On 1 January 2012, European radio astronomy entered a new era with the implementation of RadioNet3, the third iteration of RadioNet, the European radio astronomy collaboration.

As the recognised European body for radio astronomy, RadioNet aims at facilitating access to leading radio astronomy facilities around the world for European radio astronomers.

The European Commission recently secured the project by granting it 9.5 million euros for the period 2012-2015. The Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) will work with 24 European partner institutions, as well as South Korea, Australia and South Africa, to offer access to all 18 existing radio astronomy facilities in Europe.

The project will also take full advantage of the APEX telescope operated by ESO, as well as the recently opened Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of which ESO is a partner, both located in Chile.

By promoting cooperation and making use of state-of-the-art facilities around the world, RadioNet3 will thus ensure European radio facilities remain competitive, and prepare European scientists and engineers for the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA), scheduled to start early operations in 2019.