The Square Kilometre Array project was conceived some three decades ago and is now beginnng its construction in South Africa and West Australia, under the supervision of an international organisation consisting of thirteen member countries and five partner countries.

 

The road towards this stage of the project was rough and eventful, but has led to intense and world-wide collaboration, addressing both the scientific and the technical challenges posed by designing, financing and now finally constructing the next generation radio telescope operating at metre and centimetre wavelengths.

 

Thirty years of development have created new ideas, novel techniques, powerful precursor radio telescopes such as LOFAR, FAST, ASKAP and MeerKAT and above all a new generation of scientists and engineers, also in countries that until recently were not especially strong in radio astronomy.  The precursor telescopes are already producing excellent science helped by many young and enthusiastic scientists and engineers who are readying themselves to use the world's largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array.

 

In this lecture I will describe some of the highlights of the road to success and give special attention to the progress it has brought in science, technology and human relationships.