25th anniversary of JIVE

© JIVE

The technique of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) was not even 25 years old when it became clear that there was room for a dedicated operational institute to streamline VLBI efforts in Europe. The European VLBI Network (EVN) was becoming a globally leading endeavour, and needed a central institute where data could be correlated, and scientists could receive assistance with data processing and analysis. After several years of discussions and negotiations, this vision became a reality: the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) was formally founded on 21 December 1993, and hosted in Dwingeloo at the location of ASTRON.

"The Americans wondered if I knew what the acronym meant", says Richard Schilizzi, one of the founding members and the first director of JIVE, "but the name stood out in a forest of European institutes named with an E." Since its inception, JIVE has become a global name for VLBI in Europe and beyond, and the institute is a key player in technological and scientific development of VLBI.

The core business of JIVE has always been to correlate and support EVN observations. The first correlator was completed in 1998, when data was still shipped on big tapes. Increasing computing capacity enabled the development of a software correlator, and eventually real-time data transfer via the internet (e-VLBI).

A major asset of JIVE is its support staff. They provide help during stages of an EVN observation, from proposal preparation to data analysis, and are at the core of EVN operations. After honing their VLBI skills at JIVE, they often continue their careers abroad, spreading the knowledge of VLBI and the JIVE brand around the globe.

Confident in its strong legacy, and with 25 years of experience in uniting European and global radio telescopes, JIVE is ready for a long and prosperous future.