JOINT INSTITUTE FOR VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY AS A EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM (JIV-ERIC)

Their core work

JIV-ERIC operates and develops Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) — a technique that links radio telescopes across continents to function as a single Earth-sized instrument, enabling the highest-resolution astronomical observations possible. Based in Dwingeloo, Netherlands, they provide the central data processing hub (correlator) for the European VLBI Network and support the global radio astronomy community with technical infrastructure, software, and expertise. Their work underpins fundamental astrophysics research and they play a growing role in preparing Europe's next-generation research infrastructures, particularly the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2017), JIV-ERIC focused tightly on core radio astronomy operations — advancing VLBI techniques, radio physics, and supporting the European VLBI Network through projects like RadioNet and ASTERICS. From 2019 onward, their scope broadened significantly toward pan-European research infrastructure coordination, open science frameworks, and cross-facility data integration (ESCAPE, ERIC Forum, ORP). The shift reflects a move from being a specialized radio astronomy service provider to becoming a connector across multiple ESFRI astronomy and physics infrastructures.

JIV-ERIC is positioning itself as a data and infrastructure integration hub for the SKA era, bridging radio astronomy with broader European open science ecosystems.

How they like to work

JIV-ERIC operates almost exclusively as a participant (6 of 7 projects), joining large consortia rather than leading them — their one coordination role was JUMPING JIVE, focused on their own institutional development. With 136 unique partners across 25 countries, they are deeply embedded in Europe's astronomy infrastructure network. This profile suggests a trusted specialist that large consortia actively recruit for their unique VLBI and data processing capabilities rather than an organization that initiates projects itself.

Exceptionally broad network for their size: 136 unique consortium partners spanning 25 countries, reflecting their central role in pan-European astronomy infrastructure. Their partnerships reach across major observatories, universities, and computing centres throughout Europe and beyond.

What sets them apart

JIV-ERIC is one of very few organizations worldwide that can provide central VLBI correlation and processing services at a continental scale — this is not a capability that can be easily replicated. As an ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), they carry a specific legal and governance status that makes them a natural bridge between national facilities and EU-level infrastructure policy. For any consortium needing radio astronomy data processing, VLBI expertise, or SKA preparedness, JIV-ERIC is essentially irreplaceable in Europe.

Highlights from their portfolio

• JUMPING JIVE
  Their only coordinated project (EUR 1.89M) — focused on globalising JIVE itself, signaling institutional ambition beyond European boundaries.
• ESCAPE
  EUR 1.06M contribution to a flagship cluster project connecting 12+ ESFRI facilities across astronomy and particle physics into a shared open science cloud.
• ORP
  Their most recent and second-largest project (EUR 1.64M), merging the optical and radio astronomy communities — signals their future direction.