Fourlaw Abogados has advised on the legal structuring of the Two-Meter Twin Telescope (TTT), the largest privately built and financed astronomical infrastructure in Spain, officially presented on October 9, 2025, at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife. The project is promoted by the Canary-based company Light Bridges, in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), and represents a landmark example of how advanced science, private investment, and sophisticated legal structuring can converge in large-scale technological initiatives.

Fourlaw Abogados advised on the legal configuration of the project, which combines cutting-edge astronomical technology with a public-private collaboration model supported by the Canary Islands’ special fiscal regimes, including the RIC, ZEC and 0% IGIC for space and astronomy activities. Under this framework, 25% of the telescope’s observation time is allocated to the Spanish astronomical community through the IAC, while the remaining 75% is managed by Light Bridges via partnerships with international universities and research consortia, primarily in the United States, Canada and Asia. The project also introduces an innovative economic model based on the commercialization of “observation time rights” as assets generated by the TTT infrastructure — a legally complex and highly singular market structure in which Fourlaw Abogados played a central advisory role.

The presentation of the TTT brought together leading scientific and institutional figures, including Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands; Migdalia Machín, Minister for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture; and Valentín Martínez Pillet, Director of the IAC. Light Bridges’ co-founder Antonio Maudes described the TTT as “a dream 25 years in the making,” highlighting its role in transforming fiscal incentives into science, innovation, and high-quality employment. President Clavijo underlined the broader economic significance of the project, calling it “a turning point in how the Canary Investment Reserve (RIC) and the Canary Islands Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF) can drive a new knowledge-based economy.”

Photo provided by Light Bridges

From a scientific and technological perspective, the TTT represents a major leap forward. Equipped with the world’s largest fully robotic system, the telescope has already contributed to more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific papers, including the observation of the near-Earth “minimoon” asteroid 2024 PT5 and the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Since achieving “first light” in February 2025, the TTT has exceeded the scientific output of comparable facilities, confirming its extraordinary precision and versatility. Beyond astronomy, the infrastructure is designed as a strategic platform for space technology, with applications ranging from satellite and space-debris tracking to planetary defense and the development of optical and quantum communication systems.

With its involvement in the Two-Meter Twin Telescope, Fourlaw Abogados reaffirms its commitment to advising on complex, high-impact projects at the intersection of law, technology and innovation, delivering tailored legal solutions that support scientific progress, public-private cooperation and sustainable economic development in strategic sectors.