The Giant Magellan Telescope and the Coquimbo Regional Government signed a strategic partnership on April 17 to position the Chilean region as a global hub for astronomy, science tourism, and technology, with plans for the country’s first national visitor and education centre for astronomy at the heart of the agreement, GlobeNewswire reported on April 17.
The agreement was formalised during the Governor’s official visit to the Giant Magellan Telescope’s headquarters in Pasadena, California, where Coquimbo Governor Cristóbal Juliá met with the observatory’s president, Daniel Jaffe, with Chilean Consul in Los Angeles Francisco Leal in attendance. EurekAlert!
As part of the partnership, the Giant Magellan Telescope will establish its primary operations base in the Coquimbo Region, creating a hub for telescope operations, data systems, and scientific activity. The flagship visitor and education centre is being developed in collaboration with the Exploratorium, a San Francisco-based science education institution.
Chile already hosts the majority of the world’s astronomical infrastructure and, by the 2030s, is expected to account for nearly 70% of it. The Coquimbo Region is central to that position, hosting major observatories including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
The Port of Coquimbo has been designated the main logistics hub for the project, supporting the transport of major telescope components and infrastructure from international partners during construction. Space War
“The Giant Magellan Telescope represents a multi-billion-dollar international investment in Chile, and this partnership ensures that its benefits extend well beyond the observatory site,” said Jaffe. “Together, we are establishing a long-term foundation that supports scientific leadership, economic growth, expanded opportunity across the region, and a public-facing hub that will connect people directly with Chile’s world-class astronomy industry.” EurekAlert!
Anne Richardson, Chief Experience Officer at the Exploratorium, said the centre would be “a place where people can gather and directly experience the power of science and engineering.”
The partnership comes amid wider efforts to protect Chile’s observing conditions. In June 2025, the Giant Magellan Telescope, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the European Southern Observatory, and Carnegie Science’s Las Campanas Observatory signed a separate agreement to form a Dark Skies Council, citing light pollution growing at 9.6% per year and threatening the clarity of skies in the Antofagasta, Atacama, and Coquimbo regions. Giant Magellan Telescope
“This partnership positions the Coquimbo Region at the forefront of an industry that is shaping the future of science, technology, and opportunity,” said Governor Juliá.