d ip lo - m a ts in th e a tte n tiv e a u d ie n c e , th e fe s - tiv e

h a v e b e e n ju s t a n o th e r o f th e s te p s to - w a rd s E u ro p e a n in te g ra tio n , n o w b e in g ta k e n a ll o v e r th e c o n tin e n t. B u t fo r th e a s tro n o m e rs fro m

O n a h o t s u m m e r 's d a y in L is b o n , t h e R e p u b lic o f P o rtu g a l a n d th e E u ro p e a n S o u th e rn O b s e rv a to ry s ig n e d a C o o p e r- a tio n A g re e m e n t w h ic h is a im e d a tfu ll

d e v e lo p m e n t o f A s - tro n o m y in P o rtu g a l a n d o n te c h n o lo g i- c a l a n d s c ie n tific tr a in in g a c tio n s r e la te d t oE S O 's a c tiv itie s .

M e m b e r C o u n trie s . It is e x p e c te d th a t th e O P C w ill s o o n re c e iv e th e firs t p r o - p o s a l ( ~ ) f r o m

H is E x c e lle n c y , S e c re ta ry o f S ta te fo r S c i- e n c e

P ro f. D r. J o s e P e d ro S u c e n a P a iv a , a n d fo r E S O b y its D ire c to r G e n e ra l, P ro f. D r. H a rry v a n d e r Laan. Am ong

fie ld s , a s w e ll a s m a n y m e d ia re p re s e n ta tiv e s w h o re p o rte d e x - te n s iv e ly

T e c h n o lo g ic a (J N IC T : N a tio n a l B o a r d fo r S c ie n c e a n d T e c h n o lo g ic a l R e s e a rc h ), P ro f. D r. C a r- lo sS a le m a , a n d P ro f. D r. T e re s a L a g o , A s tro p h y s ic a l C e n tre o f th e U n iv e rs ity o f P o rto , b o th o f w h o m

p re p a ra tio n s th a t p r e c e d e d th e c o n c lu s io n o f th is A g re e - m e n t, w h ic h w a s a p p ro v e d b y th e E S O

s h o w in g o f a s h o r t v id e o film a b o u t E S O a n d its ro le in E u ro p e a n a s tro n o m y . P ro - fe s s o r

P o rtu g a l, p a rtic u la rly e v id e n t a t th e fa - m o u s n a v a l in s titu te fo u n d e d b y H e n ry th e

w ith E S O . H e s u rv e y e d th e E S O fa c ilitie s a n d th e im p o rta n c e o f a s tro n o m y , n o t ju s t a s a s c ie n c e in its o w n r ig h t, b u t a ls o a s a d riv e r fo r n e w a n d a d v a n c e d te c h n o lo g y w h ic h m a y b e o f g r e a t u s e in m a n y o th e r fie ld s a s w e ll. H e lo o k e d fo rw a rd t o th e d a y

g e n e ra tio n o f P o rtu - g u e s e a s tro n o m e rs w ill b e a b le t o m a k e fu ll u s e o f th e ir n e w o p p o rtu n itie s w ith in th e

tro n o m y , in p a rtic u la r b e c a u s e o f m o d - e rn te c h n o lo g y . H e s tre s s e d th e im p o r- ta n c e

a n d p r iv ile g e fo r m e t o s ig n o n b e h a lf o f th e P o rtu g u e s e

C o o p e ra - tio n A g re e m e n t b e tw e e n th e R e p u b lic o f P o rtu g a l a n d th e E u ro p e a n O rg a n iz a tio n fo r A s tro n o m ic a l R e s e a rc h in th e S o u th - e rn H e m is p h e re-

b e lie v e th a t th is A g re e m e n t, w h ic h s e ts th e c o n d itio n s fo r P o rtu g a l's a d h e s io n

te n -y e a r p e r io d , w ill p r o v e t o b e a d e c is iv e m ile - s to n e fo r th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f A s tro n o m y a n d A s tro p h y s ic s in th is c o u n try .

o f h u m a n re s o u rc e s , s o th a t th e n u m b e r o f P o rtu g u e s e

p la n e t E a rth a n d its im m e d ia te e n v ir o n m e n t, in c lu d - in g

e s p e c ia lly a fte r P o rtu g a l b e c a m e a fu ll m e m b e r o f th e E u ro p e a n C o m m u n ity . In its p re s e n t q u e s t

P o rtu g a l c a n d ra w in s p ira tio n fro m th e G re a t M a ritim e D is c o v e r ie s in e a rlie r c e n tu r ie s .

o ffic ia lly s ta rte d h e re la s t y e a r. S in c e 1 9 8 4 , w h e n a

p ro g ra m m e fo r a s tro n o m ic a l s tu d ie s w a s firs t d e v e lo p e d in P o rto , th e re h a s b e e n a n in c r e a s in g in te r e s t a n d a s te a d i- ly g r o w in g

h a v e b e e n g a in e d a b ro a d a n d p re s e n tly , a num ber of P h D s a re w e ll u n d e r w a y . In a

im a g e p r o c e s s in g ; M lD A S is b e in g im p le m e n te d . S o m e s tu - d e n ts h a v e a lre a d y m a d e s h o rt v is its t o th e E S O H e a d q u a rte rs .

tro n o m e rs in th is c o u n try w ill b e d ra w n to w a rd s o b s e rv a tio n a l s tu d ie s a n d th e ir p o s s ib ilitie s

o r p e rh a p s e v e n b e fo re , th e fo rm a l a d h e r- e n c e

m e n t o f th e p o s itio n s a n d m o tio n s o f th e S u n , M o o n , p la n e ts , a n d a p p a re n tly fix - e d s ta r s v is ib le t o th e u n a id e d e y e . T h e n th e

b a s e d o n e x te n s iv e o b s e rv a tio n s o f th e s tru c tu re o f th e G a la x y th a t c o n ta in s th e ,E a rth a n d o f th e U n iv e rs e w e re p u t fo r- w a rd .

in tro - d u c tio n o f t w o b a s ic te c h n iq u e s , s p e c - tro s c o p y a n d p h o to g ra p h y , w h ic h le d t o n e w

tro n o m y is t o a la rg e e x te n t d u e to th e u s e o f m o d e r n te c h n o lo g y , n a m e ly a d - v a n c e d

w h ic h in e ffe c t m a n y tim e s re q u ire s th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f a d v a n c e d te c h n o lo g ie s , w h ic h c a n p a rtly ju s tify th e h e a v y in v e s t- m e n t n e c e s s a ry to p ro v id e th e a d e q u a te fa c ilitie s .

s c o p e w e ll d e m o n s tra te s . H o w e v e r, th e p o te n tia l re w a rd s a re e n o rm o u s , s in c e t h e in tr in s ic v a lu e o f k n o w le d g e its e lf is in v a lu a b le a n d p r ic e le s s .

a w a re o f its s m a lln e s s a n d fr a g ility . T e c h n o lo g y c a n in s o m e w a y b e d e fin e d a s th e m e a n s th r o u g h w h ic h m a n m a n ip u la te s th e e n - v ir o n m e n t. T h is d e fin itio n c le a r ly s h o w s th a t,

E a rth fo r th e b e n e fit o f o u rs e lv e s a n d th e fu tu re g e n e ra tio n s . N o g e n e ra tio n h a s a fr e e h o ld o n th is p la n e t, a ll w e h a v e is a life te n a n c y , w ith a fu ll r e p a ir in g le a s e .

S c ie n c e a n d T e c h n o lo g y a re n o w b e - in g s e r io u s ly c o n s id e r e d in th is c o u n tr y a t t h e p o litic a l le v e l. A fte r m a n y y e a rs o f r e la tiv e n e g le c t, o u r s c ie n tific c o m m u n i- t y

c o n s id e r a b le a tte n tio n a n d c a re . C o n d itio n s fo r s c ie n - t if ic

v e lo p m e n t h a v e c o n s id e r a b ly im p r o v e d in r e c e n t y e a rs , e s p e c ia lly s in c e P o r tu - g a l's in te g ra tio n in th e E u ro p e a n C o m - m u n ity in 1 9 8 6 .

P o rtu g a l is n o w , S c ie n c e a n d T e c h n o lo g y a re k e y in g r e d ie n ts fo r o u r d e v e lo p m e n t a n d fu ll p a r tic ip a tio n

b e in g s tre n g th e n e d ra p id ly a n d o u r s c ie n tis ts a n d e n g in e e r s a re in v o lv e d in a s iz a b le n u m b e r o f m u ltin a tio n a l R&D p ro je c ts , n a m e ly in th e c o n te x t o f th e

T h e s c ie n tific c o m m u n itie s o f th e d if- fe re n t c o u n trie s a re c e rta in ly a m o n g th e m ost

re a s o n s . S c ie n c e h a s a lw a y s c u t a c ro s s b a rrie rs a n d fro n - tie rs

in s tru m e n ta l fo r its d e v e lo p m e n t. In te r- n a tio n a liz a tio n a n d m o b ility o f s c ie n tis ts is th e re fo re a c o rn e rs to n e o f o u r s c ie n - tific p o lic y .

T h e P o rtu g u e s e S c ie n tific C o m m u n ity is s till r e la tiv e ly s m a ll-a b o u t 5 0 0 0 fu ll- tim e e q u iv a le n t s c ie n tis ts-

h a s to b e ra p id ly in c re a s e d , b o th b y n e w e n try -le v e l re c ru its a n d a ls o b y a ttra c t- in g s e n io r fo r e ig n s c ie n tis ts .

I b e lie v e to d a y is in d e e d a n im p o r ta n t m a rk in th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f A s tro n o m y in

n a tio n - w id e p ro g ra m m e fo r th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f A s tro n o m y lA s tro p y s ic s . J N IC T 's

A s tro n o m y w a s , fo r th e v e ry firs t tim e , c o n s id e re d a s o n e o f th e a re a s th a t s h o u ld b e d e - v e lo p e d .

d o n e in m o d e rn tim e s-in c lu d in g a fu ll e n q u iry o n th e fa c ilitie s , p e rs o n n e l, a c tiv - ity (te a c h in g a n d re s e a rc h ), p ro g ra m m e s a n d

(P o rto , C o im b ra a n d L is b o a ) a n d a t th e N a tio n a l O b s e rv a to ry (L is b o a ).T h e c o n c lu s io n s o f th is s u rv e y g a v e a re a lis tic im a g e o f th e

a n d m a k in g th e ir life s o m e w h a t d iffic u lt. B u t th e re a re s o m e g o o d p ro s p e c ts o n th e h o riz o n t o o v e rc o m e th is s o lu tio n .

P ro g ra m m e w ith th e n e w E C F ra m e w o rk P ro g ra m m e 1 9 9 0 1 9 4 w ill c e rta in ly p ro v id e th e s ta g e fo r a ra p id d e v e lo p m e n t o f P o rtu g u e s e S c ie n c e a n d T e c h n o lo g y . It is u p t o th e s c ie n tific c o m m u n ity t o s e iz e th e o p p o r - tu n itie s

a v a ila b le t o th e m . T h e g o v e r n - m e n t s h o u ld o n ly c re a te th e rig h t e n v i- ro n m e n t a n d o f c o u rs e a d e q u a te c o n d i- tio n s

a s m a ll o r m e d iu m e n te r p r is e , R&Dis a v e ry e x p e n s iv e a c tiv ity . T h a t is w h y U n i- v e rs ity -In d u s try

b e s tr o n g ly e n c o u r a g e d a n d it p le a s e s m e t o s a y th a t s o m e e n c o u ra g in g e x a m p le s h a v e a lre a d y flo u ris h e d in th is c o u n try .

G re a t M a ritim e D is c o v e rie s o f th e 1 5 th a n d 1 6 th c e n tu r ie s , w h ic h w e r e p o s s ib le b y

s p irit a n d th e c a p a c ity o f ta k in g ris k s ; (4 ) m a s te ry o f th e te c h n o lo g ic a l s y s te m s o f th a t tim e , n a v ig a tio n a n d w e a p o n ry .

u s n o w a d a y s re q u ire th e s a m e in g re d ie n ts fo r a n a d e q u a te re s p o n s e .

s itu a tio n a t th e , u n til th e n , u n iq u eS ta te - o r U n iv e rs ity -fin a n c e d In s titu tio n s fo r a s - tro n o m ic a l

com - m e n t o n th o s e re s u lts , th e y s h o u ld , e v e n to d a y , b e g iv e n s e rio u s a n d u rg e n t a tte n - tio n . Q u a lifie d h u m a n re s o u rc e s a re th e c ru c ia l c o m p o n e n t, o th e rw is e a ll e ffo rts a re c o n d e m n e d to fa ilu re .

in P o rtu - g a l re m a in s v e ry w o rry s o m e : in s te a d o f th e "E u ro p e a n a v e ra g e " o f 1 0 to 2 0a s - tro n o m e rs l1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0

w e a re s till s h o rt b y a fa c to r o f 1O! A n d th e la c k o f lo n g tra d itio n o f re s e a rc h w o rk in