NAOJ has recently signed an agreement with University of Chile / UNTEC (Foundation for Technological Transfer) for the production of hardware components for the ALMA Band 2 receivers.

The ALMA Band 2 receiver development project is led by ESO with the support of NAOJ. NAOJ will deliver the receivers optics including plastic lenses, feedhorn antennas, and other waveguide components. The University of Chile will produce the ALMA Band 2 lenses with support from NAOJ, following the model of successful collaboration during the production of ALMA Band 1 receiver lenses. As was the case for the Band 1 receiver lenses, these state-of-the-art lenses will be delivered to ALMA through NAOJ.

On November 22, 2023, NAOJ Director General Prof. Saku Tsuneta, NAOJ ALMA Project Director Prof. Alvaro Gonzalez, and NAOJ Legal Representative in Chile Mr. Teruyuki Watanabe paid a courtesy visit to the University of Chile and UNTEC. During the visit, past and present collaboration between NAOJ and the University of Chile, including the recent ALMA Band 2 collaboration agreement, was reviewed and future initiatives were discussed. After a piano performance by a University of Chile engineer and commemorative photos, the NAOJ delegation visited the Space and Planetary Exploration Laboratory (SPEL) where they received an explanation of the latest technology development at the University of Chile.