The Vice President of the Government of Aragón, Mar Vaquero, met with Tsuyoshi Nakaya, the Japanese leader of the international Hyper-Kamiokande experiment, to highlight the strategic role of the Aragonese community in this world-class scientific project. The meeting emphasized the scientific cooperation between Japan and Spain in an infrastructure aimed at addressing fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe.
Mar Vaquero held a meeting with Tsuyoshi Nakaya, one of the leaders of the international Hyper-Kamiokande experiment (Hyper-Ko HK), considered the largest neutrino observatory under construction in the world and a successor to the Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande experiments. The meeting allowed for the strategic role of Aragón in global science to be brought to light and underscored the importance of scientific cooperation between the two countries.
The project involves the participation of institutes from about twenty countries across six continents and aims to discover the differences between matter and antimatter that explain the origin of the Universe, making it a strong candidate for the Nobel Prize. In addition, it will allow for the study of proton stability and the observation of cosmic phenomena such as the end of the life cycle of stars with greater mass than the Sun. Data collection is scheduled for 2028.
Aragón leads and coordinates the Spanish contribution to Hyper-Kamiokande, valued at 20 million euros, making it, along with the United Kingdom, the largest non-Japanese contributor to the project, which has a total global value of 600 million dollars. From the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, the community directs the design, manufacture, and validation of key components such as the 20,500 protective units for the optical sensors, assembly pieces, silicone and steel covers, and the ventilation system of the scientific tunnel aimed at reducing radon levels.
This leadership positions Aragón as an international benchmark in particle physics research, with technological and industrial capacity that integrates Spanish companies into international tenders. The project enhances collaboration with leading Japanese companies such as Kuraray, Hamamatsu, and Kumagai-gumi, responsible for producing essential components for the construction of the detector.
