A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) on October 31 to promote collaboration in optical and infrared wavelength astronomy, in particular, concerning the development of a new camera for the Subaru Telescope.

The NAOJ is a core Japanese national institute for astronomy and, also widely acknowledges as having some of the most advanced observation facilities in the world. The NAOJ is an institute of the Japanese inter-university research agency, NINS, which constitutes of several institutes that cooperate with each other to promote research in the fields of astronomy, materials science, energy science and bioscience of natural science. The NAOJ conducts astronomical observations and researches as well as acting as a contact point for international cooperation in the development of astronomy and related fields.

The Subaru Telescope, which began operation in 1999, is the NAOJ flagship telescope and one of the largest and most advanced optical telescopes in the world located at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

The new camera, the Hyper Suprime-Cam, is the next generation of wide-field camera for the telescope. Its targeted field of view is 1.5 degrees in diameter, which will give more than 10 times faster survey speed than the existing prime focus camera (Suprime-Cam) on the telescope. Development of the camera started in 2007 and is planned to be completed in 2012.

The MOU was signed in Tokyo, Japan by President of Academia Sinica, Dr. Chi-Huey Wong, Director of the ASIAA, Dr. Paul T.P. Ho, President of NINS, Dr. Yoshiro Shimura, and Director General of the NAOJ, Dr. Shoken Miyama.