Companies and IScAI:

The IScAI is open to world-wide high-tech companies with expertise in cutting-edge scientific instrumentation interested in participating in 2012 edition.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the development of instrumentation for the new generation of large ground-based observatories. In the early 1990's, the budgets for “large instruments” were typically in the range of 1M€ and small teams at the universities carried out their construction. By now, the current generation of instruments under construction or being planned for major observatories have budgets ranging from 20M€ to 70M€ – an increase of nearly 2 orders of magnitude in just over a decade.

The instruments for the future generation of extremely large ground-based telescopes and space observatories will be even more complex and expensive. Likewise, the size and composition of the teams required to construct such instruments has changed dramatically, involving dozens of scientists and engineers from academic institutions and high-tech companies around the world.

Participating companies in the IScAI will benefit from:

1. the opportunity to train a highly specialized work-force in tune with their needs and areas of expertise


2. a preferred access to partnerships with scientific institutions for building the next generation of scientific instrumentation.

As a partner, a company is expected, first, to propose an internship project, and second, to host IScAI students during their internship to work in its laboratories carrying out the proposed project within an experienced technical team.

Participating companies and companies will need to provide information on:

1. A self-contained, well-defined and well-planned instrumentation project that can be completed during the two months and a half internship.


2. A proposal for a set of deliverables to be submitted by the students at the end of their internship, in order to evaluate their performance.

The participating institutions must also guarantee:

1. A tutor who will supervise the progress of the students during their internship.
2. All laboratory equipment required for completing successfully the internship.

In the event that no other sources of funding are available, IScAI may provide the necessary financial aid for the students during their internships at these companies.

If you would like to learn more about how your company can become a partner in the IScAI 2012 or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mercedes Franqueira, the IScAI manager (at iscai[at]iac[dot]es), or the executive director of the IScAI 2012, José Miguel Rodríguez Espinosa, (at jre[at]iac[dot]es), address: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, C/ Vía Láctea s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Spain.

 

Partner companies:

	FRACTAL is a brand-new company with a very high expertise in instrumentation. Fractal people have been several years working in the GTC project, covering all the instrumentation aspects. Fractal personnel were in charge of most of the work on ELMER, an instrument for GTC. Fractal is focused now in very specialized courses about all aspects of instrumentation.
	GMV is a privately owned technological business group with an international presence. Founded in 1984, GMV offers its solutions, services and products in very diverse sectors: Aeronautics, Banking and Finances, Space, Defense, Health, Security, Transportation, Telecommunications, and Information Technology for Public Administration and large corporations. GMV was the only company collaborating in the IScAI Pilot Program in 2008.
	LIDAX is a spanish SME that offers a response to the needs its clients may have when developing Advanced Mechanical Equipment. This equipment can be either a part of Functional On-board Subsystems for aircrafts or satellites or a part of cutting-edge scientific instrumentation.
	NTE-SENER provides engineering services for the development of custom, high-performance systems, instruments and equipment for advanced research and applications. The original focus on solutions for the Life Sciences and Biomedical sectors has evolved to cover niches in other scientific domains as well. Nowadays, NTE's activities address the needs of research centers, technological institutes, healthcare organizations and industrial companies which require high added-value engineering partnerships and solutions.
	EADS Astrium CRISA (Computadoras, Redes e Ingeniería , S.A.) is a Spanish company founded in 1985 to design and manufacture electronic equipment and software for space applications: satellites, launchers, orbital infrastructure and space transportation vehicles. Other activities include engineering projects for ground stations, defence and audiovisual sectors.
	IDOM is one of the leading companies in the Spanish market for professional services in Engineering, Architecture and Consulting and, at present, is taking the necessary steps to extend that leading position into the international arena.