The Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) has officially established the International Institute for Particle Astrophysics, operating under the name Astrocent. Based in Warsaw, it is the first institute in Central and Eastern Europe to become fully dedicated to particle astrophysics and enabling technologies. Astrocent will strengthen Poland’s participation in world-leading international collaborations exploring the “hidden Universe” – from dark matter and neutrinos to gravitational waves – while advancing technologies with pathways to industry and society.
The institute’s development is supported by a combined €30 million package of European and national funding.
From invisible Universe to measurable signals
Modern astrophysics has shown that what we see as light is only a small fraction of what exists in the Universe. Beyond electromagnetic radiation, the Earth is continuously reached by other “messengers” – like cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational waves – which carry information about extreme cosmic processes and the fundamental laws of nature.
Detecting these signals is exceptionally demanding: they are often extraordinarily rare or faint, pushing scientists to build ultra-sensitive detectors and low-noise electronics, develop advanced photodetection, and create powerful data-analysis methods. Particle astrophysics is therefore inherently interdisciplinary, bringing together astronomy and cosmology with particle and nuclear physics, relativity, geophysics, advanced instrumentation, and large-scale computing.
In recent decades, major breakthroughs – including the detection of gravitational waves and the measurement of neutrino oscillations – have turned once-theoretical speculations into precision tools for exploring the Universe.
Astrocent: a mandate for science excellence and technology with impact
Astrocent’s mission combines frontier fundamental research with the development of enabling technologies that accelerate experimental progress and create opportunities for practical implementation. Its research spans key questions about the invisible components of the cosmos, while its technology programme focuses on areas such as ultra-low-noise detection, photonics, sensing, and data systems – capabilities that can translate into applications including medical imaging, environmental monitoring, and critical infrastructure.
Prof. Leszek Roszkowski, Director of Astrocent, says: “In particle astrophysics not only bold theoretical ideas but also beyond-the-state-of-the-art technological inventions are the sine qua non of achieving experimental breakthroughs and making discoveries happen. At Astrocent the emphasis on novel technologies will remain as strong as on frontline science. We hope that our inventions and potential industrial applications will be of interest to modern industry. But also that, at the same time, this technology transfer will provide the new institute with additional funds.”
Building on a proven Centre of Excellence
The new institute grew out of the “Astrocent: Particle Astrophysics Science and Technology Centre”, founded on 1 July 2018 as a department of the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Astrocent was established under the Foundation for Polish Science’s International Research Agendas programme, supported by a grant of nearly PLN 38 million. From the beginning the goal was to create in Poland a Centre of Excellence in particle astrophysics, combining fundamental research with the development of advanced detection technologies.
Over just a few years, Astrocent has built 6 research groups and a dedicated administrative team, established a fully equipped electronics laboratory and clean-room infrastructure, and assembled an international staff. At its peak the centre employed around 45 and over the lifetime of the project 68 scientists from 19 countries across 6 continents. Astrocent researchers have authored more than 150 papers in JCR-indexed journals, secured over a dozen national and international research grants, filed patent applications and industrial designs, and developed technologies ranging from autonomous seismic and infrasound sensors to novel wavelength-shifting materials and liquid-argon PET concepts for medical imaging.
Turning into the new PAS institute was supported by a combined €30 million funding package: €15 million from the Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence project Astrocent Plus received in late 2024 (Grant Agreement 101137080), plus national funding (€7 million from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and €8 million from the Foundation for Polish Science’s new IRA programme), awarded in late 2025 and early 2026.
Strengthening Poland’s role in astroparticle physics
Today, Astrocent plays an active role in major international collaborations in key areas of astroparticle physics: dark matter, gravitational waves and neutrinos. Its teams contribute to experiments such as DarkSide-20k and DEAP-3600, the Advanced Virgo and the Einstein Telescope, as well as the Hyper-Kamiokande and KM3NeT neutrino projects. It has established a strategic partnership with the Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC) in Paris, as well as collaborations with research groups from many other leading institutions, including INFN and the Gran Sasso Science Institute in Italy, DESY in Germany, McDonald Institute in Canada, CERN in Switzerland and many others.
As an international institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Astrocent will be present both on the national roadmap for research infrastructures and in the European research landscape as a reliable partner with clearly defined responsibilities. Its role is to strengthen Poland’s contribution to major international experiments in astroparticle physics, to develop technologies with impact beyond basic science, and to train the next generation of researchers and engineers.
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The institute was established by a decision of the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Resolution No. 6/2026 dated 17.02.2026). Prof. Marek Konarzewski serves as President of PAN (term 2023–2026).
