IRAM

Name

IRAM

Legal name

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique

Website

https://iram-institute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Astronomy Observatory Services

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Satellite, GNSS & Positioning RF ICs (HDAHAMAJ), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO)

Keywords

• Millimeter radio astronomy
• Radio telescope observatory
• Interferometry facilities
• Superconducting detector technology
• Astronomy research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-martin-d'heres

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: IRAM is funded by three international partner institutions: French CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), German MPG (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft), and Spanish IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional). Access to IRAM facilities is provided free of charge to qualifying astronomers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IRAM operates two millimeter-wave radio astronomy observatories — the NOEMA 12-antenna interferometer on the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps and the 30-meter single-dish telescope at Pico Veleta in Spain — and provides the international astronomical community with peer-reviewed observing time, custom-built instrumentation (e.g., NIKA2 KID camera, EMIR multiband receiver, SIS junction detectors), data archives, and the GILDAS data-reduction software. Its in-house technology groups design and fabricate the superconducting detectors, cryogenic heterodyne receivers, and correlator electronics that make these facilities the most sensitive millimeter-wave instruments on European ground.

Product overview

IRAM operates two world-class radio astronomy observatories for millimeter-wave astronomy: NOEMA (Northern Extended Millimetre Array) - an interferometer of 12 x 15-meter antennas in the French Alps - and the 30-meter telescope on Pico Veleta in Spain. The institute provides these facilities to the international astronomical community along with supporting technology including the NIKA2 widefield camera (using kinetic inductance detectors), EMIR multiband receivers, and SIS junction superconducting detectors. Research services include a science portal for proposal submission, data archives (CDS Archive, TAPAS), and data processing software (GILDAS). IRAM also offers educational programs through its Interferometry School and 30-meter School for training astronomers in millimeter-wave techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NOEMA (Northern Extended Millimetre Array) An interferometric array of 12 individual 15-meter antennas located at 2550 m altitude on the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps, combining signals via earth-rotation synthesis to provide unmatched resolving power and sensitivity for millimeter-wave radio astronomy. Available to qualified astronomers worldwide through a peer-reviewed proposal process.
• 30-meter Telescope A single-dish parabolic antenna radio telescope on Pico Veleta in the Spanish Sierra Nevada at 2850 m altitude, one of the world's premier single-dish facilities for millimeter-wavelength astronomy. Available to qualified astronomers worldwide through a peer-reviewed proposal process.
• NIKA2 Widefield Camera Widefield millimeter-wave continuum camera using Kinetic Inductance Detectors with 2,896 pixels installed at the 30-meter telescope; the largest millimeter-wave camera currently in operation, with lithographic retuning enabling 100% pixel yield.
• EMIR Multiband Receiver Multiband cryogenic heterodyne receiver covering multiple millimeter wavelengths for the 30-meter telescope, enabling simultaneous observations across several bands.
• SIS Junction Detectors (Superconducting Devices Laboratory) Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (niobium/aluminum-oxide/niobium) junction detectors fabricated in-house at IRAM's Superconducting Devices Laboratory, forming the sensitive core of millimeter-wave receivers used at IRAM observatories and supplied to ALMA.
• IRAM Interferometry School Educational program for PhD students, postdocs, and scientists providing hands-on training in interferometry and data reduction at millimeter wavelengths, with special emphasis on NOEMA. Limited to 40–50 participants per edition.
• IRAM 30-meter School Annual training program combining lectures on millimeter astronomy with hands-on observing at the 30-meter telescope, aimed at researchers new to millimeter-wavelength astronomy.
• IRAM Science Portal Web-based portal providing the astronomical science community with access to data archives, science software, technical documentation, and proposal submission tools for IRAM facilities; also serves as the European ARC node for ALMA user support.
• Proposal Management System (PMS) Online system used to submit observing proposals for the NOEMA and 30-meter telescopes, available twice per year, with peer review by an independent Program Committee.
• Data Archive Services (CDS Archive and TAPAS / Large Programs) Long-term storage and access services for astronomical observation data, including the CDS Archive for NOEMA and the TAPAS / Large Program archives for the 30-meter telescope.
• GILDAS Software Package Astronomy data-processing and analysis software developed by IRAM for reducing and analyzing millimeter-wave observations from NOEMA, the 30-meter telescope, and other observatories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 scientific publications per year using IRAM facilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• University of Wisconsin-MadisonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Five-year collaboration agreement in millimeter astronomy focused on NOEMA. Aims to accelerate scientific and technological progress, exchange know-how and technical skills, and train scientists and students. International attention on NOEMA extends beyond European horizon.
• Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) CollaborationcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Global network combining radio telescopes across four continents for black hole research. IRAM's 30-meter telescope and NOEMA are the only telescopes on European ground meeting EHT requirements. NOEMA joined in late 2018 as crucial anchor station extending baselines to Hawaii. Contributed to first-ever black hole image (M87, 2019) and Milky Way galactic center image (2022).
• Purple Mountain Observatory (Chinese Academy of Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration in Millimeter Astronomy, particularly NOEMA. Primary goals include promoting research in astrophysics, sustaining technological developments in terahertz domain, and training scientists and students.
• Nanjing UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Cooperation agreement with one of China's most prestigious universities. School of Astronomy and Space Sciences runs multiple scientific research projects with IRAM. Joint efforts in millimeter astronomy and technology development.
• ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005IRAM is a major partner in ALMA project (64-antenna giant radio observatory in Chilean Atacama desert). Led design/construction of Band 7 cartridges (73 delivered), receiver optics, calibration units, backend digitizer clocks, telescope calibration software. Established ALMA user support center as node of European ARC.
• IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Spanish Instituto Geográfico Nacional. Initially associate member (1979), became full member in 1990. Provides support for IRAM's Spanish operations including the 30-meter telescope at Pico Veleta.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979French National Centre for Scientific Research. Founding member of IRAM (1979). Primary funder providing significant operational and research support for the institute and its observatories.
• MPG (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979Max Planck Society. Founding member of IRAM (1979). German partner providing major funding and scientific leadership for the institute's research and technology programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA): 64-antenna millimeter-wave interferometer in Chile; IRAM is a major technology partner (Band 7 cartridges, receiver optics, software). Directly competes for mm-wave astronomy proposal time, while technically overlapping in instrumentation.
• Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON): Operates the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and LOFAR, and is a key partner in SKA. Comparable as a national radio astronomy institute with strong instrumentation R&D and a global user community.
• National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO): Operates major US radio astronomy facilities including the VLA and VLBA, providing comparable telescope-based research services to the global astronomy community. The closest functional peer to IRAM as a multi-facility radio observatory operator in a different geography.
• Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (University of Manchester): UK-based radio astronomy center operating the Lovell Telescope and e-MERLIN array, with deep VLBI heritage. Closely comparable in operating model (university-hosted, multi-instrument radio facilities) and user community.

Emerging players

• Canadian Institute for Radio Astronomy (CITA) / CHIME: CHIME radio telescope at DRAO in British Columbia is a leading new radio survey instrument. Comparable in producing high-impact astronomical data products and developing novel receiver technology for radio astronomy.
• Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO): Next-generation intercontinental radio interferometer under construction in Australia and South Africa. Represents the future of large-scale radio astronomy; overlap with IRAM in user community and technology, though it targets lower frequencies.

Broad incumbents

• European Southern Observatory (ESO): Intergovernmental astronomy organization operating multiple ground-based observatories across optical, infrared, and increasingly mm/radio wavelengths. ESO is a broader incumbent with overlapping European funding sources and user communities.
• Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR): German radio astronomy research institute; IRAM is co-funded by MPG. MPIfR operates the Effelsberg 100-meter telescope and contributes to global VLBI networks, overlapping in scientific mission and funding constituency.

Regional players

• Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI): Korean national astronomy institute operating the KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and contributing to global VLBI. Similar in being a publicly funded national institute operating radio facilities for an international user community.
• CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science: Australian government's astronomy division operating the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Parkes radio telescope. Comparable as a publicly funded national radio observatory operator in the Southern Hemisphere.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCanGP9bu9y0dQokV-4305KQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IRAM