The Instrumentation Division of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is involved since several years in upgrading its capacities to design and manufacture optical components. To this end, we have created a new laboratory (Centre for Advanced Optical Systems, CSOA) which will be capable to design, fabricate and qualify large optical

A new generation of optical intensity interferometers are emerging in recent years taking advantage of the existing infrastructure of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The MAGIC SII (Stellar Intensity Interferometer) in La Palma, Spain, has been operating since its first successful measurements in 2019 and its current design allows

Large-format infrared detectors are at the heart of major ground and space-based astronomical instruments, and the HgCdTe HxRG is the most widely used. The Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) of the ESA's Euclid mission launched in July 2023 hosts 16 H2RG detectors in the focal plane. Their performance relies heavily on the effect of

Phase Diversity (PD) is a technique widely used to measure and compensate for Non-Common Path Aberrations (NCPA) in optical systems. Beyond its traditional applications, PD has found further uses in solar astrophysics, where it enhances image quality by processing multiple images to correct residual aberrations. In this work, we introduce a

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has developed a robust and sustainable framework that is aligned with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals including economic diversification, local job creation and skills development. The RCU is currently thriving to deliver an environmentally and historically conscientious

Small-ELF (SELF) is a 3.5-meter telescope currently entering the manufacturing phase and will serve as a technology precursor for the much larger telescope named ELF (Exo-Life Finder). The primary objective of the proposed design approach is to to radically improve the system's capabilities for the detection of biomarkers and life in the