Edinburgh hosts the UK Astronomical Technology Centre, responsible for developing advanced astronomical instrumentation
for telescopes and spacecraft world-wide. It is an STFC establishment, but is co-located with the Institute for Astronomy, with which it has a symbiotic relationship. The ATC also has formal collaborations with Heriot-Watt.
Edinburgh is also a major centre for astronomical surveys and the database techniques associated with serving data to astronomers world-wide, leading to the UK AstroGrid project providing for the global Virtual Observatory new e-science tools to revolutionise the way we do astrophysics research.
The world reputation of the Glasgow Institute for Gravitational Research also springs from leadership of key technologies.