The meeting, organized in the Auditorium of the Header Building of the University of Valencia Science Park, brought together leading researchers, institutional representatives and heads of participating organizations, among them María Esther Gómez Martín, Regional Secretary of the Universities of the Generalitat Valenciana; Rafael Sebastián Aguilar, Director General for Science and Research of the Generalitat Valenciana; Nuria Rius Dionis, Director of the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC); and Jesús M. Salvador, Scientific adviser responsible for the complementary plans of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The ASFAE plan in the Valencian Community was presented in March 2023 with the participation of various groups from the CSIC, the University of Valencia (UV), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the University of Alicante (UA), the University of Miguel Hernández of Elche (UMH) and the IFIC, which has exercised autonomous coordination. Its main objective has been technological development, as well as the design of instruments necessary to advance the exploration of fundamental components of the universe and the study of large-scale astrophysical phenomena.
ASFAE is part of the state project 'Advanced technologies for the exploration of the universe and its components', in which seven autonomous communities participate: Andalusia, Aragon, Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Valencia and Madrid.
"This closure is a point and followed. All the networks of collaboration created should be the basis for new projects and alliances in the Valencian Community", Nuria Rius, director of IFIC
The Astrophysics and High Energy Physics program is one of the 8 priority research areas that both the Government of Spain and the autonomous communities have sought to enhance with the complementary plans for R&D funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Valencian Community participates in 5 of the 8 areas of scientific and technical interest: marine sciences, quantum communication, agrofood, astrophysics and high-energy physics, and advanced materials.
The programme is financed with about 38 million euros at state level, from the participating autonomies and European funds provided by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which is fed by the Recovery Fund 'Next Generation'. Of these, 8 million went to the Valencian Community (the second region best equipped with these plans), with a contribution of 40% of this amount from the Generalitat.
Carlos Lacasta, CSIC research professor at the IFIC, has been the scientific coordinator of this plan in the Valencia region.
The event was opened with a speech by María Esther Gómez Martín, Autonomous Secretary of Universities of the Generalitat Valenciana, who highlighted the impact and dimension of the program.
For his part, from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Jesús M. Salvador, scientific advisor responsible for the complementary plans, stressed that "this plan has been a success at the national and international level in several aspects: co-financing, collaboration, coordination and co-governance".
Participation in ASFAE has contributed decisively to placing the IFIC groups "at the forefront of experiments and technologies worldwide", strengthening their strategic position in major international collaborations in particle physics and astrophysics
From the IFIC management team, Nuria Rius Dionís thanked for the support received from the different institutions and research groups of the Valencian Community that have participated in the plan. In addition, she stressed the need to prolong and exploit the scientific capital generated during these years. "This closure is a point and followed. All the established collaboration networks should be the basis for new projects and alliances in the Valencia region", she said.
The block of presentations on ASFAE and the presentation of the main scientific and technological objectives and results achieved during the project were then opened, that were shared with the public through different interventions by the regional coordinator and IFIC research staff. Among other fields, exploration from the largest structures of the universe to its smallest components, as well as the latest technologies developed for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer were outstanding.
Finally, during the closing of the event it was highlighted that participation in ASFAE has contributed decisively to put the groups of the IFIC "at the forefront of experiments and technologies worldwide", strengthening its strategic position in major international collaborations in particle physics and astrophysics.
After the closing day, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a networking space, which was especially enriching.
Source: IFIC