On October 4th, 2019, the contract for the construction of the Variable Energy Gamma (VEGA) System by the US company
Lyncean Technologies Inc. (Fremont, CA) was signed, following an open public tender procedure. The VEGA system,
operational at the beginning of 2023, will be the most advanced gamma-ray source in the world, having about one
order of magnitude higher gamma-ray flux and at least a factor of two smaller bandwidth, or energy spread, than the current
state of the art. The system will have applications in fundamental physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics, as well as applied
research in materials science, management of nuclear materials, and life sciences. The contract comprises the design, construction,
installation and commissioning of the system, as well as operation and maintenance support for three years after completion.