EGO, the European Gravitational Observatory, located in Cascina, in the countryside near Pisa is the institutional home of the Virgo experiment, the only gravitational waves detector in Europe and one of four in the world. Gravitational Waves are very faint cosmic signals that allow us to observe extraordinary phenomena in the deep Universe, such as the merging of black holes or stars.

More than 900 scientists from 20 countries contribute the Virgo Scientific Collaboration. EGO’s funding agencies are: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Italy, and the Foundation for Dutch Scientific Research Institutes (NWO-I) in the Netherlands. In 2025 two institutions based in Belgium joined the consortium: FWO (The research Foundation Flanders) and FNRS (Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique).

The mission of EGO includes:

• ensuring the functioning of the VIRGO antenna, its maintenance, its operation and the improvements to be made
• ensuring the maintenance of the related infrastructures, including a computer centre and promoting open co-operation in R&D
• ensuring the maintenance of the site
  carrying out research in the field of gravitation of common interest for the Members
• promoting the co-operation in the field of experimental and theoretical gravitational waves research in Europe
• promoting contacts among scientists and engineers, the dissemination of information and advanced training for young researchers

EGO is also engaged in communication and public engagement projects, promotes the involvement of non-scientists in research (citizen science), organizes events and exhibitions for the general public, and is dedicated to researching new languages at the intersection of art and science.