programs – over the past two academic years, 18 students have participated in BIP courses held in Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and France. From 26 to 30 May, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences hosted its first Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme titled “Technology Startup Course”. The course was implemented as part of the “Developing by Experimenting II” module within the “Start-up Management” study program, in cooperation with two COLOURS partner universities – Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa (Poland) and University St. Kliment Ohridski Bitola (North Macedonia). During the program, students from Ventspils University collaborated in international teams with peers from Poland, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria to develop innovative, technology-based business ideas. In total, 38 students participated, including 18 international students (six of whom represented COLOURS partner universities), forming 13 project teams. The primary goal of the program was to enhance students' skills in creating innovative, tech-driven business ventures capable of competing in the real-world market. On 30 May, five of the top teams were selected to present their ideas to investors at the TestDevLab headquarters in Riga. The winning team, “SOUNDPACK”, was represented by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences student Ronalds Palacis. The team’s idea focused on using AI to generate fully cohesive, royalty-free sample packs based on natural language prompts, simplifying the workflow for music producers. The Erasmus+ BIP program provided a valuable experience for both students and staff and helped strengthen cooperation with international partner universities. In the next academic year, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences aims to implement two more BIP programs – one for students and one for staff. We encourage all faculties to submit their BIP program ideas by emailing: erasmus@venta.lv

OECD and European Commission Experts Visited VUAS

By Rota Rulle • June 18, 2025
On June 5, representatives from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission visited Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) to discuss issues related to the development of academic careers in higher education in Latvia. The purpose of the visit was to gain an understanding of the role, challenges, and opportunities of regional universities, including VUAS, in the implementation of new academic career models. During the meeting, experts met with the university’s management and academic staff to discuss topics such as attracting and retaining academic personnel, career development opportunities, support for professional advancement, and potential collaboration with other institutions in Latvia. The international expert group included Gillian Golden, Project Leader in the OECD Higher Education Policy Team; Thomas Weko, an international higher education expert and researcher at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy (USA); and Kristiāna Egle, a policy analyst in the OECD Higher Education Policy Team. The experts greatly appreciated the opportunity to hear a report from the Executive Director of the Ventspils City Council on the university's role within the city’s ecosystem, the university’s experience and staff perspectives, as well as the opportunity to learn about the university’s development strategies in a regional context. The discussions covered both the challenges and potential solutions that could help improve the development of academic careers in Latvia.

June Research Spotlight Karina Šķirmante: When Information Technology Meets the Universe

By Rota Rulle • June 18, 2025
When Information Technology Meets the Universe Space exploration is becoming increasingly important, expanding humanity’s knowledge of the universe, promoting innovation and technological development, and attracting new talent to science. Her work highlights the importance of combining expertise from various fields to address complex scientific questions. At such a point of cooperation between technology and astronomy is the doctoral candidate Mg. sc. comp. Karina Šķirmante, a leading researcher and lecturer at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VeA). Karina’s research activities cover high-performance computing and data processing, focusing on space technology projects. She is actively involved in the European Space Agency’s Comet Interceptor project, which aims to launch a probe in 2029 to study a comet that has never come close to the Sun directly in space for the first time. In preparation for this mission, Karina, together with colleagues from the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VSRC) of the Institute of Engineering Sciences of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, is modelling comet activity in the radio frequency band, in collaboration with researchers from the Tartu Observatory (Estonia) and Aalto University (Finland). This international collaboration is helping to develop and calibrate the instruments that will be used during the mission.

Ventspils Hosts COLOURS Partners and Explores AI Innovations

By Rota Rulle • June 12, 2025
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences recently hosted the forum “Artificial Intelligence – The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, which took place at the concert hall “Latvija”. The forum brought together industry experts, policymakers, university representatives, and others, gathering around 250 participants in total. The next day, a workshop titled “How to Collaborate Across Generations in the Era of AI” was held at the “Saieta nams” in the Pasiekste Windmill, open to all interested participants. During the same week, Ventspils welcomed partners from all COLOURS project countries. Over the course of several days, they worked together to advance the goals of Work Package 3 (WP3). The partners were also introduced to Ventspils University, Latvian culture and traditions, visited the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre in Irbene, and participated in the CoLab. Kristiāna Balode, WP3 coordinator from Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, shared: “It was a true pleasure to welcome the COLOURS partners to Ventspils and to share both our professional experience and Latvia’s rich culture and hospitality. I am especially proud that we had the opportunity to present our university and highlight Ventspils’ potential in the field of innovation. This meeting not only strengthened collaboration within WP3, but also sparked new ideas for the future development of science and higher education.”
Other news