Beyond the telescope: Leading the global radio astronomy revolution

In the realm of modern science, the greatest challenge is no longer just seeing the stars; it is managing the digital deluge they send back to earth. As the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) celebrated its tenth anniversary, the message from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and its partners was clear: South Africa has moved on from being a mere host of international infrastructure to becoming a global leader in the data-driven discovery of the universe.

IDIA’s milestone event, held on 29 May 2026 in Cape Town, was not just a reflection on ten years of achievement, but a strategic pivot toward the era of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO). The celebration was bolstered by the official signing of IDIA’s third funding cycle agreement (2026-2030), a reaffirmation of the partnership between UCT, the University of Pretoria (UP) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and sustained engagement with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF-SARAO), the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and international astronomy partners.

Beyond the telescope: The data revolution

When IDIA was founded in 2015, the landscape of South African astronomy was vastly different. Researchers often worked in isolation, tethered to individual desktops and struggling with complex software installations. "In many ways, it was as if every astronomer was expected to build part of the observatory before they could start the actual science," remarked Professor Roger Deane, director of IDIA.

As a collaborative platform, IDIA changed that operating model by creating an integrated national research infrastructure most notably the ilifu research cloud hosted at UCT. By centralising data, software and expertise, IDIA allowed science teams to move away from technical troubleshooting and focus entirely on discovery. Professor Mosa Moshabela, vice-chancellor of UCT, highlighted that this synergy is what makes the institute a blueprint for future scientific endeavours.

"IDIA represents precisely the kind of environment in which scientific and technological excellence reinforce one another," Professor Moshabela stated. "The scientific ambition of MeerKAT and the SKAO demands new technical capability; in turn, those technical advances open new questions for science. That cycle – between advancing discovery, technology and human expertise – is where universities can make a distinctive, long-lasting contribution."

A proud decade of impact

The statistics of the last decade tell a story of rapid ascent. IDIA and the ilifu cloud have supported more than 640 astronomy users and contributed directly to at least 25% of all MeerKAT publications globally. But for UCT leadership, the true value lies in the "human ecosystem" that has flourished around this hardware.

Representing the university at the celebration event, Professor Thokozani Majozi, deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation, emphasised in his UCT address that this decade has been a masterclass in breaking down academic silos. "Tonight is about what is possible when we get together and work towards a common goal," he said. "Through MeerKAT, our nation has shown the world that Africa is not merely participating in frontier science, but Africa is helping to lead it."

This leadership was recognised nationally in 2024 when IDIA received the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Special Annual Theme Award for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, honouring its role in building the skills base required for the SKAO era. From visualising the "giant radio bubbles" at the centre of the Milky Way to discovering the most distant hydroxyl megamaser known, South African-led research is now at the forefront of the field.

By building the ilifu cloud and tools like CARTA, now the world’s most widely used radio astronomy visualisation software, South Africa has ensured that the "valuable currency" of data remains under the leadership of local researchers. Professor Majozi reinforced this sentiment, noting that "the institutions that succeed in the future will be those that understand that scientific excellence and technological excellence are inseparable. IDIA stands in the middle of that, right at the intersection of that excellence".

The Next Phase: AI and the SKA Era

The next five years will require a focus on scaling the country’s capabilities, including the extension of SARAO’s MeerKAT telescope and the development of the global SKA Regional Centre Network (SRCNet).

“That cycle – between advancing discovery, technology and human expertise – is where universities can make a distinctive, long-lasting contribution.”

A major focus of this next phase is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Professor Deane noted that astronomy now sits at a unique "nexus" of AI and high-performance infrastructure. This is already evident in the work of young researchers like the UCT master's student Walter Silima, who received one of the awards at the event for applying machine learning to classify star-forming galaxies.

"Astronomy today is as much about data as it is about telescopes," Majozi observed. "Extracting meaning from this data requires advanced computing, smart algorithms, visualisation technologies, and deep scientific judgment. These capabilities reinforce one another when they are brought together deliberately as IDIA has done."

Investing in hope

For UCT, the success of IDIA is ultimately a story of people. As a testament to the institute's role in training the next generation of scientific leaders, the anniversary celebration programme introduced the inaugural IDIA Student and Postdoctoral Paper Awards. By developing researchers and technical specialists working across astronomy, data science, software engineering, visualisation and advanced computing, a rich ecosystem of skills driving innovation in astronomy is being developed.

"When we invest in science, we are also investing in hope for tomorrow," Majozi said. "And without hope, we are nothing as people. This is why we must use this milestone not only to celebrate, but to strengthen the partnership".

IDIA’s first decade has shown that South Africa can build and sustain the data-intensive capability required for frontier astronomy. The next decade is about scaling that capability from MeerKAT-era success toward SKA readiness, AI-enabled workflows and broader African research leadership. As Deane concluded: “Tonight we celebrate purpose-driven partnership towards bolder ambitions but with a humility to know that to reach them we must work together".