RFI INFRASTRUCTURE / Technology Solutions for the Improvement of the Technical Maintenance Processes for the Integrated Operations of the Paranal Observatory and the new Extremely Large Telescope (ELT

Request for information (RFI) to identify companies that are interested and capable of proposing innovative solutions to various challenges across technical maintenance processes the Paranal Observatory and the new Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) faces and/or will face. The companies should be able to provide proposals to address the various challenges involved in managing and enhancing maintenance processes, with the goal of optimizing and integrating these processes through Lean methodology, IIoT, and Industry 4.0 concepts. Additionally, they should resolve issues related to operations process management and technological advancements. Detailed descriptions of the specific challenges and requirements are provided in the synopsis. In principle, the maintenance processes for various systems such as telescopes, instruments, infrastructure, control systems, optomechanics, and others should be considered. The areas for improvement are related to automation, monitoring and control, maintenance, administration/management, new tools, new hardware, new software, etc. The RFI will be released in Q3-2025 to potential suppliers in the ESO Member States and Chile. Based on the outcome from the RFI, ESO will define the procurement strategy for the award of one or several contracts in order to implement the required solutions. ESO will also define the list of eligible countries before releasing the Call(s) for tender. ESO plans to issue the relevant Call(s) for tender during Q2-Q3/2026 and will communicate beforehand to the interested and eligible suppliers the Call(s) for tender’s scope and main characteristics.

External link to procurement, here