Mega Science: Achieving Local Impact from Global Projects

Many of the biggest questions in modern science require technology, infrastructure and budgets which are beyond those available to a single country. These Mega Science projects, which are supported by complex international collaborations need to deliver not only answers to the big questions, but broader benefits to the individual nations who participate. Achieving this presents both technological and organisational/cultural challenges and I will give some perspectives on both of these in the context of the Square Kilometre Array, the world’s largest radio telescope, half of which is being built in the Murchison region of Western Australia.