Looking back on significant days in Warsaw, marked by the consortium meeting and progress review of the European Astrocent Plus project, the official inauguration of Astrocent as the International Institute for Particle Astrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a public lecture by Nobel Prize winner Barry Barish at the 2026 Warsaw Science Festival.
The APC is joining forces with AstroCent to inaugurate a European centre for astroparticle physics
On 23 and 24 September 2026, the APC teams played an active role in the 2nd meeting of the Astrocent Plus consortium and in the first progress review of the Teaming for Excellence project, held in Warsaw. Alongside major partners such as DESY, the GSSI and the McDonald Institute, the APC played a key role in strategic discussions, assessing the project’s progress and setting priorities for the next phase.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to this landmark project for astroparticle physics in Europe, marked by the official inauguration of Astrocent as an international institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to this landmark project for astroparticle physics in Europe, marked by the official inauguration of Astrocent as an International institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The APC: a key partner in the European Astrocent Plus project
Since the project was launched, the APC has been supporting the construction and development of Astrocent, contributing its scientific expertise and experience in the running of an international laboratory.
This partnership covers several areas: the development of scientific excellence in the fields of astroparticles, dark matter, neutrinos and detection technologies, as well as institutional and strategic support for the new organisation.
The APC also contributes to skills development and the training of young researchers, notably through training initiatives and the sharing of scientific expertise. The laboratory also brings its experience in science communication and outreach, particularly through the Cosmos, Science and Society team, as well as in the development of joint initiatives aimed at the general public.
Finally, this partnership helps to strengthen Astrocent’s links with major international collaborations and research networks in which the APC itself is deeply embedded.
An important step in this cooperation
The second meeting of the Astrocent Plus consortium, followed by the first progress review of the Teaming for Excellence project, marked an important milestone in this collaboration and provided an opportunity to take stock of the Astrocent Plus project ahead of the official inauguration of Astrocent as the International Institute of Particle Astrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
These events concluded with a public lecture by Barry Barish, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, organised as part of the Warsaw Science Festival, illustrating the shared ambition to advance research in astroparticle physics and make it accessible to as many people as possible.
Find out more about Astrocent:
- Astrocent/IIAP website: https://astrocent.edu.pl/
- Astrocent’s scientific areas: https://astrocent.edu.pl/research/scientific-areas/
- Astrocent’s research groups: https://astrocent.edu.pl/research/research-groups/
Astrocent communications contacts:
- Yuliya Hoika: yhoika@astrocent.edu.pl
- Magda Jakubiak: mjakubiak@astrocent.edu.pl