European GNSS Agency

Since its certification for civil aviation in 2011, EGNOS – the European satellite-based augmentation system – has been making flights in Europe safer, greener and more efficient. To celebrate this achievement and further promote EGNOS, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in collaboration with the European Commission, recently invited the media and European aviation stakeholders for a unique EGNOS Flight Event in Toulouse.

Today, over 140 airports in 15 countries across Europe benefit from EGNOS – with many more preparing for implementation. 171 LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) and 86 BARO approaches are already certified for use.

To highlight this impact, the EGNOS Flight Event, organised in collaboration with the European Commission, ESSP, ATR and Airbus, brought together aviation media and other sector stakeholders for a comprehensive briefing and demonstration of EGNOS, how it works and its significant benefits for the aviation sector. Along with flight demonstrations, the event assembled a unique array of EGNOS-experienced players – from pilots to operators, service providers and air traffic managers – to discuss how EGNOS is reshaping the future of air transportation in Europe.

Across the Board Benefits

Commercial, business and general aviation are all key market segments for EGNOS. For example, business and general aviation operators need to get to meetings as quickly and efficiently as possible, often requiring landing at smaller airports where Instrument Landing System (ILS) or other expensive ground-based navigation aids are simply not feasible. Thus, the implementation of EGNOS-based procedures at these airports significantly improves accessibility. “EGNOS, Europe's first satellite navigation system, already has a good success story to tell,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “EGNOS delivers continuous integrity protection in compliance with ICAO standards, allowing Cat I approaches with over 99 % availability. Today, 142 airports across Europe are benefitting from EGNOS – and the number is growing steadily."

According to GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, the Agency has the capacity to support airports and operators wanting to benefit from EGNOS. For example, this year the Agency has allotted €6 million to co-fund projects to implement EGNOS in aviation. A similar amount had also been allocated in 2014.

Airborne with EGNOS

Demonstrations of EGNOS included a briefing on EGNOS for rotorcraft and with the presentation of the GARDEN project. The project is using EGNOS to enable increased safety and better access for helicopters, for example, enabling air ambulances to access city centre hospitals. Participants were also given a first-hand look at EGNOS implementation in the cockpit of an Airbus H175 rotorcraft.

EGNOS in action was demonstrated by a series of flights using EGNOS for landing procedures with an ATR 42-600 turboprop, which was equipped with additional avionics in the main cabin so invited media could witness the technology at work. The flight demonstration took off from the Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, the venue for the EGNOS event, for a 15 minute circuit around Toulouse beforedemonstrating an EGNOS LPV approach and landing.

EGNOS for A350

A highlight on the tarmac was the Airbus A350WXB. Participants were given a tour of this new, state-of-the-art wide-bodied airliner – including a simulation of an EGNOS-enabled LPV landing in the cockpit. Airbus test pilot Jean-Christophe Lair described the A350’s new Satellite-based Landing System (SLS) that works with Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as EGNOS. This is the first time such a system has been installed on a wide body airliner and will be supplied as a standard feature to customers.

According to Lair, EGNOS is fully integrated into a common, harmonised landing system interface on the A350 – the SLS. This allows the pilot to fly precision approaches like an ILS with geometrical vertical guidance down to 200 feet. This new navigation system will provide Airbus operators a wider range of solutions to optimise operations and increase accessibility without any compromise to safety.

EGNOS Flight Event - video

EGNOS Expansion

The potential for expansion of EGNOS/SBAS is huge both in terms of global coverage and potential for use in Europe.

GSA Head of EGNOS Exploitation, Jean-Marc Piéplu, outlined the future upgrade of the system from the current Version 2 to EGNOS Version 3. “Version three will feature new capabilities, including dual frequency and dual-constellation with both GPS and Galileo,” he said.

This extension could potentially widen EGNOS/SBAS global coverage for aviation to over 90%. When asked about the timescale for this extension of coverage, Piéplu indicated that if the political will was there to implement, then this could be accomplished in 10 years as there were no outstanding technical issues.

According to International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (IAOPA) Senior Vice President Martin Robinson, there is a huge potential for growth in Europe. Currently there are 4,649 aerodromes in Europe and some 50,000 general aviation aircraft operating. Compared to the US, only a fraction of these are SBAS enabled. In the US, the larger uptake of WAAS is due to a deliberate government-led industrial policy.

“Europe still lags behind the United States and there's definitely room for growth,” said Robinson. “EGNOS will help to provide greater access to aerodromes throughout Europe and improve safety – but we need to be quicker if we are to realise these benefits sooner.”

More Information

Media note:This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

See Also

Map of EGNOS enabled airports

EGNOS Flight Event in Toulouse

Since its certification for civil aviation in 2011, EGNOS – the European satellite-based augmentation system – has been making flights in Europe safer, greener and more efficient. To celebrate this achievement and further promote EGNOS, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in collaboration with the European Commission, recently invited the media and European aviation stakeholders for a unique EGNOS Flight Event in Toulouse.

Today, over 140 airports in 15 countries across Europe benefit from EGNOS – with many more preparing for implementation. 171 LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) and 86 BARO approaches are already certified for use.

To highlight this impact, the EGNOS Flight Event, organised in collaboration with the European Commission, Airbus and ATR, brought together aviation media and other sector stakeholders for a comprehensive briefing and demonstration of EGNOS, how it works and its significant benefits for the aviation sector. Along with flight demonstrations, the event assembled a unique array of EGNOS-experienced players – from pilots to operators, service providers and air traffic managers – to discuss how EGNOS is reshaping the future of air transportation in Europe.

Across the Board Benefits

Commercial, business and general aviation are all key market segments for EGNOS. For example, business and general aviation operators need to get to meetings as quickly and efficiently as possible, often requiring landing at smaller airports where Instrument Landing System (ILS) or other expensive ground-based navigation aids are simply not feasible. Thus, the implementation of EGNOS-based procedures at these airports significantly improves accessibility. “EGNOS, Europe's first satellite navigation system, already has a good success story to tell,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “EGNOS delivers continuous integrity protection in compliance with ICAO standards, allowing Cat I approaches with over 99 % availability. Today, 142 airports across Europe are benefitting from EGNOS – and the number is growing steadily."

According to GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, the Agency has the capacity to support airports and operators wanting to benefit from EGNOS. For example, this year the Agency has allotted €6 million to co-fund projects to implement EGNOS in aviation. A similar amount had also been allocated in 2014.

Airborne with EGNOS

Demonstrations of EGNOS included a briefing on EGNOS for rotorcraft and with the presentation of the GARDEN project. The project is using EGNOS to enable increased safety and better access for helicopters, for example, enabling air ambulances to access city centre hospitals. Participants were also given a first-hand look at EGNOS implementation in the cockpit of an Airbus H175 rotorcraft.

EGNOS in action was demonstrated by a series of flights using EGNOS for landing procedures with an ATR 42-600 turboprop, which was equipped with additional avionics in the main cabin so invited media could witness the technology at work. The flight demonstration took off from the Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, the venue for the EGNOS event, for a 15 minute circuit around Toulouse beforedemonstrating an EGNOS LPV approach and landing.

EGNOS for A350

A highlight on the tarmac was the Airbus A350WXB. Participants were given a tour of this new, state-of-the-art wide-bodied airliner – including a simulation of an EGNOS-enabled LPV landing in the cockpit. Airbus test pilot Jean-Christophe Lair described the A350’s new Satellite-based Landing System (SLS) that works with Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as EGNOS. This is the first time such a system has been installed on a wide body airliner and will be supplied as a standard feature to customers.

According to Lair, EGNOS is fully integrated into a common, harmonised landing system interface on the A350 – the SLS. This allows the pilot to fly precision approaches like an ILS with geometrical vertical guidance down to 200 feet. This new navigation system will provide Airbus operators a wider range of solutions to optimise operations and increase accessibility without any compromise to safety.

EGNOS Expansion

The potential for expansion of EGNOS/SBAS is huge both in terms of global coverage and potential for use in Europe.

GSA Head of EGNOS Exploitation, Jean-Marc Piéplu, outlined the future upgrade of the system from the current Version 2 to EGNOS Version 3. “Version three will feature new capabilities, including dual frequency and dual-constellation with both GPS and Galileo,” he said.

This extension could potentially widen EGNOS/SBAS global coverage for aviation to over 90%. When asked about the timescale for this extension of coverage, Piéplu indicated that if the political will was there to implement, then this could be accomplished in 10 years as there were no outstanding technical issues.

According to International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (IAOPA) Senior Vice President Martin Robinson, there is a huge potential for growth in Europe. Currently there are 4,649 aerodromes in Europe and some 50,000 general aviation aircraft operating. Compared to the US, only a fraction of these are SBAS enabled. In the US, the larger uptake of WAAS is due to a deliberate government-led industrial policy.

“Europe still lags behind the United States and there's definitely room for growth,” said Robinson. “EGNOS will help to provide greater access to aerodromes throughout Europe and improve safety – but we need to be quicker if we are to realise these benefits sooner.”

More Information

Media note:This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

See Also

Map of EGNOS enabled airports

Since its certification for civil aviation in 2011, EGNOS – the European satellite-based augmentation system – has been making flights in Europe safer, greener and more efficient. To celebrate this achievement and further promote EGNOS, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in collaboration with the European Commission, recently invited the media and European aviation stakeholders for a unique EGNOS Flight Event in Toulouse.

Today, over 140 airports in 15 countries across Europe benefit from EGNOS – with many more preparing for implementation. 171 LPV (localizer performance with vertical guidance) and 86 BARO approaches are already certified for use.

To highlight this impact, the EGNOS Flight Event, organised in collaboration with the European Commission, Airbus and ATR, brought together aviation media and other sector stakeholders for a comprehensive briefing and demonstration of EGNOS, how it works and its significant benefits for the aviation sector. Along with flight demonstrations, the event assembled a unique array of EGNOS-experienced players – from pilots to operators, service providers and air traffic managers – to discuss how EGNOS is reshaping the future of air transportation in Europe.

Across the Board Benefits

Commercial, business and general aviation are all key market segments for EGNOS. For example, business and general aviation operators need to get to meetings as quickly and efficiently as possible, often requiring landing at smaller airports where Instrument Landing System (ILS) or other expensive ground-based navigation aids are simply not feasible. Thus, the implementation of EGNOS-based procedures at these airports significantly improves accessibility. “EGNOS, Europe's first satellite navigation system, already has a good success story to tell,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “EGNOS delivers continuous integrity protection in compliance with ICAO standards, allowing Cat I approaches with over 99 % availability. Today, 142 airports across Europe are benefitting from EGNOS – and the number is growing steadily."

According to GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, the Agency has the capacity to support airports and operators wanting to benefit from EGNOS. For example, this year the Agency has allotted €6 million to co-fund projects to implement EGNOS in aviation. A similar amount had also been allocated in 2014.

Airborne with EGNOS

Demonstrations of EGNOS included a briefing on EGNOS for rotorcraft and with the presentation of the GARDEN project. The project is using EGNOS to enable increased safety and better access for helicopters, for example, enabling air ambulances to access city centre hospitals. Participants were also given a first-hand look at EGNOS implementation in the cockpit of an Airbus H175 rotorcraft.

EGNOS in action was demonstrated by a series of flights using EGNOS for landing procedures with an ATR 42-600 turboprop, which was equipped with additional avionics in the main cabin so invited media could witness the technology at work. The flight demonstration took off from the Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, the venue for the EGNOS event, for a 15 minute circuit around Toulouse beforedemonstrating an EGNOS LPV approach and landing.

EGNOS for A350

A highlight on the tarmac was the Airbus A350WXB. Participants were given a tour of this new, state-of-the-art wide-bodied airliner – including a simulation of an EGNOS-enabled LPV landing in the cockpit. Airbus test pilot Jean-Christophe Lair described the A350’s new Satellite-based Landing System (SLS) that works with Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as EGNOS. This is the first time such a system has been installed on a wide body airliner and will be supplied as a standard feature to customers.

According to Lair, EGNOS is fully integrated into a common, harmonised landing system interface on the A350 – the SLS. This allows the pilot to fly precision approaches like an ILS with geometrical vertical guidance down to 200 feet. This new navigation system will provide Airbus operators a wider range of solutions to optimise operations and increase accessibility without any compromise to safety.

EGNOS Expansion

The potential for expansion of EGNOS/SBAS is huge both in terms of global coverage and potential for use in Europe.

GSA Head of EGNOS Exploitation, Jean-Marc Piéplu, outlined the future upgrade of the system from the current Version 2 to EGNOS Version 3. “Version three will feature new capabilities, including dual frequency and dual-constellation with both GPS and Galileo,” he said.

This extension could potentially widen EGNOS/SBAS global coverage for aviation to over 90%. When asked about the timescale for this extension of coverage, Piéplu indicated that if the political will was there to implement, then this could be accomplished in 10 years as there were no outstanding technical issues.

According to International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (IAOPA) Senior Vice President Martin Robinson, there is a huge potential for growth in Europe. Currently there are 4,649 aerodromes in Europe and some 50,000 general aviation aircraft operating. Compared to the US, only a fraction of these are SBAS enabled. In the US, the larger uptake of WAAS is due to a deliberate government-led industrial policy.

“Europe still lags behind the United States and there's definitely room for growth,” said Robinson. “EGNOS will help to provide greater access to aerodromes throughout Europe and improve safety – but we need to be quicker if we are to realise these benefits sooner.”

More Information

Media note:This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

See Also

Map of EGNOS enabled airports

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) takes part in the General Assembly of the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE), laying out the benefits of EGNSS for the surveying community and helping to launch a dedicated special prize for EGNSS-related achievements in the CLGE student contest.

Speaking at the CLGE’s 2015 General Assembly in Limassol, Cyprus, GSA’s Market Development Team spelled out the new opportunities that EGNOS and Galileo can provide for surveyors. Of particular focus was the essential role that surveying data plays for a wide range of businesses – across the private and public sectors and from land, water, marine, construction built resources to heritage, tourism, transport, planning, environment, and more.

    Also read: EGNOS for Surveying GNSS Market Report

Since the 1980s, traditional surveying techniques have gradually been replaced by satellite positioning technologies based on GPS. Now, with EGNOS, and with the impending arrival of Galileo and its proposed interoperability with GPS, the precision and accuracy of survey- and mapping-related operations will be further enhanced, while those same operations will be easier to carry out.

Expressions of Interest

Participants at the General Assembly noted a “very high interest” in Galileo. A sizeable part of the reference network station providers confirm that they are Galileo-ready and are looking forward to the signal. Additionally most surveying-related GNSS receivers are also now Galileo-ready.

Other EGNSS-related topics of interest at the meeting included so-called ‘smart cities’, unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and their use of satellite data, and proactive disaster management.

    Watch: EGNOS for Surveying Video

The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for the GSA to not only raises awareness of Europe’s satellite navigation programmes among the surveying community, but also to gather new requirements from this important user group.

The CLGE represents and promotes the interests of its members in both Europe’s private and public sectors and it acts as a permanent forum for European geodetic surveyors committed to European cooperation. Its activities aim to promote the exchange of technical, scientific, educational and organisational know-how among Member States, along with providing assistance to governments, national associations and EU institutions.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) takes part in the General Assembly of the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE), laying out the benefits of EGNSS for the surveying community and helping to launch a dedicated special prize for EGNSS-related achievements in the CLGE student contest.

Speaking at the CLGE’s 2015 General Assembly in Limassol, Cyprus, GSA’s Market Development Team spelled out the new opportunities that EGNOS and Galileo can provide for surveyors. Of particular focus was the essential role that surveying data plays for a wide range of businesses – across the private and public sectors and from land, water, marine, construction built resources to heritage, tourism, transport, planning, environment, and more.

    Also read: EGNOS for Surveying GNSS Market Report

Since the 1980s, traditional surveying techniques have gradually been replaced by satellite positioning technologies based on GPS. Now, with EGNOS, and with the impending arrival of Galileo and its proposed interoperability with GPS, the precision and accuracy of survey- and mapping-related operations will be further enhanced, while those same operations will be easier to carry out.

Expressions of Interest

Participants at the General Assembly noted a “very high interest” in Galileo. A sizeable part of the reference network station providers confirm that they are Galileo-ready and are looking forward to the signal. Additionally most surveying-related GNSS receivers are also now Galileo-ready.

Other EGNSS-related topics of interest at the meeting included so-called ‘smart cities’, unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and their use of satellite data, and proactive disaster management.

    Watch: EGNOS for Surveying Video

The event proved to be an excellent opportunity for the GSA to not only raises awareness of Europe’s satellite navigation programmes among the surveying community, but also to gather new requirements from this important user group.

The CLGE represents and promotes the interests of its members in both Europe’s private and public sectors and it acts as a permanent forum for European geodetic surveyors committed to European cooperation. Its activities aim to promote the exchange of technical, scientific, educational and organisational know-how among Member States, along with providing assistance to governments, national associations and EU institutions.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently released 2015 GNSS Market Report proves to be a hit.

As part of last month’s Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, the GSA launched the latest edition of its GNSS Market Report. The launch event included an overview of both the European GNSS market and the latest trends, along with a panel discussion that included insight from industry experts representing many of the market segments covered by the Report. In the month since its publication, the Report has been downloaded 10,000 times.

    Also read: A Glance into the GNSS Crystal Ball

According to GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, the Market Report is meant to be a go-to-source of information beneficial to the entire GNSS value chain and capable of helping companies improve their market share. “This latest edition of the Market Report serves as a comprehensive source of knowledge and information on the global GNSS market, featuring separate sections on each specific market segment,” he said. New to this edition is the segment of Timing and Synchronization.

According to the Report, there are currently 4 billion GNSS devices on the global market – a number expected to continue to grow both in volume and revenue. The report notes that the Location Based Services (LBS) sector continues to take the lion’s share of the market, followed by road  – in line with a general trend of GNSS devices being driven by the mass market.

    Also read: GNSS Market Report 2015 – Exciting Times for European GNSS

As to Europe’s share of the GNSS market, European industry currently generates more than a quarter of global GNSS revenues. “Granted, it’s only natural that the US owns the largest market share since they started earlier and have many ‘big’ companies operating in the field,” noted Calini. “But because of Europe’s abundance of SMEs, we have been able to steadily increase our market share.” He went on to say that SMEs play a key role in the European market, noting that seven of the top 10 component manufacturers are European companies.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently released 2015 GNSS Market Report proves to be a hit.

As part of last month’s Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, the GSA launched the latest edition of its GNSS Market Report. The launch event included an overview of both the European GNSS market and the latest trends, along with a panel discussion that included insight from industry experts representing many of the market segments covered by the Report. In the month since its publication, the Report has been downloaded 10,000 times.

    Also read: A Glance into the GNSS Crystal Ball

According to GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini, the Market Report is meant to be a go-to-source of information beneficial to the entire GNSS value chain and capable of helping companies improve their market share. “This latest edition of the Market Report serves as a comprehensive source of knowledge and information on the global GNSS market, featuring separate sections on each specific market segment,” he said. New to this edition is the segment of Timing and Synchronization.

According to the Report, there are currently 4 billion GNSS devices on the global market – a number expected to continue to grow both in volume and revenue. The report notes that the Location Based Services (LBS) sector continues to take the lion’s share of the market, followed by road  – in line with a general trend of GNSS devices being driven by the mass market.

    Also read: GNSS Market Report 2015 – Exciting Times for European GNSS

As to Europe’s share of the GNSS market, European industry currently generates more than a quarter of global GNSS revenues. “Granted, it’s only natural that the US owns the largest market share since they started earlier and have many ‘big’ companies operating in the field,” noted Calini. “But because of Europe’s abundance of SMEs, we have been able to steadily increase our market share.” He went on to say that SMEs play a key role in the European market, noting that seven of the top 10 component manufacturers are European companies.

European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides meets with EUROCONTROL Director-General Frank Brenner and Director Pan-European Single Sky  Adriaan Heerbaart to discuss common concerns and new cooperative activities.

At a recent meeting in Prague between the GSA and EUROCONTROL all parties agreed that it makes good sense for the GSA to work more closely with EUROCONTROL. The GSA is responsible for the exploitation of the European GNSS systems and EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, is the manager of the pan-European air traffic management network. The two bodies share many of the same objectives, in particular the spelling out of implementation policies for European satellite navigation in the air traffic management and aviation sectors.

With this is mind, following the recommendations on a joint EUROCONTROL-EU Task Force on GNSS of 28 June 2013 and the exchange of letters for the formalisation of the GSA-EUROCONTROL collaboration in September 2014, the two bodies have endeavoured to elaborate an effective cooperation mechanism which was officially formalised in April 2015 with the signature of a Framework Partnership agreement and a First Specific Grant agreement.

The latest meeting, held at GSA headquarters in Prague, represents a key first step for the partnership. This round of talks also brought in the Single-European Sky, a European Commission initiative through which the design, management and regulation of airspace is to be coordinated throughout the European Union.

Essentials

Key topics discussed in Prague include:

The aviation-specific environment and its requirements

•    The exploitation of EGNOS and Galileo
•    Security for critical aviation systems
•    Steps for a long term cooperation
   
EUROCONTROL Director General Frank Brenner emphasised the excellent teamwork that has already taken place. “All project managers and team members are more than willing to move the cooperation forward,” he said. Carlo des Dorides also pledged the GSA’s full commitment to supporting the partnership.

In concrete terms, the two partners discussed the coordination of the activities in the following fields:

•    Area 1: Aviation users’ needs, to support the definition of mission-level requirements for EGNOS
•    Area 2: The operational introduction of European GNSS services, EGNOS and Galileo, for aviation in the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) area
•    Area 3: Advice on regulatory and standardisation aspects, including spectrum
•    Area 4: Support to European GNSS development and exploitation activities
•    Area 5: Coordination of R&D for GNSS in aviation
•    Area 6: The inclusion of EGNOS and Galileo in future GNSS user terminals for aviation

Good for Everyone

The potential benefits of GNSS for aviation are by now well known. With its ability to augment existing GNSS signals, EGNOS offers enhanced vertical precision and integrity, i.e. a ‘guaranteed signal’. This means it allows for safer approaches at difficult airstrips or under adverse meteorological conditions.

With EGNOS, optimised and even curved approaches are now on the table, meaning the potential to increase air transport capacity, save fuel and lower noise in populated areas – all to the benefit of airports, airline operators, flying passengers and citizens on the ground.

                              Also read: EGNOS – The Smart Choice for Aviation

In addition, EGNOS-enabled receivers are widely available, and the system is fully compatible with the US Satellite Based Augmentation System, WAAS, and with Japan’s MSAS. With an on-board EGNOS receiver and an adapted approach procedure, no additional investments in ground infrastructure or maintenance costs are necessary. EGNOS may also make it possible for some airports to eliminate expensive ground-based navigation aids and other infrastructure.

By all accounts, the meeting in Prague was rated a success. Marked by a constructive and cooperative spirit, all three parties welcomed the opportunity to embark on a long-term cooperative partnership.

Given the potential benefits of European GNSS for the aviation sector, this is clearly good news for everyone.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

New app features the results of GSA-supported GNSS R&D initiatives, available for free download for iOS and Android.

To highlight the tangible results coming out of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) and serving as inspiration for those participating in the Horizon 2020 (H2020) period, the GSA launches its new EGNSS Research and Development (R&D) application.

The FP7 and H2020 programmes, supported by the GSA, aim to support the development of EGNSS applications in key market segments.  Both are geared towards accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

“The app is an excellent opportunity for the GNSS community to take stock in the lessons learned during the FP7 funding period and set our sights on future R&D initiatives,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “The application’s segment-specific search feature responds to the varied needs of our users, providing them with easily accessible and relevant information at their fingertips.”

In addition to the search function, des Dorides notes that the demographics included with each project can help users identify opportunities for partnerships across segments and regions, and create virtual R&D networks.

The FP7 programmes had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Within the frame of the projects, 45 products were developed, and 80 prototypes were tested and validated during the 115 demonstrations that took place.

          Learn More: FP7 Results Brochure

Today, Horizon 2020 is bringing new opportunities for GNSS applications development.  Information on the 25 projects granted in the first H2020 Galileo call is already included in the application, and early next year it will be updated to include the 2nd call portfolio of projects – so stay tuned!

The App is available for free download from the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

New app features many successes of GSA-supported GNSS R&D initiatives, available for free download for iPhone and android devices.

To highlight the tangible results coming out of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) and serving as inspiration for those participating in the Horizon 2020 (H2020) period, the GSA launches its new EGNSS Research and Development (R&D) application.

The FP7 and H2020 programmes, supported by the GSA, aim to support the development of EGNSS applications in key market segments.  Both are geared towards accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

“The app is an excellent opportunity for the GNSS community to take stock in the lessons learned during the FP7 funding period and set our sights on future R&D initiatives,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “The application’s segment-specific search feature responds to the varied needs of our users, providing them with easily accessible and relevant information at their fingertips.”

In addition to the search function, des Dorides notes that the demographics included with each project can help users identify opportunities for partnerships across segments and regions, and create virtual R&D networks.

The FP7 programmes had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Within the frame of the projects, 45 products were developed, and 80 prototypes were tested and validated during the 115 demonstrations that took place.

          Learn More: FP7 Results Brochure

Today, Horizon 2020 is bringing new opportunities for GNSS applications development.  Information on the 25 projects granted in the first H2020 Galileo call is already included in the application, and early next year it will be updated to include the 2nd call portfolio of projects – so stay tuned!

The App is available for free download from the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) supported e-KnoT project to further strengthen the interaction between education, research and industry with a new voucher programme aimed at helping companies seeking high-level scientific support.

The three-year, Horizon 2020 funded e-KnoT project aims to tighten the links between research and industry by supporting new and innovative ideas in the area of GNSS. It will achieve this by offering consultancy vouchers. European companies looking for high-level academic staff can redeem the vouchers for short-term and specialized expertise from participating academic partners.

   Also read: Tying Together GNSS Education, Research and Industry

Services provided by these partners cover assessment of an innovative idea, review of a new concept, analysis of blocking points, and more. They can be diverse and tailored to each company seeking assistance.

European companies can also work with GNSS students by providing an internship opportunity, training a post-graduate student, or co-funding a Ph.D student.

Any company operating in an EU country or a country associated with H2020 is welcome to apply. If accepted, short-term consultancy services will be provided from one of the four academic partners without any financial contribution required.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 29 May 2015. For more details on applications, terms, and conditions, please visit www.eknotproject.eu

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) supported e-KnoT project to further strengthen the interaction between education, research and industry with a new voucher programme aimed at helping companies seeking high-level scientific support.

The three-year, Horizon 2020 funded e-KnoT project aims to tighten the links between research and industry by supporting new and innovative ideas in the area of GNSS. It will achieve this by offering consultancy vouchers. European companies looking for high-level academic staff can redeem the vouchers for short-term and specialized expertise from participating academic partners.

   Also read: Tying Together GNSS Education, Research and Industry

Services provided by these partners cover assessment of an innovative idea, review of a new concept, analysis of blocking points, and more. They can be diverse and tailored to each company seeking assistance.

European companies can also work with GNSS students by providing an internship opportunity, training a post-graduate student, or co-funding a Ph.D student.

Any company operating in an EU country or a country associated with H2020 is welcome to apply. If accepted, short-term consultancy services will be provided from one of the four academic partners without any financial contribution required.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 29 May 2015. For more details on applications, terms, and conditions, please visit www.eknotproject.eu

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Dr Chaz Dixon, Technical Director, Positioning, Navigation & Timing at Satellite Applications Catapult

What is the Satellite Applications Catapult and what does it do?

The Satellite Applications Catapult is an independent, not-for-profit, innovation and technology company created to foster growth across the UK economy through the exploitation of space technology. In essence, we help further the GSA’s mission here in the UK by helping organisations make use of and benefit from satellite technologies by bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to generate ideas and solutions in an open innovation environment.

Launched at the GSA-organised European Space Solutions conference in December 2012, it was formally established in March 2013 in Harwell near Oxford by Innovate UK. Today it is one of a network of centres dedicated to accelerating the uptake of emerging technologies and driving economic growth.

          Also read: What Can Galileo Do for Me?

One of our key roles is to inspire others to innovate and support the development of new commercial products and services. Recent innovations are offering new opportunities for SMEs and private enterprise, including the falling cost of access to space, new low-cost satellite constellations, improved usability and accessibility and timeliness of data. These opportunities require new people to engage with the sector to capitalise and develop new businesses and ways of working.

Can you give us an example of innovatory space applications that use GNSS, in particular Galileo or EGNOS, that the Catapult is involved in?

Currently we are working on the GEMNet project together with Ordnance Survey, the UK’s mapping agency, themselves also experts in GNSS. GEMNet’s ambition is to enable UK industry to create innovative and resilient position, navigation and timing solutions. Its primary objective is to discover the extent and nature of GNSS interference and support industry in developing appropriate solutions that mitigate the effect of this interference upon GNSS receivers.

The project has several objectives including:

• Collating compelling and independent evidence of interference on GNSS receivers by pooling existing knowledge, as well as collecting data during the project
• Developing an early understanding of the impact of interference on GNSS end-users
• Engaging with targeted end-users and industry organisations to join future project phases

The Catapult leads the technical developments and integration on GEMNet and analyses the interference measurement results. Knowledge of these operational results will support focused industry and academic efforts to develop innovative threat mitigations and strategies appropriate to transport, critical infrastructure and many other applications. These threat mitigations include things like the use of Galileo’s multi-frequency services and potentially also the encrypted services of PRS to mitigate spoofing.

As space technology is always evolving, do you see some interesting applications still on the drawing board?

The GNSS sector is continuing the revolution first started by GPS many years ago. The new systems, such as Europe’s Galileo, will bring multi-frequency services and new signals that enhance accuracy and mitigate interference – ultimately improving positioning and timing performance for all users.

        Also read: British space sector looks forward to Galileo

The new encrypted services from Galileo PRS may start a new revolution in services that are still being imagined. If position (and time) reports were intrinsically reliable, what services would be improved? How could banking take advantage of authenticated location and time? How would this improve evidential services? If position could not be spoofed, how would autonomous cars take advantage?

Other exciting strands of development include the evolution of GNSS receivers to adopt multi-system, multi-frequency capabilities to meet real user needs, and the integration of GNSS with other sensors for improved robustness and for indoor operations.

Illegal, Unregulated and Unregistered fishing project (IUU)

The Catapult collaborated with Pew Charitable Trusts to develop a demonstrator platform that utilises satellite acquired data to identify illegal fishing. This led to a joint announcement of Project Eyes on the Seas, which will initially launch a ‘Virtual Watch Room’ monitoring the waters surrounding Easter Island and the Pacific island nation of Palau.

In the 2015 budget, the Government also identified the Pitcairn Islands to become the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve. This monitoring capability and scope is expected to increase rapidly, with potential need for an operational subsidiary to effectively segment the business and create opportunities for spinouts.

Urban Planning Tool

The Catapult has developed a unique Urban Planning Service for Milton Keynes Council, using Earth observation (EO) data to efficiently identify the progress of approved building work. The innovative system provides Milton Keynes with a tool for automating planning validation tasks across a large geographic area using satellite data. This is part of addressing the growing challenge facing UK cities around economic development and sustainability.

Recognising an opportunity to make better use of satellite data to address its urban planning activities and reduce the high resource impact previously needed to identify progress of approved building work, Milton Keynes approached the Catapult to provide independent expert advice and support needed to harness EO data as a valuable information source. Through its Data Discovery Hub, the Catapult can easily identify and access a broad range of satellite data that can be used for evidence-based decision making, information gathering and environment monitoring.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European Parliament votes in favour of a new regulation requiring all newly manufactured cars to be equipped with ‘eCall’ from April 2018.

With a vote this week, the European Parliament is helping to save lives by making eCall a reality. As a result, all newly manufactured cars intended for sale in the EU must be equipped with eCall. The regulation goes into effect as of April 2018.

With the eCall system, when a serious accident occurs the vehicle automatically dials ‘112’, Europe's single emergency number. A call can also be triggered manually, for example by someone witnessing a serious accident.

         Also read: A safer drive empowered by European GNSS

Once the eCall link is established, the system immediately communicates the vehicle's exact location to emergency services, as well as the time when the incident took place and the direction of travel (of particular importance on motorways). The system works even if the driver is unconscious or unable to operate the system him- or herself.

The EU has supported the development of eCall from its inception, first through the eMerge project and later, for the deployment phase, through the HeERO project – both of which were supported by the GSA. For four years, HeERO phase 1 in 2011-2013 and HeERO phase 2 in 2013-2014, 15 countries worked to put in place the interoperable and harmonised eCall system.

Real Progress

The European Commission first proposed the eCall regulation in June 2013.The text approved by the Parliament now needs to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will enter into force 20 days after that.

        Also read: European GNSS success story: eCall

Crucially, says the European Commission, eCall will only transmit data that is absolutely necessary in case of an accident, thus insuring the right to privacy of users. Information will only be transmitted from the car in the event of a severe accident and will not be stored any longer than necessary.

The Commission says once implemented, eCall will make sure help gets to accident victims as quickly as possible. According to EU estimates, it could save hundreds of lives every year.

Günther H. Oettinger, Commissioner for Digital Society and Economy, has said, “eCall is a perfect example of an EU-supported project that has developed technological solutions to save people's lives. The legislation now allows the delivery of real benefits of digital technology.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Innovative companies with new ideas for using data from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) could get a share of prizes totalling EUR 1 million and connect with leading business incubators to bring their idea to market.

This is the attractive reward on offer to the winners of the 2015 European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and Copernicus Masters, which kicked off at the UK House of Commons in London on 21 April.

The GSA Special Prize

In addition to being a supporting partner, for the seventh consecutive year the GSA will be sponsoring the GSA Special Prize for the Most Promising Application for European GNSS. The objective of the Special Prize is to support the development of applications that rely on both EGNOS and Galileo, while also providing economic and social benefits.

“We think this competition is a good way to bring the advantages of the European GNSS to the attention of the innovation community,” said GSA Deputy Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani. “Unlocking innovation is one of the GSA’s core tasks, and we have seen a growing interest in the stakeholder community for the GSA Special Prize.”

        Also read: And the winner is…

Proposals for the GSA Special Prize should address specific business applications or have a demonstrated impact on social issues. The winner will have the opportunity to develop their idea at an incubation centre of their choice within the EU28 for six months, with the possibility of a further six months according to progress.

Transformative

Last year’s competition received over 600 business cases from about 50 companies and built up a network of around 100 partners from research and industry, as well as an expert network of nearly 300 professionals. “Transforming high potential business cases into new products and services to generate economic growth perfectly fits the mission of these competitions,” said Thorstend Rudolph, Managing Director of Anwendungszentrum Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO), organisers of the conference. 

A case in point is iGeolise, who won the UK leg of the ESNC competition in 2012 with its Travel Time Platform idea, which uses satellite data to help users find content on the web by the time it takes to travel there, rather than by distance. “The competition was fundamental in the growth of our business,” said iGeolise co-founder and director Charlie Davies. “As a result of winning the UK leg, we received press coverage and were contacted by a major customer that we had wanted to work with but couldn’t get through to. Now they’re one of our largest clients.”

“Sometimes it’s a challenge when you’re a very small company, trying to grow, to build sales and get investment,” he adds. “This competition can certainly make it a lot easier – it helped us take a simple idea and drive it into the market.”

Expanding Constellations, Expanding Opportunities

As the Galileo satellite constellation continues to expand, efforts to promote corresponding applications will become increasingly important. For this reason, competition organizers are looking forward to seeing the creative and innovative GNSS-based applications submitted this year.

The ESNC offers a prize pool worth EUR 1 million, including cash prizes and in-kind services. All winners of the 30 regional and special prizes will be in the running for the overall prize of EUR 20 000 and a six-month incubation programme (which can be extended to one year) in a region of their choice. The deadline for applying is 30 June.

Further information on this year’s prizes, partners and terms of participation can be found on the ESNC website.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

As European Space Policy – and EU satellite navigation systems in particular – shift from technology and systems development to services and applications, the need for an appropriate regulatory and legal framework is clear.

There are many questions to be explored in the interaction between space policy, the promotion of space services and applications and the law. For example:

• Should national legislation for licensing commercial space activities be more streamlined?
• Can open data policies stimulate downstream markets, or could they even have adverse effects on existing service providers?
• Are Service Level Agreements the right tool for guaranteeing performance of space services?
• How can liability risks from space services be covered by the insurance market?

These questions and others were addressed earlier this year at the first International Legal Symposium in Tutzing, Germany. The event brought together policy, legal and economic experts from the European GNSS Agency (GSA), EU institutions, national space agencies, industry associations and academia. It provided a platform for analysing the suitability of existing statutes and the need for future laws and regulations governing the provision of space services and applications in Europe.

“Europe’s flagship projects, including Galileo, are designed to provide services to a broad range of users and to increase the competitiveness of European industry and economic growth,” said BHO Legal Partner Ingo Baumann, setting the stage during an opening address. “However, the successful introduction of new space services and applications requires an adequate and reliable legal and regulatory framework.”

Galileo Legal Applications

The GSA presented its strategy for supporting the use of European GNSS in diverse market segments. In particular, the Agency highlighted the role of Galileo’s authentication signal in facilitating the use of GNSS positioning across a range of applications, including the enforcement of public laws and supporting policy initiatives.

Galileo will provide a portfolio of different services with varying levels of robustness and authentication. The Public Regulated Service (PRS), for example, will be the most robust and secure, but is reserved for governmental use. However, work is ongoing to offer Commercial Service (E6) authentication, and a basic level of authentication available via the free Open Service is also being considered.

“Potential applications of these signals with legal relevance could be in maritime and fisheries for monitoring restricted fishing areas, along with surveying,” said GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini. “In the future, location-based services could provide verifiable digital identity information or verify digital rights management issues.”

One application could be the next generation of digital tachograph. Tachographs are used to enforce driving time regulations for heavy goods vehicles and other commercial road vehicles in Europe. Amended EU legislation, which comes into force in 2018, proposes a new generation of GNSS enabled digital tachograph.

“GNSS signals will be used to register at least the start and end times and locations for journeys, enabling enhanced regulatory oversight,” added Calini. “This requires a GNSS signal that is robust and trusted in a legal sense, and an authenticated GNSS signal could be an ideal, low-cost and secure solution.”

Ensuring eCall’s data protection and privacy

Another significant GNSS application with clear legal implications is the eCall emergency response service. From 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using EGNOS and GALILEO to indicate the precise location of the incident.

    Also read: eCall closer to providing Europe with more efficient emergency services

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. The eCall system remains dormant until either manually activated or automatically activated following a serious accident, therefore no tracking or transmission of data takes place during the normal operation of the system. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

As European Space Policy – and EU satellite navigation systems in particular – shift from technology and systems development to services and applications, the need for an appropriate regulatory and legal framework is clear.

There are many questions to be explored in the interaction between space policy, the promotion of space services and applications and the law. For example:

• Should national legislation for licensing commercial space activities be more streamlined?
• Can open data policies stimulate downstream markets, or could they even have adverse effects on existing service providers?
• Are Service Level Agreements the right tool for guaranteeing performance of space services?
• How can liability risks from space services be covered by the insurance market?

These questions and others were addressed earlier this year at the first International Legal Symposium in Tutzing, Germany. The event brought together policy, legal and economic experts from the European GNSS Agency (GSA), EU institutions, national space agencies, industry associations and academia. It provided a platform for analysing the suitability of existing statutes and the need for future laws and regulations governing the provision of space services and applications in Europe.

“Europe’s flagship projects, including Galileo, are designed to provide services to a broad range of users and to increase the competitiveness of European industry and economic growth,” said BHO Legal Partner Ingo Baumann, setting the stage during an opening address. “However, the successful introduction of new space services and applications requires an adequate and reliable legal and regulatory framework.”

Galileo Legal Applications

The GSA presented its strategy for supporting the use of European GNSS in diverse market segments. In particular, the Agency highlighted the role of Galileo’s authentication signal in facilitating the use of GNSS positioning across a range of applications, including the enforcement of public laws and supporting policy initiatives.

Galileo will provide a portfolio of different services with varying levels of robustness and authentication. The Public Regulated Service (PRS), for example, will be the most robust and secure, but is reserved for governmental use. However, work is ongoing to offer Commercial Service (E6) authentication, and a basic level of authentication available via the free Open Service is also being considered.

“Potential applications of these signals with legal relevance could be in maritime and fisheries for monitoring restricted fishing areas, along with surveying,” said GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini. “In the future, location-based services could provide verifiable digital identity information or verify digital rights management issues.”

One application could be the next generation of digital tachograph. Tachographs are used to enforce driving time regulations for heavy goods vehicles and other commercial road vehicles in Europe. Amended EU legislation, which comes into force in 2018, proposes a new generation of GNSS enabled digital tachograph.

“GNSS signals will be used to register at least the start and end times and locations for journeys, enabling enhanced regulatory oversight,” added Calini. “This requires a GNSS signal that is robust and trusted in a legal sense, and an authenticated GNSS signal could be an ideal, low-cost and secure solution.”

Ensuring eCall’s data protection and privacy

Another significant GNSS application with clear legal implications is the eCall emergency response service. From 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using EGNOS and GALILEO to indicate the precise location of the incident.

    Also read: eCall closer to providing Europe with more efficient emergency services

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. The eCall system remains dormant until either manually activated or automatically activated following a serious accident, therefore no tracking or transmission of data takes place during the normal operation of the system. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Recent talks between the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and rail and satellite experts discuss possible GNSS integration with Next Generation Train Control Project.

Rail and satellite experts recently met at the GSA headquarters in Prague to discuss the Next Generation Train Control project (NGTC) and possible European GNSS integration with railway signals.

         Also read: GNSS Market Report Rail

NGTC, coordinated by UNIFE, is made up of leading rail system signalling suppliers, mainline operators, infrastructure managers and urban rail operators. The GSA has been working with NGTC to provide consultation and advice when it comes to E-GNSS performance, and hopes to support the project further with the adoption of railways safety applications and such modern signalling systems as ERTMS. 

Ansaldo STS leads NGTC’s work with the GNSS, and the organizations are expected to continue working together throughout the course of the year.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) sits down one-on-one with Andy Proctor, Lead Technologist (Satellite Navigation) at Innovate UK – the UK’s technology innovation agency.

What is Innovate UK and how is it involved in the space applications sector?

Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency dedicated to accelerating economic growth.

Taking a new idea to market is a challenge, and we fund, support and connect innovative businesses through a mix of people and programmes to accelerate sustainable economic growth. Since 2007, Innovate UK has co-invested around GBP 3 billion in the private sector, assisting over 5,000 businesses.

We operate across 12 main thematic areas, one of which is space applications, where we focus on specific areas – innovation, game-changing applications – essentially how you use the data that comes from space. This is the area where the UK believes future growth will come from.

Innovate UK also runs competitions in this area. For example, we recently funded a competition in location-based services (LBS). We also worked with colleagues on a competition to stimulate the innovative use of space derived data in urban environments, looking to improve decision making with space derived data and at how space data can benefit environmental applications. The rail sector and autonomous sectors are also important as space data is key within these areas.

Is Innovate UK involved in Horizon 2020?

Yes, we work closely with the GSA here, managing some of the UK’s involvement in Horizon 2020. We also set up National Contact Points for all the Horizon 2020 themes as first points of contact for businesses wishing to engage with the Horizon 2020 process. The contact points work with multiple government departments, including those who hold Horizon 2020 programme committee seats, to ensure that these opportunities are available to UK business.

Can you touch on your work with Galileo applications?

As mentioned, a number of Innovate UK competitions include GNSS in their scope. In fact, we just ran a specific competition for feasibility studies looking at operational applications of GNSS at the receiver level.  Called ‘What can Galileo do for me?’, this competition aims to put technology providers together with actual GNSS end users.

In line with and in support of the GSA’s delegated responsibility over the Galileo service provision, our goal here is to build a complete supply chain for Galileo. An important part of this is to raise awareness and understanding within the customer base about what Galileo can do.

At Innovate UK we are well placed to do this as we are all ex-industry and are thus close to the market – we know our areas very well. We can pick up the phone and speak to most of the core people in the industry. That’s what the Galileo competition is about.

In terms of the downstream GNSS application market, we are interested areas involving industrial data protection, where we look at how businesses can protect data, including personal data, which could include location information. Transport, a large thematic area for us, includes such rail applications as a new competition for technical innovation in rail signalling, along with driverless cars, future cities, energy systems and so on.

For us it is not just about business-to-business, we also look at, for example, how we can enhance experiences in retail. Indoor location is interesting for that. In fact, we have a competition coming up on this topic specifically, so perhaps we could think of location-authenticated data being of use to improve the retail sector?

At the International Navigation Conference (INC 2015) last February you talked about the risks involved in relying on GNSS data and how to mitigate them. Can you expand on this?

There are various threats to the continuity of GNSS data for navigation and timing systems, such as interference, jamming and spoofing. The question is how do we protect this valuable resource? What alternative or complimentary services are there? What technology is available to ensure quality of service?

We’ve spent a large amount of money over the last few years on developing technology for detecting, classifying, analysing and mitigating interference to GNSS. For example, many government departments depend on GNSS, so how can we make them resilient? A lot of work is being done at the policy level in collaboration with the US and EU on methodology, policy and strategies.

My core message at the conference was ‘we’ve done the technology, we’ve put frameworks in place, we now need to look at the differences that technology can make in operational environments’. Where we identified a gap is in user understanding of what data they are dependent upon, the risk that entails and what they should do about it.

For example, if I’m using GPS or Galileo and I’m delivering a service, I’m focused on that service. But if I lose the data that’s coming through GNSS, how does it impact my service and do I care about losing my data? It’s a question of taking the issue from technology development – from detecting and classifying – into the realm of risk management. And this is a matter of continuity and cost-benefit analysis.

We’re now in a position where CEOs need to sign off on some of the technology we developed. There needs to be a fundamental understanding of why they need to worry about their dependency on GNSS data. Government and industry need to be thinking about this as the next way forward.

This comes back to the question of ‘what can Galileo do for me?’ If you understand what Galileo is doing, you can assign risks. We have to invest to mitigate the risk, as we cannot defeat the threat completely. Sometimes it’s essential to be able to mitigate the risk and sometimes it’s not worth it. Unless you understand what the data means to you, in a language you understand as a service developer, you’re not going to move to the next phase.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Innovate UK

Following an intense 27-month research effort, CALIBRA, a GSA-funded project, has come up with some exciting - and marketable - solutions to counteract ionospheric disturbance caused errors.

Ionospheric disturbance is often cited as the largest source of error in the use of GNSS data for accurate positioning. It is especially problematic in regions around the magnetic equator, such as Brazil. With high-accuracy GNSS positioning at the core of Brazil’s precision agriculture technology, ionospheric disturbances can lead to downtime and significant financial losses.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

One of the principal sources of ionospheric perturbation is scintillation. Due to electron density irregularities in the propagation path from satellite to receiver, scintillation usually appears as amplitude and phase fluctuations in the GNSS signals.

The CALIBRA (Countering GNSS high Accuracy applications LImitation due to ionospheric disturbance in BRAzil) project, a collaborative R&D project under the Seventh Framework Program (FP7), was established to tackle this exact problem.

    Also read: Looking for Information on European GNSS R&D?

During its initial phase, the project confirmed that ionospheric scintillation and variations in total electron content (TEC) are indeed correlated with disturbances in GNSS Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and Real Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning. The project then identified the relevant parameters and established a suitable metric to characterise these ionospheric disturbances.

Next, the project developed practical tools for users affected by ionospheric perturbations. First, a short-term empirical model was produced for forecasting TEC and scintillation – the CALIBRA Forecasting Model (CFM) – and tested using the CIGALA-CALIBRA network (see map) and database. This is a dedicated network of ionospheric scintillation monitor receivers (ISMRs), with a special web interface – the ISMR Query Tool. Along with a regional TEC map and a set of strategies to improve positioning performance, this tool is another significant and practical legacy of CALIBRA.

10 million Observations Every Day

All the measurements made by the CIGALA-CALIBRA network receivers are time labelled every minute, involving observations obtained for each satellite tracked by each receiver. With the 12 existing monitoring stations and the satellite constellations currently being tracked (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and other augmentation systems), more than ten million observations are collected every day.

The ISMR Query Tool was developed to manipulate this massive amount of data, using data visualization and mining techniques. From the time it was launched to December 2014, the software generated more than 21,000 outputs assisting users from over 20 different countries.

Use the ISMR Query Tool Now!

Patents and Marketability

A patent for the CFM software has been filed and a new spin-off company, SpacEarth Technology, set up. SpacEarth aims to secure the software’s commercialisation in positioning and navigation applications and services, where real time modelling and forecasting of ionospheric variability and scintillation are needed. In the longer term, further R&D is being planned to improve the software and adapt it to evolving market needs.

Meanwhile, CALIBRA project partner Septentrio NV developed another commercially relevant application - a next generation RTK engine, including a new model for estimating ionospheric delay. The new engine has already proven valuable for very long baseline RTK in general and mitigating ionospheric effects.

With a software patent now filed as a result of the project and a firmware update produced for project partner Septentrino’s GNSS receivers, CALIBRA has already demonstrated significant and tangible results – going to show just how quickly innovative research solutions can be developed, validated and enter the market.

Demonstrating the Benefits 

Among a number of field experiments, two important demonstrations aimed at validating the new algorithms developed within the scope of CALIBRA were carried out in Brazil. To ensure ‘real world’ applicability, the demonstrations involved actual precision agriculture and offshore operations.

In terms of precision agriculture, the Brazilian company Agro Pastoril Campanelli provided the expert operational environment and support. For the offshore operations demonstration, the project benefited from the invaluable support of offshore operator DOF Brasil. In addition to demonstrating tangible results, the trails also opened several new avenues for additional research that can build on CALIBRA’s outcomes.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

An astonishing 104,307 visitors attend the European GNSS Agency (GSA) supported event during its stop in Athens, Greece.

The European Space Expo’s stop in Greece exceeded everyone’s expectations – shattering numerous records along the way. The Expo’s iconic dome landed in the centre of Athens on March 28, where it proceeded to attracted huge numbers of people each day until it closed on April 5.

In total, 104,307 visitors attended the event. The previous record was the 2013 Rome Expo, where 52,459 visitors came through the gates. The Athens event also the broke record for highest average number of daily visitors.

The Expo got a little extra boost thanks to it happening in tandem with the launch of Galileo Satellite #8. Fifteen-year-old Anastasia Panagiotakopoulou, who was one of the drawing contest winners in 2011 to have a Galileo satellite named after her, attended the opening of the Expo and helped celebrate the launch of her namesake satellite into space. The mayor of Athens and other dignitaries also attended the inauguration.

          Also read: Big Numbers at European Space Expo Ljubljana

The large number of attendees demonstrates the huge interest in space and space applications across Europe. Overall, the European Space Expo has attracted more than 700,000 visitors.  The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission, with support of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). It illustrates the many benefits, services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in a fun, interactive and accessible way.

The Expo, one of the most successful public exhibitions ever run by the EU, continues to tour around Europe, educating people about the benefits of space exploration and the benefits of investing in space. Next up is Riga, where the Expo will land from April 30 through May 10.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Space Expo
European Space Expo Slovenia

An astonishing 104,307 visitors attend the European GNSS Agency (GSA) supported event during its stop in Athens, Greece.

The European Space Expo’s stop in Greece exceeded everyone’s expectations – shattering numerous records along the way. The Expo’s iconic dome landed in the centre of Athens on March 28, where it proceeded to attracted huge numbers of people each day until it closed on April 5.

In total, 104,307 visitors attended the event. The previous record was the 2013 Rome Expo, where 52,459 visitors came through the gates. The Athens event also the broke record for highest average number of daily visitors.

The Expo got a little extra boost thanks to it happening in tandem with the launch of Galileo Satellite #8. Fifteen-year-old Anastasia Panagiotakopoulou, who was one of the drawing contest winners in 2011 to have a Galileo satellite named after her, attended the opening of the Expo and helped celebrate the launch of her namesake satellite into space. The mayor of Athens and other dignitaries also attended the inauguration.

          Also read: Big Numbers at European Space Expo Ljubljana

The large number of attendees demonstrates the huge interest in space and space applications across Europe. Overall, the European Space Expo has attracted more than 700,000 visitors.  The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission, with support of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). It illustrates the many benefits, services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in a fun, interactive and accessible way.

The Expo, one of the most successful public exhibitions ever run by the EU, continues to tour around Europe, educating people about the benefits of space exploration and the benefits of investing in space. Next up is Riga, where the Expo will land from April 30 through May 10.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
European Space Expo
European Space Expo Slovenia

Today Galileo, the global satellite navigation programme of the European Union, has published a detailed description of the model used to compensate for the errors arising from interference when navigation signals broadcast by Galileo and other global satellite navigation systems such as GPS pass through the ionosphere.
 
This model is a result of years of intensive research efforts to improve the modelling solutions used for classical telecommunication services. The algorithms defined in this model can be built into receiver equipment such as in-car navigation systems to enable them to reach extremely high levels of accuracy globally when using single frequency services, even during the peaks solar activity during the periodic 11-year solar cycle when signals are subject to the most interference. 
 
Extensive testing has confirmed the quality of the model which has recently been recommended at international level for broader adoption by other constellation providers around the world.

The ionospheric correction algorithm for Galileo single frequency users can be downloaded here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Today Galileo, the global satellite navigation programme of the European Union, has published a detailed description of the model used to compensate for the errors arising from interference when navigation signals broadcast by Galileo and other global satellite navigation systems such as GPS pass through the ionosphere.
 
This model is a result of years of intensive research efforts to improve the modelling solutions used for classical telecommunication services. The algorithms defined in this model can be built into receiver equipment such as in-car navigation systems to enable them to reach extremely high levels of accuracy globally when using single frequency services, even during the peaks solar activity during the periodic 11-year solar cycle when signals are subject to the most interference. 
 
Extensive testing has confirmed the quality of the model which has recently been recommended at international level for broader adoption by other constellation providers around the world.

The ionospheric correction algorithm for Galileo single frequency users can be downloaded here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Today Galileo, the global satellite navigation programme of the European Union, has published a detailed description of the model used to compensate for the errors arising from interference when navigation signals broadcast by Galileo and other global satellite navigation systems such as GPS pass through the ionosphere.
 
This model is a result of years of intensive research efforts to improve the modelling solutions used for classical telecommunication services. The algorithms defined in this model can be built into receiver equipment such as in-car navigation systems to enable them to reach extremely high levels of accuracy globally when using single frequency services, even during the peaks solar activity during the periodic 11-year solar cycle when signals are subject to the most interference. 
 
Extensive testing has confirmed the quality of the model which has recently been recommended at international level for broader adoption by other constellation providers around the world.

The ionospheric correction algorithm for Galileo single frequency users can be downloaded here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GSA supported e-KnoT project, which recently kicked off, is set to strengthen the interaction between education, research and industry in Europe.

The three-year, Horizon 2020 funded project will implement actions and events for companies, students and professionals, creating a solid network among the E-GNSS knowledge triangle. Each event has been designed to deliver capacity building and create critical mass within strategic areas. The overall objective is to increase Europe’s competitive standing and attract outside investments for GNSS services and application.

Get involved!

European companies interested in working with the project now have the opportunity to create links with research centres and work with GNSS students. From hosting a GNSS internship for a student to providing industry vouchers, training of a post-graduate student, or co-funding a Ph.D student – there are multiple ways to get involved.

          Also read: Looking for Information on European GNSS R&D?

All calls close on 15 April at midnight (CET). More information on each of the different incentives can be found here or by emailing info@eknotproject.eu.

About e-KnoT

E-KnoT was developed by a consortium of institutions with experience in research and GNSS education, drawing on results of previous GNSS education programs and educational initiatives. The project is coordinated by Politecnico di Torino and developed in corporation with Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civil, DL Consultant, Universitat der Bundeswehr Munchen, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Astri Polska Spolka Z Organiczona, and bavAIRia e.V.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020

Given the large number of high-tech professionals and a generally untapped industrial sector, Poland is an attractive market for European GNSS. The GSA-supported POSITION (Polish Support to Innovation and Technology IncubatiON) initiative aims to increase E-GNSS market penetration and general awareness within the country.

The Horizon 2020 funded project is a collaboration between Black Pearls Investment (BPI), a Poland-based capital fund experienced in the technology sector, and SpaceTec Partners, a consultancy with offices in Brussels and Munich. The project specifically focuses on start-ups and early stage investment opportunities for companies in Poland looking to utilise E-GNSS technology.

        Also read: Horizon 2020 promotes user services across all market segments

According to project research, the Polish market is best characterised as having huge potential but little penetration: “Currently, the penetration of E-GNSS in the country is very low, and most investors and companies are relatively unaware of the potential presented by E-GNSS applications,” says Krzysztof Kanawka, the coordinator of POSITION. “More so, start-ups and SMEs are unable to access capital within Poland, which limits expansion and thus their ability to implement new technology, including European GNSS.”

With the recent launch of two new Galileo satellites, more and more European – including Polish – start-ups and SMEs will soon have more opportunities to implement E-GNSS technology. Speaking at the launch, European Commission for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: "Today we demonstrated again that Europe has state-of-the-art know-how, cutting edge technology, and the vision and determination to accomplish great things… (and)  Galileo will soon provide you with great opportunities."

With a concentration of start-ups and SMEs in Poland, POSITION will start by providing networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. The goal is to use the model and implementation of GNSS technology that has been successfully used across Europe, thus focusing on such specific sectors as Location Based Services (LBS), Road, Agriculture and Maritime.

        Also read: Looking for Information on European GNSS R&D?

Project organisers further note that Poland has a proud history of technological advancement, with a large number of students enrolled in technical and scientific programmes – all potential customers of E-GNSS technology.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020

Given the large number of high-tech professionals and a generally untapped industrial sector, Poland is an attractive market for European GNSS. The GSA-supported POSITION (Polish Support to Innovation and Technology IncubatiON) initiative aims to increase E-GNSS market penetration and general awareness within the country.

The Horizon 2020 funded project is a collaboration between Black Pearls Investment (BPI), a Poland-based capital fund experienced in the technology sector, and SpaceTec Partners, a consultancy with offices in Brussels and Madrid. The project specifically focuses on start-ups and early stage investment opportunities for companies in Poland looking to utilise E-GNSS technology.

        Also read: Horizon 2020 promotes user services across all market segments

According to project research, the Polish market is best characterised as having huge potential but little penetration: “Currently, the penetration of E-GNSS in the country is very low, and most investors and companies are relatively unaware of the potential presented by E-GNSS applications,” says Krzysztof Kanawka, the coordinator of POSITION. “More so, start-ups and SMEs are unable to access capital within Poland, which limits expansion and thus their ability to implement new technology, including European GNSS.”

With the recent launch of two new Galileo satellites, more and more European – including Polish – start-ups and SMEs will soon have more opportunities to implement E-GNSS technology. Speaking at the launch, European Commission for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: "Today we demonstrated again that Europe has state-of-the-art know-how, cutting edge technology, and the vision and determination to accomplish great things… (and)  Galileo will soon provide you with great opportunities."

With a concentration of start-ups and SMEs in Poland, POSITION will start by providing networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. The goal is to use the model and implementation of GNSS technology that has been successfully used across Europe, thus focusing on such specific sectors as Location Based Services (LBS), Road, Agriculture and Maritime.

        Also read: Looking for Information on European GNSS R&D?

Project organisers further note that Poland has a proud history of technological advancement, with a large number of students enrolled in technical and scientific programmes – all potential customers of E-GNSS technology.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020

Given the large number of high-tech professionals and a generally untapped industrial sector, Poland is an attractive market for European GNSS. The GSA-supported POSITION (Polish Support to Innovation and Technology IncubatiON) initiative aims to increase E-GNSS market penetration and general awareness within the country.

The Horizon 2020 funded project is a collaboration between Black Pearls Investment (BPI), a Poland-based capital fund experienced in the technology sector, and SpaceTec Partners, a consultancy with offices in Brussels and Madrid. The project specifically focuses on start-ups and early stage investment opportunities for companies in Poland looking to utilise E-GNSS technology.

        Also read: Horizon 2020 promotes user services across all market segments

According to project research, the Polish market is best characterised as having huge potential but little penetration: “Currently, the penetration of E-GNSS in the country is very low, and most investors and companies are relatively unaware of the potential presented by E-GNSS applications,” says Krzysztof Kanawka, the coordinator of POSITION. “More so, start-ups and SMEs are unable to access capital within Poland, which limits expansion and thus their ability to implement new technology, including European GNSS.”

With the recent launch of two new Galileo satellites, more and more European – including Polish – start-ups and SMEs will soon have more opportunities to implement E-GNSS technology. Speaking at the launch, European Commission for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: "Today we demonstrated again that Europe has state-of-the-art know-how, cutting edge technology, and the vision and determination to accomplish great things… (and)  Galileo will soon provide you with great opportunities."

With a concentration of start-ups and SMEs in Poland, POSITION will start by providing networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. The goal is to use the model and implementation of GNSS technology that has been successfully used across Europe, thus focusing on such specific sectors as Location Based Services (LBS), Road, Agriculture and Maritime.

        Also read: Looking for Information on European GNSS R&D?

Project organisers further note that Poland has a proud history of technological advancement, with a large number of students enrolled in technical and scientific programmes – all potential customers of E-GNSS technology.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020

At the 12th annual Road User Charging Conference in Amsterdam, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) joined ministerial delegations and senior officials from across Europe and beyond to explore the latest thinking in the field, highlighting innovative case studies – including GNSS-based schemes. Participants heard from experts and peers on topics ranging from interoperability to time- versus distance-based charging, large-scale roll-outs, user acceptance and many others.

For the GSA, which manages the Galileo and EGNOS systems, finding the best way forward means exploiting new and powerful satellite-based services for fairer and more flexible and efficient road tolling.

A powerful solution

GNSS represents a powerful solution to many of the challenges of today’s road tolling operators, who need to know who is on a given road, for how long and over what distance – all with a very high degree of accuracy and reliability.

The message is getting through, with GNSS-based technologies making key inroads. The example of Slovakia  is already well-known – the country managed to expand the length of roads covered by its charging scheme from about 2,500 km to about 17, 800 km within just three months, thanks to GNSS.

More systems coming

Following Slovakia’s successful design, other countries are in the process of implementing similar programmes. Belgium is set to begin implementing a GNSS-based heavy-vehicle tolling system in 2016. Recently, Lithuanian authorities have revealed that they are evaluating the different technologies for a new ‘countryside’ tolling scheme currently under design.

The GSA’s Alberto Fernandez-Wyttenbach says Bulgaria is supported by The World Bank in order to design  a new system for launch in 2017, with GNSS as the preferred solution. “Initially, the country expects to apply the system to freight vehicles only, with other vehicles to be included in future stages, the last batch being passenger cars,” he says.

Meanwhile, in Hungary, the HU-GO distance-based electronic toll system covering around 20% of the national road network is increasing the number of registered Toll Declaration Operators (TDOs). It is the case of Siemens AG which recently announced the first Galileo-ready OBU in the Hungarian market.

Finally, Wyttenbach says that in Spain, private initiatives for smartphone- and GNSS-based road-user charging are underway. “Cintra and Ferrovial, under the ‘Satelise’ project, have developed a prototype technology platform that allows road tolls to be paid using an application for mobile terminals or GPS devices,” he says.

In terms of the total cost of implementation, the GSA says GNSS-based solutions are much cheaper and more flexible, allowing operators to modify virtually instantaneously which road segments are covered. This way they can easily enlarge or reduce charging schemes if and when needed, ultimately increasing the volume and efficiency of road transport.

Lower costs mean operators can charge less, getting more traffic back onto toll roads and/or raising more revenue to put towards further improvements – benefiting both the users and the public economy.

It makes sense for everyone to choose the same technology, so drivers can switch from one road-pricing scheme to another as easily as they ‘roam’ across borders on mobile phone networks.

Far and wide

The conversation at the RUC ranged beyond Europe’s borders, as Fernandez-Wyttenbach discussed some interesting results coming from Singapore and America that help to estimate the use of GNSS for congestion charging in Europe in a few years. Singapore is the first country in the world implementing a congestion pricing system based in GNSS  while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently concluded the RoadRunner project. The project has developed a congestion-control system with a distributed, infrastructure-less vehicular app that combines ubiquitous smartphones with vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Tolling information is reported to a server through a cellular connection while multi-constellation GNSS based positioning provides a high degree of reliability.

All of this leads Fernandez-Wyttenbach to conclude: “Around the world, RUC is starting to look more and more like a technology-driven market, with GNSS-based technologies responding to the need for flexibility, rapid extensibility, easy and low-cost implementation and interoperability.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Slovak Republic embraces European GNSS
EGNOS for Road
Spotlight on EGNOS-Based Road Charging at IBTTA 2014

European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides joins members of the global PNT community to discuss the future of GNSS during the opening session of the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit.

The Munich Satellite Navigation Summit opened on 24 March under the theme “The Future of PNT – A Glance into the Crystal Ball”. To discuss the details of what this future might look like, GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides joined representatives from the European Commission, Bavarian State, French Space Agency (CNES), GPS (USA), GLONSASS (Russia) and BeiDou (China), among others.

On the European side of the equation, the future of PNT is Galileo. On this note, des Dorides specifically called attention to the GSA’s recent delegation of responsibility for Galileo’s service provision. According to des Dorides, the Galileo service provision includes three essential features: system infrastructure, the GSOp tender and the GSA itself.

Establishing its Niche

As to the first feature, much of the necessary infrastructure is well into the development stage. For example, the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) will be an integral part of the E-GNSS infrastructure, providing a single interface between the Galileo system and users of the Galileo Open Service (OS) and Galileo Commercial Service (CS). The Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC), on the hand, will monitor and take action against security threats and alerts and manage PRS access on a system level, along with providing ongoing security expertise and analysis.

Shaping the Future of Galileo

The GSA recently launched the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement, an important first step in GSA’s role of overseeing the exploitation of the Galileo programme. “With a value of approximately EUR 1 billion, the contract will shape the future of Galileo services for the next eight to 10 years,” said des Dorides.

    Also read: Over 100 Attend Galileo Service Operation Industry Day

The awarding of the contract is expected in the second half of 2016.

A Culture of Competence and Efficiency

Des Dorides further noted that the service provision includes the culture of the GSA itself. “For us, the service provision is about strengthening the culture of the GSA, ensuring it is one focused on the customer and dedicated to the competence and efficiency of the system.”

A significant first step in guaranteeing this culture happened last December when the GSA received ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised certification of an organisation’s quality management system standards.

The Multi-Constellation System

The panellists all agree that Galileo will play an essential role in a multi-constellation, global GNSS system. “The multi-constellation concept is highly appreciated and valued by the marketplace,” said des Dorides. “This is clearly seen in the fact that most of the major chipset manufacturers are building multi-frequency chips, over a third of which already include Galileo – a good result considering the system is not even fully developed yet.”

On the topic of Galileo’s place in the market, European Commission Director of EU Satellite Navigation Programmes Matthias Petschke added that in order to be a success, Galileo must be taken up by the market. “To do this, we must provide quality services that respond to the future users’ needs,” he said. “One of these needs will be for a multi-constellation system, and Galileo’s international dimension – both its inter- and intra-operability with other GNSS systems – is key.”

“A multi-constellation system is essential to improving availability, accuracy and reliability,” concluded ESA Director Designate Johann-Dietrich Wörner. “With a multi-constellation system in place, looking into the GNSS crystal ball we see such trends as seamless outdoor/indoor navigation and autonomous applications in such sectors as road, rail, maritime and aviation.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
Galileo Applications
EGNOS Portal
Munich Satellite Navigation Conference

The World ATM Congress is the ideal venue for EGNOS to engage with partners and to introduce airports and ANSPs to the benefits of Performance Based Navigation (PBN). An EGNOS dedicated workshop organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and ESSP on 10 March brought together ANSPs and airports interested in operational implementation.

According to GSA officials, the aviation sector remains a key market segment for EGNOS. “EGNOS was designed for aviation, and with over a quarter of all airports in our target market being EGNOS-enabled, we’re seeing great results and are well ahead of where we want to be,” said GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini. “From our work across all airspace user segments, European airports and OEMS, it is clear that EGNOS provides very clear benefits to all.”

Many Benefits for Airports and Operators

At the top of this list of benefits is RNP down to LPV approaches, which enable all weather near-precision approaches without the need for expensive ground equipment. Today, EGNOS allows 250 feet minima, with the objective being to reach 200 feet minima by the end of the year, which will significantly increase the operator’s real operational capability and safety.

“Today, 176 LPV procedures are already in use in more than 113 airports across Europe, providing a cost effective alternative equivalent to conventional ILS CAT I instrument landing procedures,” says Thierry Racaud, CEO at the European Satellite Service Provider (ESSP), who is operating the EGNOS system under a contract with the GSA. “LPV200 will be a major milestone for the EGNOS programme and will further encourage the implementation of EGNOS procedures at airports across the full EU-28.”

         Also read: EGNOS Enables an Integrated European Sky

Another advantage of EGNOS is its interoperability with other SBAS systems – without the need for different avionic equipment. As a result, most manufacturers in the general and business aviation sectors are already putting EGNOS-ready equipment on-board new models. At the same time, the commercial manufacturers are taking notice, with many OEMS installing EGNOS equipment into their latest models.

EGNOS is also free of charge. For no additional costs, the EGNOS satellite signal allows aircraft to more accurately determine position, reduce errors in GPS data, and allows for almost precision landing approaches. Airports also benefit as EGNOS reduces the need for costly maintenance of ground infrastructure. More so, it can reduce the occurrence of delays, diversions and cancellations at airports where a Non Precision Approach procedure is the only option so far.

All of these benefits will be further enhanced with the next version of EGNOS, which will allow LPV200, as well as a substantial extension in coverage area.

To put this in the frame of figures, an independent cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the GSA indicated that the benefits for Europe’s aviation sector will be total €2.4 billion by 2030. Of this total savings, about €1.2 billion is due to reduced flight delays, diversions and cancellations. Another €900 million in savings is the result of the reduction of Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) accidents, and €300 million due to the phase out of infrastructure navaids.

Challenges Ahead

Today’s GNSS penetration in the global aviation market is over 80%, and GNSS is expected to reach over 90% penetration by 2022 as an enabler of PBN. The shipments of EGNOS enabled devices are expected to dominate the entire market, including the commercial/regional, business and general aviation segments. The penetration of SBAS enabled units in equipped aircraft is expected to increase from some 20% in 2012 to 60% in 2020.

To support this growing market, continued adoption throughout the segment must be ensured. To accomplish this, steps must be taken to facilitate EGNOS adoption through enablers/tools/methodologies to facilitate LPV implementation. This includes increasing the availability of cost efficient avionics solutions, supporting operators in getting both equipped and certified with EGNOS avionics and facilitating crew training for such operations.

In support of all these points, the GSA is overseeing several funding opportunities. The Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation’s current call has €25 million available in funding. According to GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera Rios, the GSA is particularly interested in aviation applications dealing with GNSS. “During the first call, five of the funded projects dealt with aviation,” she said. “As this is an important sector for EGNOS, similar numbers are expected from the second call.”  

More so, in 2014 the GSA launched a call for proposals to foster further EGNOS adoption in the European civil aviation sector. According to Aguilera-Rios, the objective of the call was twofold. “On the one hand, the grant aims to support projects that enable users to equip and use their aircraft or rotorcraft fleet with GPS/SBAS-enabled avionics,” she said. “On the other hand, it aims to allow Air Navigation Service Providers and aerodromes/heliports to implement EGNOS-based operations in Europe.”

        Also read: GSA Launches EGNOS Adoption for Aviation Grant

A similar call for proposals for 2015 is currently in development and is expected to launch in May.

EGNOS for All Aviation Sectors

The workshop also highlighted how EGNOS benefits all aviation sectors, including commercial/regional, business, general and rotorcraft. On the commercial aviation side, the focus in primarily on the regional sector, with the GSA regularly offering support to regional airlines and airports to implement EGNOS-based operations.

Likewise, both business and general aviation are key market segments for EGNOS. Business aviation operators require getting to a meeting as quickly and efficiently as possible, often requiring landing at smaller airports where ILS or other expensive navigation aids are simply not feasible. Implementation of EGNOS-based procedures at these airports significantly improves accessibility. Today, most business aviation manufacturers already forward fit EGNOS capability into their aircraft. To support this, last summer the GSA and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote wider use of EGNOS at regional airports in Europe.

In the General Aviation sector, a GSA survey confirmed the vast majority of the European GA IFR community (85%) is either interested in installing and using SBAS or, at the very least, have considered using it. Approximately 48% of participants indicated that their aircraft are already SBAS capable, although this does not necessarily mean they are allowed to perform LPV approach procedures. The GSA is supporting the development of cost efficient avionics solutions, such as an AML STC for GNS 430W/530W equipment – the most commonly used avionics in EU GA fleet – to significantly reduce the certification costs to enable LPV operations.

Another important sector is rotorcraft, where EGNOS provides helicopter operators a clear advantage by enhancing vertical precision and integrity to improve safety, accessibility and efficiency for operators, pilots and helipads across Europe.

         Also read: Helicopter Industry Goes for the EGNOS Advantage

EGNOS leads to a substantial reduction in the decision height, making helipads accessible in poor weather conditions and thus enhancing safety – of particular importance to medical and emergency operations.

Recognising Achievements

In summary, for both operators and airports, EGNOS is a smart choice: with little need for on-board equipment and no need for a ground infrastructure, EGNOS offers all users increased accessibility and safety.

To celebrate this EGNOS advantage, the workshop concluded with an awards and recognition ceremony for some of the ANSPs and operators who have recently signed EWAs and/or published their first LPV procedures.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS for Aviation
World ATM Congress 2015

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is looking for maritime and river authorities interested  in a pilot project to test new, cost-effective ways to increase the safety of vessels without the need to invest in costly new equipment.

The project’s objective is to demonstrate the added value of transmitting differential corrections and local integrity checks for satellite navigation data using the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS) via existing Automatic Identification System (AIS) shore stations. In the future this process will also include the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES).

        Also read: Sci-Tech Systems Reaches Final Stages

In addition, the new system will offer a backup to the current IALA DGNSS (differential global navigation satellite system) infrastructure.

The Benefit of EGNOS in Maritime

EGNOS, the European satellite-based augmentation service (SBAS), provides corrections to GPS signals (for example, to compensate for ionosphere delay and clock errors) to increase the accuracy of position information, as well as providing checks on data reliability. EGNOS corrections can be received from geostationary satellites or, when using EDAS, via the Internet.

In areas where EGNOS geo-satellites may not be visible, such as shaded stretches of inland waterways and at high latitudes in the Arctic Circle, EGNOS corrections received from EDAS can be re-transmitted using AIS stations. In the future this re-transmission will also occur over VDES.

      Also read: EGNOS makes splash at world's largest marine trade show

Several studies, including EGNOS Tran, Galewat, Maruse, and Margal, have already demonstrated the feasibility of broadcasting EGNOS corrections via AIS shore-based stations.

Following the pilot project, technical and cost-benefit analyses will be prepared for maritime authorities and end users to show the benefits of EGNOS. The outcomes will also be used to support the IALA eNav Committee in defining the VDES – a necessary step to ensuring it can be used to transmit EGNOS data.

       Also read: GSA Joins IALA

Want to Partner Up?

The GSA is looking for maritime and river authorities that are interested in collaborating in the pilot project by offering an AIS station for the tests. Those interested should contact market@gsa.europa.eu before 6 April 2015.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Maritime

A new Market Report from the GSA delves into the market opportunities, technology trends and future developments of GNSS, as well as how GNSS contributes to Europe’s economy. The GSA’s GNSS Market Report Issue 4 highlights the benefits that GNSS offers to Europe, including job creation and promoting innovation.

The report looks at eight key market segments: Location Based Services (LBS), Road Transportation, Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Agriculture, Surveying and, for the first time, Timing & Synchronisation.

The Smartphone Era

With nearly 4 billion Global Navigation Satellite System devices in use worldwide, and an estimated 7 billion by 2020 – or one device for every person on the planet – GNSS presents an unprecedented business opportunity for Europe. This growth is further stimulated by macro trends, such as the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Multimodal Logistics and Big Data, where location information and GNSS play an increasing role.

Not surprisingly, smartphones are the most popular platform for accessing location-based services, and personal navigation and location-based social networking are extremely popular, and growing all the time.     

          Also read: GSA Set to Launch 4th GNSS Market Report in Munich

“With the volume of global data doubling every two years, we are living in exciting times,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “As part of this reality, location information matters now more than ever and our 4th edition of the GNSS Market Report provides a comprehensive overview and quantification of the GNSS market of today and the future.”

Benefiting Europe

Data volume growth also means job growth. In Europe, the GNSS market supports more than 50,000 jobs in the downstream industry, and 3,000 in the upstream. In addition, 6% of European GDP depends on GNSS. As the GNSS market is expected to grow by 8.3% per year until 2019, these figures can only increase.

The report also shows that European industry is the strongest in road, rail and maritime segments, and that European companies are the global leader in rail system integration.

Focus on Receivers

The report presents the results of analysis of more than 300 receiver and chipset models available on the global market in 2015. More than 60% of all available receivers support, at minimum, two constellations, and more than 20% support all four, showing that multi-constellation is becoming a standard feature in GNSS user equipment.  The recognized benefits of using multiple constellations support the adoption of Galileo, the European system, which is currently present in almost 40% of receivers.

The full 80 page report is available for download free of charge here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GNSS Market Report Issue 4

A new Market Report from the GSA delves into the market opportunities, technology trends and future developments of GNSS, as well as how GNSS contributes to Europe’s economy. The GSA’s GNSS Market Report Issue 4 highlights the benefits that GNSS offers to Europe, including job creation and promoting innovation.

The report looks at eight key market segments: Location Based Services (LBS), Road Transportation, Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Agriculture, Surveying and, for the first time, Timing & Synchronisation.

The Smartphone Era

With nearly 4 billion Global Navigation Satellite System devices in use worldwide, and an estimated 7 billion by 2020 – or one device for every person on the planet – GNSS presents an unprecedented business opportunity for Europe. This growth is further stimulated by macro trends, such as the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Multimodal Logistics and Big Data, where location information and GNSS play an increasing role.

Not surprisingly, smartphones are the most popular platform for accessing location-based services, and personal navigation and location-based social networking are extremely popular, and growing all the time.     

          Also read: GSA Set to Launch 4th GNSS Market Report in Munich

“With the volume of global data doubling every two years, we are living in exciting times,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “As part of this reality, location information matters now more than ever and our 4th edition of the GNSS Market Report provides a comprehensive overview and quantification of the GNSS market of today and the future.”

Benefiting Europe

Data volume growth also means job growth. In Europe, the GNSS market supports more than 50,000 jobs in the downstream industry, and 3,000 in the upstream. In addition, 6% of European GDP depends on GNSS. As the GNSS market is expected to grow by 8.3% per year until 2019, these figures can only increase.

The report also shows that European industry is the strongest in road, rail and maritime segments, and that European companies are the global leader in rail system integration.

Focus on Receivers

The report presents the results of analysis of more than 300 receiver and chipset models available on the global market in 2015. More than 60% of all available receivers support, at minimum, two constellations, and more than 20% support all four, showing that multi-constellation is becoming a standard feature in GNSS user equipment.  The recognized benefits of using multiple constellations support the adoption of Galileo, the European system, which is currently present in almost 40% of receivers.

The full 80 page report is available for download free of charge here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
GNSS Market Report Issue 4

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) will join colleagues from the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Innovate UK as speakers and panellists at this year’s kick-off of two leading innovation competitions: the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Copernicus Masters. 

The official kick-off will be held at the House of Commons in London on April 21. The programme gives participants a valuable opportunity to discuss with experts about the European flagship GNSS programme, Galileo, and the European Earth observation programme, Copernicus, as well as to learn more about the two competitions. The event also offers a glimpse of some of the latest innovations in satellite applications currently on the marketplace.

The ESNC started in 2004 and has since grown into a leading global network of innovation in the field of global navigation systems. Its annual search for new services, products and business innovations aims to encourage exciting new ways to use satellite navigation in everyday life. Each year, the ESNC’s global partner regions and key institutional and industry stakeholders award prizes worth over EUR 1 million. In 2014, 26 regional prizes and seven special prizes were awarded.

In addition to being a supporting partner, for the seventh consecutive year the GSA will be sponsoring the GSA Special Prize for the Most Promising Application Idea for European GNSS. The objective of the Special Prize is to support the development of applications that create demand for EGNOS and Galileo while also providing economic and social benefits. Proposals should address specific business opportunities or have a demonstrated impact on social issues.
   
    Read about last year’s ESNC GSA Special Prize winner

The annual Copernicus Masters competition has been awarding prizes to innovative solutions for business and society based on Earth observation data since its launch in 2011. In 2014, some 171 submissions were received from 43 countries.

In addition to cash prizes, competition winners will have the opportunity to develop their idea at a suitable incubation centre for a six month period, with the option of a six month extension based on an initial evaluation.

The kick off will be held on Tuesday 21 April 2015 at the House of Commons in London, UK (17:00-20:00)

Attendance to the event is free of charge, but access can only be granted upon prior online registration. The number of places is limited.

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) will join colleagues from the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Innovate UK as speakers and panellists at this year’s kick-off of two leading innovation competitions: the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Copernicus Masters. 

The official kick-off will be held the House of Commons in London on April 21. The programme gives participants a valuable opportunity to discuss with experts about the European flagship GNSS programme, Galileo, and the European Earth observation programme, Copernicus, as well as to learn more about the two competitions. The event also offers a glimpse of some of the latest innovations in satellite applications currently on the marketplace.

The ESNC started in 2004 and has since grown into a leading global network of innovation in the field of global navigation systems. Its annual search for new services, products and business innovations aims to encourage exciting new ways to use satellite navigation in everyday life. Each year, the ESNC’s global partner regions and key institutional and industry stakeholders award prizes worth over EUR 1 million. In 2014, 26 regional prizes and seven special prizes were awarded.

In addition to being a supporting partner, for the seventh consecutive year the GSA will be sponsoring the GSA Special Prize for the Most Promising Application Idea for European GNSS. The objective of the Special Prize is to support the development of applications that create demand for EGNOS and Galileo while also providing economic and social benefits. Proposals should address specific business opportunities or have a demonstrated impact on social issues.
   
    Read about last year’s ESNC GSA Special Prize winner

The annual Copernicus Masters competition has been awarding prizes to innovative solutions for business and society based on Earth observation data since its launch in 2011. In 2014, some 171 submissions were received from 43 countries.

In addition to cash prizes, competition winners will have the opportunity to develop their idea at a suitable incubation centre for a six month period, with the option of a six month extension based on an initial evaluation.

The kick off will be held on Tuesday 21 April 2015 at the House of Commons in London, UK (17:00-20:00)

Attendance to the event is free of charge, but access can only be granted upon prior online registration. The number of places is limited.

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

During the Galileo Power Hour at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlighted the important role Galileo plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications.

According to a recent article in The Economist, smartphones have become the “fastest-selling gadgets in history”. In fact, today nearly half the adult population owns a smartphone. By 2020, the article predicts this number will reach 80%. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential that mobile technology has – a fact made clear at the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) – the mobile industry’s annual tradeshow and convention. Highlighting the part that European GNSS plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications, GSA held a Galileo Power Hour.

Location matters!

Out of all the programmes and applications available on your smartphone, GNSS continues to be the main source of location information outdoors – and Galileo, Europe’s GNSS programme, will soon be available to provide you with enhanced location information. In fact, according to the GSA’s Market Report Issue 4, 70% of all mobile phones worldwide will have GNSS capability by 2020, with other consumer devices set to follow.

“Big data mining brings new intelligence to LBS, and the Internet of Things is continuing to increase the number of connected devices,” said GSA Market Development Officer Fiammetta Diani. “In fact, the number of connected devices has already surpassed the number of people on the planet.”

The proliferation of wearable devices – which created a lot of buzz during MWC 2015 – will further accelerate this trend. It is expected that over 14 million unit shipments of these devices will occur by 2023.

Yet even with all of these connected devices, challenges remain. For instance, securing reliable indoor positioning is still an issue. And new technologies such as augmented reality and driverless cars will create further demand for more reliable and accurate positioning information.

And here lies the Galileo advantage: Galileo adds a completely civil programme to the global multi-constellation system, and improved performance in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Furthermore, its data-less signal offers additional advantages. Using the data-less signal with a 100ms length for the secondary code, Galileo allows for an enhanced indoor penetration, improved performances in urban canyons, better performances in noise measurements and improved sensitivity in A-GNSS mode. More so, the strength of the Galileo signal, together with an advanced code modulations, makes Galileo better at mitigating multipath effects (especially in E5, but also E1).

Finally, Galileo is expected to provide an authentication feature, essentially a digital signature that ensures the signal is actually coming from the satellites and is intentionally modified. This feature will become more and more important with the emergence of commercially sensitive LBS, such as where a payment or digital rights usage are based on location.  

“With all of these location focused advantages, it is clear that you can truly empower your app with Galileo,” concluded Diani.

To highlight this point, the programme featured several success stories from various chipset manufacturers and LBS projects.

Interchangeability accomplished

Broadcom, a Fortune 300 leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, took the stage to showcase its new BCM4774 Location Hub chip, their first GNSS chip to support Galileo. The chip can be used across the mobile device spectrum – from smartphones to connected cars, wearables and the Internet of Things.

“The true differentiator here is its interchangeability,” said Broadcom Associate Director GPS Marketing Manuel del Castillo. “The BCM4774 treats all satellite signals from any constellation equally. To get a fix – even a first fix – any four satellites will do. With Galileo added to GPS, GLONASS, QXSS and BeiDou, the ability to get the needed four signals only increases.”

This feature is unique in the industry as most chips require an initial GPS fix in order to start.

Del Castillo adds that supporting Galileo gives the chip more accuracy, with the two larger sources of potential error – multipath and Iono error – being improved by Galileo.

A mobile market game changer

Another example of mobile technology powered by Galileo is Elecnor Deimos’ Galileo Module for ARA platform project – which also won the GSA Special Prize at the 2014 European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). As explained by Deimos Space’s Giovanni Vecchione, the project’s innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explained Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

The project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. The proposed solution is aimed at demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 Galileo receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

European Location as a Service

To highlight the R&D funding opportunities available under the Horizon 2020 programme, the Galileo Power Hour concluded with a presentation by the Horizon 2020-funded ELAASTIC project. Standing for European Location as a Service Targeting International Commerce, ELAASTIC is addressing the need to create new and innovative technologies that use Galileo to provide the required enhanced performances.

The project is directed towards market opportunities in smartphones and applications, machine-to-machine connectivity and telematics services. As to the latter, Telespazio’s, one of the project partners, Yves Capelle says: "The entire range of telematics services such as eCall, stolen vehicle tracking, pay as you drive, vehicle insurance and remote vehicle diagnostics will enter the growth stage starting this year.”

With this in mind, expect to see the project’s first commercial offering ready by the fourth quarter of 2015.  Watch this space for more information.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
Mobile World Congress 2015

During the Galileo Power Hour at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlighted the important role Galileo plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications.

According to a recent article in The Economist, smartphones have become the “fastest-selling gadgets in history”. In fact, today nearly half the adult population owns a smartphone. By 2020, the article predicts this number will reach 80%. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential that mobile technology has – a fact made clear at the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) – the mobile industry’s annual tradeshow and convention. Highlighting the part that European GNSS plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications, GSA held a Galileo Power Hour.

Location matters!

Out of all the programmes and applications available on your smartphone, GNSS continues to be the main source of location information outdoors – and Galileo, Europe’s GNSS programme, will soon be available to provide you with enhanced location information. In fact, according to the GSA’s Market Report Issue 4, 70% of all mobile phones worldwide will have GNSS capability by 2020, with other consumer devices set to follow.

“Big data mining brings new intelligence to LBS, and the Internet of Things is continuing to increase the number of connected devices,” said GSA Market Development Officer Fiammetta Diani. “In fact, the number of connected devices has already surpassed the number of people on the planet.”

The proliferation of wearable devices – which created a lot of buzz during MWC 2015 – will further accelerate this trend. It is expected that over 14 million unit shipments of these devices will occur by 2023.

Yet even with all of these connected devices, challenges remain. For instance, securing reliable indoor positioning is still an issue. And new technologies such as augmented reality and driverless cars will create further demand for more reliable and accurate positioning information.

And here lies the Galileo advantage: Galileo adds a completely civil programme to the global multi-constellation system, and improved performance in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Furthermore, its data-less signal offers additional advantages. Using the data-less signal with a 100ms length for the secondary code, Galileo allows for an enhanced indoor penetration, improved performances in urban canyons, better performances in noise measurements and improved sensitivity in A-GNSS mode. More so, the strength of the Galileo signal, together with an advanced code modulations, makes Galileo better at mitigating multipath effects (especially in E5, but also E1).

Finally, Galileo is expected to provide an authentication feature, essentially a digital signature that ensures the signal is actually coming from the satellites and is not intentionally modified. This feature will become more and more important with the emergence of commercially sensitive LBS, such as where a payment or digital rights usage are based on location.  

“With all of these location focused advantages, it is clear that you can truly empower your app with Galileo,” concluded Diani.

To highlight this point, the programme featured several success stories from various chipset manufacturers and LBS projects.

Interchangeability accomplished

Broadcom, a Fortune 300 leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, took the stage to showcase its new BCM4774 Location Hub chip, their first GNSS chip to support Galileo. The chip can be used across the mobile device spectrum – from smartphones to connected cars, wearables and the Internet of Things.

“The true differentiator here is its interchangeability,” said Broadcom Associate Director GPS Marketing Manuel del Castillo. “The BCM4774 treats all satellite signals from any constellation equally. To get a fix – even a first fix – any four satellites will do. With Galileo added to GPS, GLONASS, QXSS and BeiDou, the ability to get the needed four signals only increases.”

This feature is unique in the industry as most chips require an initial GPS fix in order to start.

Del Castillo adds that supporting Galileo gives the chip more accuracy, with the two larger sources of potential error – multipath and Iono error – being improved by Galileo.

A mobile market game changer

Another example of mobile technology powered by Galileo is Elecnor Deimos’ Galileo Module for ARA platform project – which also won the GSA Special Prize at the 2014 European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). As explained by Deimos Space’s Giovanni Vecchione, the project’s innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explained Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

The project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. The proposed solution is aimed at demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 Galileo receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

European Location as a Service

To highlight the R&D funding opportunities available under the Horizon 2020 programme, the Galileo Power Hour concluded with a presentation by the Horizon 2020-funded ELAASTIC project. Standing for European Location as a Service Targeting International Commerce, ELAASTIC is addressing the need to create new and innovative technologies that use Galileo to provide the required enhanced performances.

The project is directed towards market opportunities in smartphones and applications, machine-to-machine connectivity and telematics services. As to the latter, Telespazio’s, one of the project partners, Yves Capelle says: "The entire range of telematics services such as eCall, stolen vehicle tracking, pay as you drive, vehicle insurance and remote vehicle diagnostics will enter the growth stage starting this year.”

With this in mind, expect to see the project’s first commercial offering ready by the fourth quarter of 2015.  Watch this space for more information.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
Mobile World Congress 2015

During the Galileo Power Hour at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) highlighted the important role Galileo plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications.

According to a recent article in The Economist, smartphones have become the “fastest-selling gadgets in history”. In fact, today nearly half the adult population owns a smartphone. By 2020, the article predicts this number will reach 80%. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential that mobile technology has – a fact made clear at the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) – the mobile industry’s annual tradeshow and convention. Highlighting the part that European GNSS plays in enhancing location based service (LBS) applications, GSA held a Galileo Power Hour.

Location matters!

Out of all the programmes and applications available on your smartphone, GNSS continues to be the main source of location information outdoors – and Galileo, Europe’s GNSS programme, will soon be available to provide you with enhanced location information. In fact, according to the GSA’s Market Report Issue 4, 70% of all mobile phones worldwide will have GNSS capability by 2020, with other consumer devices set to follow.

“Big data mining brings new intelligence to LBS, and the Internet of Things is continuing to increase the number of connected devices,” said GSA Market Development Officer Fiammetta Diani. “In fact, the number of connected devices has already surpassed the number of people on the planet.”

The proliferation of wearable devices – which created a lot of buzz during MWC 2015 – will further accelerate this trend. It is expected that over 14 million unit shipments of these devices will occur by 2023.

Yet even with all of these connected devices, challenges remain. For instance, securing reliable indoor positioning is still an issue. And new technologies such as augmented reality and driverless cars will create further demand for more reliable and accurate positioning information.

And here lies the Galileo advantage: Galileo adds a completely civil programme to the global multi-constellation system, and improved performance in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Furthermore, its data-less signal offers additional advantages. Using the data-less signal with a 100ms length for the secondary code, Galileo allows for an enhanced indoor penetration, improved performances in urban canyons, better performances in noise measurements and improved sensitivity in A-GNSS mode. More so, the strength of the Galileo signal, together with an advanced code modulations, makes Galileo better at mitigating multipath effects (especially in E5, but also E1).

Finally, Galileo is expected to provide an authentication feature, essentially a digital signature that ensures the signal is actually coming from the satellites and is not intentionally modified. This feature will become more and more important with the emergence of commercially sensitive LBS, such as where a payment or digital rights usage are based on location.  

“With all of these location focused advantages, it is clear that you can truly empower your app with Galileo,” concluded Diani.

To highlight this point, the programme featured several success stories from various chipset manufacturers and LBS projects.

Interchangeability accomplished

Broadcom, a Fortune 300 leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, took the stage to showcase its new BCM4774 Location Hub chip, their first GNSS chip to support Galileo. The chip can be used across the mobile device spectrum – from smartphones to connected cars, wearables and the Internet of Things.

“The true differentiator here is its interchangeability,” said Broadcom Associate Director GPS Marketing Manuel del Castillo. “The BCM4774 treats all satellite signals from any constellation equally. To get a fix – even a first fix – any four satellites will do. With Galileo added to GPS, GLONASS, QXSS and BeiDou, the ability to get the needed four signals only increases.”

This feature is unique in the industry as most chips require an initial GPS fix in order to start.

Del Castillo adds that supporting Galileo gives the chip more accuracy, with the two larger sources of potential error – multipath and Iono error – being improved by Galileo.

A mobile market game changer

Another example of mobile technology powered by Galileo is Elecnor Deimos’ Galileo Module for ARA platform project – which also won the GSA Special Prize at the 2014 European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). As explained by Deimos Space’s Giovanni Vecchione, the project’s innovative concept aims to develop Galileo modules for the Google ARA modular smartphone concept – a game changer for positioning in the mobile phone market.

“With a traditional chip structure, all of a smartphone’s functions are currently combined into a single component, which makes it difficult to add or change a function,” explained Vecchione. “With a modular structure, you have the option to simply switch out a component, meaning a smartphone’s capabilities can be easily enhanced without creating unneeded electronic waste.”

The project aims to develop a Galileo modular component with enhanced capabilities to be used within the framework of this module-based smartphone. The proposed solution is aimed at demanding smartphone users looking to use one of Galileo’s unique E5 broadband signal. The idea is to design an E5 Galileo receiver module for the ARA platform. While mass market smartphones will use the E1 signal, the availability of high end phones offering enhanced accuracy through the use of the E5 signal will be appealing to many users.

Giovanni explains that currently such special models are only available to the professional market: “Producing and using these types of phones today is too complex and expensive to be commercially viable to the consumer market,” he says. “But with a simpler and smaller, modular-based option, we will be able to open this market to the masses.”

European Location as a Service

To highlight the R&D funding opportunities available under the Horizon 2020 programme, the Galileo Power Hour concluded with a presentation by the Horizon 2020-funded ELAASTIC project. Standing for European Location as a Service Targeting International Commerce, ELAASTIC is addressing the need to create new and innovative technologies that use Galileo to provide the required enhanced performances.

The project is directed towards market opportunities in smartphones and applications, machine-to-machine connectivity and telematics services. As to the latter, Telespazio’s, one of the project partners, Yves Capelle says: "The entire range of telematics services such as eCall, stolen vehicle tracking, pay as you drive, vehicle insurance and remote vehicle diagnostics will enter the growth stage starting this year.”

With this in mind, expect to see the project’s first commercial offering ready by the fourth quarter of 2015.  Watch this space for more information.

For more information, consult the slides presented at the Galileo Power Hour:

• Location Matters! Galileo Enhances Performance of LBS Applications, Fiammeta Diani –  GSA
• Point of view of a chip manufacturer: Broadcom, Manuel del Castillo – Broadcom
• Galileo for ARA, Giovanni Vecchione – Deimos Space
• Introducing ELAASTIC, Yves Capelle – Telespazio

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
Mobile World Congress 2015

With nearly 40,000 visitors, the Ljubljana stop ranks at the fourth most visited European Space Expo of all time.

The European Space Expo in Ljubljana, Slovenia was a huge success. Running from March 6 – 15, it enjoyed a constant flow of people entering throughout the week. With a total of 39,384 visitors, the Ljubljana stop ranks as the fourth most visited European Space Expo of all time and first in terms of number of visitors per capita.

The event was a particular hit with kids, with an astonishing 5,600 school children exploring the expo’s exhibits. The event is an excellent opportunity for students to see the many aspects of space, learn about the activities of the European Space Agency and gain a hands-on understanding of how satellite technology benefits their daily lives.

The European Space Expo’s iconic dome landed in the heart of Ljubljana. Special for this edition was the display of TRISTAT, Slovenia’s first micro satellite. A talk on the micro satellite was also given.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission , with support of and the European GNSS Agency (GSA), that illustrates the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. Since it was started, nearly 600,000 people have visited the European Space Expo.

The Expo continues to tour around Europe, educating people about the benefits of space exploration and the benefits of investing in space. Next up is Athens, where the Expo will land from March 27 through April 6.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

European Space Expo Slovenia

European Space Expo 

With nearly 40,000 visitors, the Ljubljana stop ranks at the fourth most visited European Space Expo of all time.

The European Space Expo in Ljubljana, Slovenia was a huge success. Running from March 6 – 15, it enjoyed a constant flow of people entering throughout the week. With a total of 39,384 visitors, the Ljubljana stop ranks as the fourth most visited European Space Expo of all time and first in terms of number of visitors per capita.

The event was a particular hit with kids, with an astonishing 5,600 school children exploring the expo’s exhibits. The event is an excellent opportunity for students to see the many aspects of space, learn about the activities of the European Space Agency and gain a hands-on understanding of how satellite technology benefits their daily lives.

The European Space Expo’s iconic dome landed in the heart of Ljubljana. Special for this edition was the display of TRISTAT, Slovenia’s first micro satellite. A talk on the micro satellite was also given.

The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission , with support of and the European GNSS Agency (GSA), that illustrates the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. Since it was started, nearly 600,000 people have visited the European Space Expo.

The Expo continues to tour around Europe, educating people about the benefits of space exploration and the benefits of investing in space. Next up is Athens, where the Expo will land from March 27 through April 6.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

European Space Expo Slovenia

European Space Expo 

New videos from the European GNSS Agency (GSA) demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help.

EU GNSS programmes are changing the way the world works, modernising how we do business and how we live. New videos from the GSA demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help. 

Faster Fix, Improved Localisation

Galileo is adding more satellites to existing constellations, improving location accuracy and speed – even in urban areas.  In day-to-day life, civilians will be able to use this direct access to positioning to track everything from pets to phones. In the case of a lost child or pet, the correct position is needed as soon as possible. The line of sight should be quick and accurate, and Galileo provides that.

For example, through a chip inserted into a collar or other device, people will be able to track their dogs and other pets.

Precise Positioning, Time Matters

In emergency situations, knowing your precise location can be a matter of life or death. If you’re visiting a city and do not know the area but need to call emergency services, Galileo, in tandem with other GNSS systems, will send your precise location to first responders immediately – meaning you get the help you need as quickly as possible.

Today, it can be difficult for emergency response teams to locate victims in urban areas. Galileo will change this, providing faster, more accurate service. In some cases, just a few seconds can change everything.

Precise Infrastructure Localisation

Precision Infrastructure Localisation affects a number of diverse markets, including municipalities, utilities, oil and gas, and the environmental marketplace. In these markets, accurate positioning is critical to intelligent decision-making.

Everything, from streetlights to the white lines on the road to oil drilling, is mapped. With everything having a position, accuracy is of the utmost importance. With more positions in more environments, Galileo will make mapping easier and more precise.

Location Based Advertising

Galileo will enable a new form of advertising based on location. Now, people walking down a street can see menus of surrounding restaurants through specialised apps, making it easier to decide where to eat. Restaurants who previously had trouble standing out to newcomers can now advertise specials and show off their dishes to attract new business, and tourists can find the best places to eat in a new city.

Geo-targeted advertising works for all kinds of stores and services, and is more relevant and effective due to increased satellites and greater access in rural areas. Galileo works to provide enhanced location services, giving local businesses the opportunity to provide more information and access to more potential customers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
GSA Video Library

New videos from the European GNSS Agency (GSA) demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help.

EU GNSS programmes are changing the way the world works, modernising how we do business and how we live. New videos from the GSA demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help. 

Faster Fix, Improved Localisation

Galileo is adding more satellites to existing constellations, improving location accuracy and speed – even in urban areas.  In day-to-day life, civilians will be able to use this direct access to positioning to track everything from pets to phones. In the case of a lost child or pet, the correct position is needed as soon as possible. The line of sight should be quick and accurate, and Galileo provides that.

For example, through a chip inserted into a collar or other device, people will be able to track their dogs and other pets.

Precise Positioning, Time Matters

In emergency situations, knowing your precise location can be a matter of life or death. If you’re visiting a city and do not know the area but need to call emergency services, Galileo, in tandem with other GNSS systems, will send your precise location to first responders immediately – meaning you get the help you need as quickly as possible.

Today, it can be difficult for emergency response teams to locate victims in urban areas. Galileo will change this, providing faster, more accurate service. In some cases, just a few seconds can change everything.

Precise Infrastructure Localisation

Precision Infrastructure Localisation affects a number of diverse markets, including municipalities, utilities, oil and gas, and the environmental marketplace. In these markets, accurate positioning is critical to intelligent decision-making.

Everything, from streetlights to the white lines on the road to oil drilling, is mapped. With everything having a position, accuracy is of the utmost importance. With more positions in more environments, Galileo will make mapping easier and more precise.

Location Based Advertising

Galileo will enable a new form of advertising based on location. Now, people walking down a street can see menus of surrounding restaurants through specialised apps, making it easier to decide where to eat. Restaurants who previously had trouble standing out to newcomers can now advertise specials and show off their dishes to attract new business, and tourists can find the best places to eat in a new city.

Geo-targeted advertising works for all kinds of stores and services, and is more relevant and effective due to increased satellites and greater access in rural areas. Galileo works to provide enhanced location services, giving local businesses the opportunity to provide more information and access to more potential customers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
GSA Video Library

New videos from the European GNSS Agency (GSA) demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help.

EU GNSS programmes are changing the way the world works, modernising how we do business and how we live. New videos from the GSA demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help. 

Faster Fix, Improved Localisation

Galileo is adding more satellites to existing constellations, improving location accuracy and speed – even in urban areas.  In day-to-day life, civilians will be able to use this direct access to positioning to track everything from pets to phones. In the case of a lost child or pet, the correct position is needed as soon as possible. The line of sight should be quick and accurate, and Galileo provides that.

For example, through a chip inserted into a collar or other device, people will be able to track their dogs and other pets.

Precise Positioning, Time Matters

In emergency situations, knowing your precise location can be a matter of life or death. If you’re visiting a city and do not know the area but need to call emergency services, Galileo, in tandem with other GNSS systems, will send your precise location to first responders immediately – meaning you get the help you need as quickly as possible.

Today, it can be difficult for emergency response teams to locate victims in urban areas. Galileo will change this, providing faster, more accurate service. In some cases, just a few seconds can change everything.

Precise Infrastructure Localisation

Precision Infrastructure Localisation affects a number of diverse markets, including municipalities, utilities, oil and gas, and the environmental marketplace. In these markets, accurate positioning is critical to intelligent decision-making.

Everything, from streetlights to the white lines on the road to oil drilling, is mapped. With everything having a position, accuracy is of the utmost importance. With more positions in more environments, Galileo will make mapping easier and more precise.

Location Based Advertising

Galileo will enable a new form of advertising based on location. Now, people walking down a street can see menus of surrounding restaurants through specialised apps, making it easier to decide where to eat. Restaurants who previously had trouble standing out to newcomers can now advertise specials and show off their dishes to attract new business, and tourists can find the best places to eat in a new city.

Geo-targeted advertising works for all kinds of stores and services, and is more relevant and effective due to increased satellites and greater access in rural areas. Galileo works to provide enhanced location services, giving local businesses the opportunity to provide more information and access to more potential customers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
GSA Video Library

New videos from the European GNSS Agency (GSA) demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help.

EU GNSS programmes are changing the way the world works, modernising how we do business and how we live. New videos from the GSA demonstrate the benefits of improved accuracy in a variety of situations, and how Galileo, Europe’s independent global satellite navigation system, will help. 

Faster Fix, Improved Localisation

Galileo is adding more satellites to existing constellations, improving location accuracy and speed – even in urban areas.  In day-to-day life, civilians will be able to use this direct access to positioning to track everything from pets to phones. In the case of a lost child or pet, the correct position is needed as soon as possible. The line of sight should be quick and accurate, and Galileo provides that.

For example, through a chip inserted into a collar or other device, people will be able to track their dogs and other pets.

Precise Positioning, Time Matters

In emergency situations, knowing your precise location can be a matter of life or death. If you’re visiting a city and do not know the area but need to call emergency services, Galileo, in tandem with other GNSS systems, will send your precise location to first responders immediately – meaning you get the help you need as quickly as possible.

Today, it can be difficult for emergency response teams to locate victims in urban areas. Galileo will change this, providing faster, more accurate service. In some cases, just a few seconds can change everything.

Precise Infrastructure Localisation

Precision Infrastructure Localisation affects a number of diverse markets, including municipalities, utilities, oil and gas, and the environmental marketplace. In these markets, accurate positioning is critical to intelligent decision-making.

Everything, from streetlights to the white lines on the road to oil drilling, is mapped. With everything having a position, accuracy is of the utmost importance. With more positions in more environments, Galileo will make mapping easier and more precise.

Location Based Advertising

Galileo will enable a new form of advertising based on location. Now, people walking down a street can see menus of surrounding restaurants through specialised apps, making it easier to decide where to eat. Restaurants who previously had trouble standing out to newcomers can now advertise specials and show off their dishes to attract new business, and tourists can find the best places to eat in a new city.

Geo-targeted advertising works for all kinds of stores and services, and is more relevant and effective due to increased satellites and greater access in rural areas. Galileo works to provide enhanced location services, giving local businesses the opportunity to provide more information and access to more potential customers.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Applications
Location Based Services Brochure
GSA Video Library

It’s March, which for the GNSS community means one thing: the Munich Satellite Summit. From March 24 – 26, GNSS players from around the world will gather in Munich to discuss and debate all things GNSS. This year, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) will launch its GNSS Market Report Issue 4 during the Summit.

The annual Munich Satellite Summit is set for March 24 – 26, and this year the GSA will be taking the stage to launch its 4th GNSS Market Report.  The Summit kicks off with an Opening Plenary Session, where GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides will join representatives from European governments, the European Commission, ESA, and the US, Russia and China.

Latest trends in the GNSS market

A dedicated launch session on the GNSS Market Report is scheduled for March 25, where participants will get a comprehensive overview of the GNSS market from GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

“With nearly four billion GNSS devices used worldwide and all regions experiencing growth, our latest Market Report shows how GNSS represents a unique growth opportunity for Europe in terms of business development, job creation and European competitiveness,” says Calini.

A panel discussion featuring industry representatives and moderated by Inside GNSS Editor Glen Gibbons will follow. Panel members include: STMicroelectronic’s Philippe Prats, Broadcom Corporation’s Frank van Diggelen, European Business Aviation Association’s Belarmino Goncalves Paradela, 365FarmNet Group’s Klaus-Herbert Rolf, and Furuno Electric’s Genta Shinohara. Each panellist will provide unique insights into the trends and challenges facing their particular business.
    

     Click here to download the 2015 GSA GNSS Market Report

Future of Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT)

The launch of GSA’s 4th GNSS Market Report ideally compliments this year’s Summit theme: Who knows what the future will bring?

On this front, the summit has invited experts from around the world to look into the crystal ball and provide their views on the future of the global Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT) sector.

The technical programme for the summit includes plenary discussions and concise updates on the main activities in worldwide satellite navigation systems, including:

• Implementation of Galileo
• Modernisation of the US GPS IIF and GPS III
• Status and modernisation of the Russian Global Satellite Navigation System GLONASS
• Developments of new global and regional systems (such as the Chinese BeiDou, Japanese QZSS and the Indian IRNSS systems)
• Space Based Augmentation systems (SBAS), such as EGNOS
• Future trends in PNT
• The role of GNSS in Big Data collection
• Space geodesy, space navigation and reflectometry
• Processor and semiconductor trends for GNSS receivers
• GNSS market legal issues

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2015

It’s March, which for the GNSS community means one thing: the Munich Satellite Summit. From March 24 – 26, GNSS players from around the world will gather in Munich to discuss and debate all things GNSS. This year, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) will launch its GNSS Market Report Issue 4 during the Summit.

The annual Munich Satellite Summit is set for March 24 – 26, and this year the GSA will be taking the stage to launch its 4th GNSS Market Report.  The Summit kicks off with an Opening Plenary Session, where GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides will join representatives from European governments, the European Commission, ESA, and the US, Russia and China.

Latest trends in the GNSS market

A dedicated launch session on the GNSS Market Report is scheduled for March 25, where participants will get a comprehensive overview of the GNSS market from GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

“With nearly four billion GNSS devices used worldwide and all regions experiencing growth, our latest Market Report shows how GNSS represents a unique growth opportunity for Europe in terms of business development, job creation and European competitiveness,” says Calini.

A panel discussion featuring industry representatives and moderated by Inside GNSS Editor Glen Gibbons will follow. Panel members include: STMicroelectronic’s Philippe Prats, Broadcom Corporation’s Frank van Diggelen, European Business Aviation Association’s Belarmino Goncalves Paradela, 365FarmNet Group’s Klaus-Herbert Rolf, and Furuno Electric’s Genta Shinohara. Each panellist will provide unique insights into the trends and challenges facing their particular business.
    

     Click here to be among the first to download a copy of the 2015 GSA GNSS Market Report

Future of Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT)

The launch of GSA’s 4th GNSS Market Report ideally compliments this year’s Summit theme: Who knows what the future will bring?

On this front, the summit has invited experts from around the world to look into the crystal ball and provide their views on the future of the global Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT) sector.

The technical programme for the summit includes plenary discussions and concise updates on the main activities in worldwide satellite navigation systems, including:

• Implementation of Galileo
• Modernisation of the US GPS IIF and GPS III
• Status and modernisation of the Russian Global Satellite Navigation System GLONASS
• Developments of new global and regional systems (such as the Chinese BeiDou, Japanese QZSS and the Indian IRNSS systems)
• Space Based Augmentation systems (SBAS), such as EGNOS
• Future trends in PNT
• The role of GNSS in Big Data collection
• Space geodesy, space navigation and reflectometry
• Processor and semiconductor trends for GNSS receivers
• GNSS market legal issues

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2015

It’s March, which for the GNSS community means one thing: the Munich Satellite Summit. From March 24 – 26, GNSS players from around the world will gather in Munich to discuss and debate all things GNSS. This year, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) will launch its GNSS Market Report Issue 4 during the Summit.

The annual Munich Satellite Summit is set for March 24 – 26, and this year the GSA will be taking the stage to launch its 4th GNSS Market Report.  The Summit kicks off with an Opening Plenary Session, where GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides will join representatives from European governments, the European Commission, ESA, and the US, Russia and China.

Latest trends in the GNSS market

A dedicated launch session on the GNSS Market Report is scheduled for March 25, where participants will get a comprehensive overview of the GNSS market from GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

“With nearly four billion GNSS devices used worldwide and all regions experiencing growth, our latest Market Report shows how GNSS represents a unique growth opportunity for Europe in terms of business development, job creation and European competitiveness,” says Calini.

A panel discussion featuring industry representatives and moderated by Inside GNSS Editor Glen Gibbons will follow. Panel members include: STMicroelectronic’s Philippe Prats, Broadcom Corporation’s Frank van Diggelen, European Business Aviation Association’s Belarmino Goncalves Paradela, 365FarmNet Group’s Klaus-Herbert Rolf, and Furuno Electric’s Genta Shinohara. Each panellist will provide unique insights into the trends and challenges facing their particular business.
    

     Click here to be among the first to download a copy of the 2015 GSA GNSS Market Report

Future of Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT)

The launch of GSA’s 4th GNSS Market Report ideally compliments this year’s Summit theme: Who knows what the future will bring?

On this front, the summit has invited experts from around the world to look into the crystal ball and provide their views on the future of the global Positioning, Navigation & Timing (PNT) sector.

The technical programme for the summit includes plenary discussions and concise updates on the main activities in worldwide satellite navigation systems, including:

• Implementation of Galileo
• Modernisation of the US GPS IIF and GPS III
• Status and modernisation of the Russian Global Satellite Navigation System GLONASS
• Developments of new global and regional systems (such as the Chinese BeiDou, Japanese QZSS and the Indian IRNSS systems)
• Space Based Augmentation systems (SBAS), such as EGNOS
• Future trends in PNT
• The role of GNSS in Big Data collection
• Space geodesy, space navigation and reflectometry
• Processor and semiconductor trends for GNSS receivers
• GNSS market legal issues

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2015

At a recent workshop with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic highlighted how it is leveraging the potential of European GNSS in such areas as road transport and civil aviation.

The Slovak Republic is enthusiastically embracing the potential of European GNSS, especially in the areas of road transport and civil aviation. At a February workshop in Bratislava, experts and decision makers from the Slovak Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development met with the GSA and representatives from industry and the transport sector to exchange ideas and best practices.

Success on the road

Slovakia has already become a world leader in the use of GNSS-based on-board units (OBU) in heavy goods vehicles to collect road tolls and reduce emissions. It is now investigating other applications in the road sector, such as tracking dangerous goods, fleet control and automatic emergency call systems that alert emergency services in the event of a serious accident involving a vehicle equipped with the system.

“This is a nice recognition for the Slovak Republic,” said Slovak Republic Director General of Electronic Communications and Postal Services Zuzana Sturdikova, speaking on the success of Slovak industry in using GNSS applications. “As a relatively young and small country in Europe, Slovakia is viewed as a pioneer in implementing European GNSS and satellite navigation applications and is serving as an example to other countries looking to develop similar systems.”

Of particular note is the country’s expansion of the length of roads covered by its charging scheme from about 2,500 km to nearly 17,800 km within just one month. Slovak Tolling and IT Director of National Highway Company Milan Rac noted that this accomplishment was only possible thanks to such E-GNSS programmes as EGNOS and Galileo.

“We believe European GNNS can guide Slovakia not only towards a smart, integrated transport system, but also to GNSS applications in all relevant market segments,” said Slovak Republic State Counsellor of Electronic Communications Tibor Javor.

Benefiting aviation too

The Slovak aviation industry is also interested in the potential application of EGNOS, for example with the implementation of LPV approach guidance systems (localiser performance with vertical guidance) that dispenses of the need for expensive ground infrastructure for assisted landing.

“Slovakia has been able to rapidly and strategically seize the opportunities offered by EGNOS in key market segments with tangible results and is clearly ready for Galileo,” concluded GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

EGNOS and Road Applications

EGNOS for Aviation

At a recent workshop with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic highlighted how it is leveraging the potential of European GNSS in such areas as road transport and civil aviation.

The Slovak Republic is enthusiastically embracing the potential of European GNSS, especially in the areas of road transport and civil aviation. At a February workshop in Bratislava, experts and decision makers from the Slovak Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development met with the GSA and representatives from industry and the transport sector to exchange ideas and best practices.

Success on the road

Slovakia has already become a world leader in the use of GNSS-based on-board units (OBU) in heavy goods vehicles to collect road tolls and reduce emissions. It is now investigating other applications in the road sector, such as tracking dangerous goods, fleet control and automatic emergency call systems that alert emergency services in the event of a serious accident involving a vehicle equipped with the system.

“This is a nice recognition for the Slovak Republic,” said Slovak Republic Director General of Electronic Communications and Postal Services Zuzana Sturdikova, speaking on the success of Slovak industry in using GNSS applications. “As a relatively young and small country in Europe, Slovakia is viewed as a pioneer in implementing European GNSS and satellite navigation applications and is serving as an example to other countries looking to develop similar systems.”

Of particular note is the country’s expansion of the length of roads covered by its charging scheme from about 2,500 km to nearly 17,800 km within just one month. Slovak Tolling and IT Director of National Highway Company Milan Rac noted that this accomplishment was only possible thanks to such E-GNSS programmes as EGNOS and Galileo.

“We believe European GNNS can guide Slovakia not only towards a smart, integrated transport system, but also to GNSS applications in all relevant market segments,” said Slovak Republic State Counsellor of Electronic Communications Tibor Javor.

Benefiting aviation too

The Slovak aviation industry is also interested in the potential application of EGNOS, for example with the implementation of LPV approach guidance systems (localiser performance with vertical guidance) that dispenses of the need for expensive ground infrastructure for assisted landing.

“Slovakia has been able to rapidly and strategically seize the opportunities offered by EGNOS in key market segments with tangible results and is clearly ready for Galileo,” concluded GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

EGNOS and Road Applications

EGNOS for Aviation

EGNSS Best Practise Exchange workshop (slovak version)

Nie sme „Béčka“. V satelitnej navigáci. (slovak version)

At a recent workshop with the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic highlighted how it is leveraging the potential of European GNSS in such areas as road transport and civil aviation.

The Slovak Republic is enthusiastically embracing the potential of European GNSS, especially in the areas of road transport and civil aviation. At a February workshop in Bratislava, experts and decision makers from the Slovak Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development met with the GSA and representatives from industry and the transport sector to exchange ideas and best practices.

Success on the road

Slovakia has already become a world leader in the use of GNSS-based on-board units (OBU) in heavy goods vehicles to collect road tolls and reduce emissions. It is now investigating other applications in the road sector, such as tracking dangerous goods, fleet control and automatic emergency call systems that alert emergency services in the event of a serious accident involving a vehicle equipped with the system.

“This is a nice recognition for the Slovak Republic,” said Slovak Republic Director General of Electronic Communications and Postal Services Zuzana Sturdikova, speaking on the success of Slovak industry in using GNSS applications. “As a relatively young and small country in Europe, Slovakia is viewed as a pioneer in implementing European GNSS and satellite navigation applications and is serving as an example to other countries looking to develop similar systems.”

Of particular note is the country’s expansion of the length of roads covered by its charging scheme from about 2,500 km to nearly 17,800 km within just one month. Slovak Tolling and IT Director of National Highway Company Milan Rac noted that this accomplishment was only possible thanks to such E-GNSS programmes as EGNOS and Galileo.

“We believe European GNNS can guide Slovakia not only towards a smart, integrated transport system, but also to GNSS applications in all relevant market segments,” said Slovak Republic State Counsellor of Electronic Communications Tibor Javor.

Benefiting aviation too

The Slovak aviation industry is also interested in the potential application of EGNOS, for example with the implementation of LPV approach guidance systems (localiser performance with vertical guidance) that dispenses of the need for expensive ground infrastructure for assisted landing.

“Slovakia has been able to rapidly and strategically seize the opportunities offered by EGNOS in key market segments with tangible results and is clearly ready for Galileo,” concluded GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

EGNOS and Road Applications

EGNOS for Aviation

EGNSS Best Practise Exchange workshop (slovak version)

Nie sme „Béčka“. V satelitnej navigáci. (slovak version)

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is highlighting the many successes coming out of the FP7 funding programme with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App.

For Europe, maintaining a competitive edge in a global economy and a high standard of living for its citizens requires the fullest exploitation of its superior know-how and cutting-edge technologies. This entails a firm commitment to advanced and sustained research programmes to deliver useful and marketable products and services for the 21st century.

The 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union's main research funding instrument for the period 2007-2013, supported R&D and innovation in the field of GNSS – aimed at accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

The GSA is highlighting the many successes coming out of FP7 with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App. The comprehensive, searchable report will provide insight into a range of funded projects from across all market sectors – from aviation to maritime, rail and agriculture and everything in between. The application, which will be available for free download soon, will provide additional information beyond the print edition.

Impact on the GNSS market

As this report shows, the FP7 R&D programme has had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Already by October 2013, almost 15,000 product/service units had been sold to over 13,000 clients, yielding revenues of €4 million. GSA forecasts predict that by the end of 2015, FP7 will have generated 200,000 unit sales to over 23,000 clients, yielding revenues of €27.1 million. More so, it is foreseen that one in two projects in the high-impact sectors will eventually lead to commercial outcomes.

This impressive performance is at least in part the result of the strong steering of the GSA’s market development strategy, focussing on the most significant sectors for current and future growth. Now, thanks to the hard work of European scientists and the EU, cutting-edge research in the field of GNSS is likely to continue to bear fruit for businesses and citizens into the foreseeable future.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

R&D for Galileo & EGNOS Application

Download the R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report here

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is highlighting the many successes coming out of the FP7 funding programme with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App.

For Europe, maintaining a competitive edge in a global economy and a high standard of living for its citizens requires the fullest exploitation of its superior know-how and cutting-edge technologies. This entails a firm commitment to advanced and sustained research programmes to deliver useful and marketable products and services for the 21st century.

The 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union's main research funding instrument for the period 2007-2013, supported R&D and innovation in the field of GNSS – aimed at accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

The GSA is highlighting the many successes coming out of FP7 with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App. The comprehensive, searchable report will provide insight into a range of funded projects from across all market sectors – from aviation to maritime, rail and agriculture and everything in between. The application, which will be available for free download soon, will provide additional information beyond the print edition.

Impact on the GNSS market

As this report shows, the FP7 R&D programme has had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Already by October 2013, almost 15,000 product/service units had been sold to over 13,000 clients, yielding revenues of €4 million. GSA forecasts predict that by the end of 2015, FP7 will have generated 200,000 unit sales to over 23,000 clients, yielding revenues of €27.1 million. More so, it is foreseen that one in two projects in the high-impact sectors will eventually lead to commercial outcomes.

This impressive performance is at least in part the result of the strong steering of the GSA’s market development strategy, focussing on the most significant sectors for current and future growth. Now, thanks to the hard work of European scientists and the EU, cutting-edge research in the field of GNSS is likely to continue to bear fruit for businesses and citizens into the foreseeable future.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

R&D for Galileo & EGNOS Application

Download the R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report here

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is highlighting the many successes coming out of the FP7 funding programme with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App.

For Europe, maintaining a competitive edge in a global economy and a high standard of living for its citizens requires the fullest exploitation of its superior know-how and cutting-edge technologies. This entails a firm commitment to advanced and sustained research programmes to deliver useful and marketable products and services for the 21st century.

The 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union's main research funding instrument for the period 2007-2013, supported R&D and innovation in the field of GNSS – aimed at accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

The GSA is highlighting the many successes coming out of FP7 with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App. The comprehensive, searchable report will provide insight into a range of funded projects from across all market sectors – from aviation to maritime, rail and agriculture and everything in between. The application, which will be available for free download soon, will provide additional information beyond the print edition.

Impact on the GNSS market

As this report shows, the FP7 R&D programme has had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Already by October 2013, almost 15,000 product/service units had been sold to over 13,000 clients, yielding revenues of €4 million. GSA forecasts predict that by the end of 2015, FP7 will have generated 200,000 unit sales to over 23,000 clients, yielding revenues of €27.1 million. More so, it is foreseen that one in two projects in the high-impact sectors will eventually lead to commercial outcomes.

This impressive performance is at least in part the result of the strong steering of the GSA’s market development strategy, focussing on the most significant sectors for current and future growth. Now, thanks to the hard work of European scientists and the EU, cutting-edge research in the field of GNSS is likely to continue to bear fruit for businesses and citizens into the foreseeable future.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

R&D for Galileo & EGNOS Application

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is highlighting the many successes coming out of the FP7 funding programme with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App.

For Europe, maintaining a competitive edge in a global economy and a high standard of living for its citizens requires the fullest exploitation of its superior know-how and cutting-edge technologies. This entails a firm commitment to advanced and sustained research programmes to deliver useful and marketable products and services for the 21st century.

The 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the European Union's main research funding instrument for the period 2007-2013, supported R&D and innovation in the field of GNSS – aimed at accelerating the development of a European market for satellite navigation applications and creating new opportunities for European industry.

The GSA is highlighting the many successes coming out of FP7 with the launch of its R&D for Galileo and EGNOS Report and App. The comprehensive, searchable report will provide insight into a range of funded projects from across all market sectors – from aviation to maritime, rail and agriculture and everything in between. The application, which will be available for free download soon, will provide additional information beyond the print edition.

Impact on the GNSS market

As this report shows, the FP7 R&D programme has had a considerably positive impact on the GNSS market. Already by October 2013, almost 15,000 product/service units had been sold to over 13,000 clients, yielding revenues of €4 million. GSA forecasts predict that by the end of 2015, FP7 will have generated 200,000 unit sales to over 23,000 clients, yielding revenues of €27.1 million. More so, it is foreseen that one in two projects in the high-impact sectors will eventually lead to commercial outcomes.

This impressive performance is at least in part the result of the strong steering of the GSA’s market development strategy, focussing on the most significant sectors for current and future growth. Now, thanks to the hard work of European scientists and the EU, cutting-edge research in the field of GNSS is likely to continue to bear fruit for businesses and citizens into the foreseeable future.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

R&D for Galileo & EGNOS Application

On 2 March 2015, the European Council adopted a position on type-approval requirements for fitting eCall devices in new motor vehicles. The EU-wide eCall system is aimed at speeding up emergency response services in case of a road accident.

In accordance to the Council position, as of 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using GNSS technologies to indicate the precise location of the incident.

Once the system is fully operational, authorities expect emergency response time to be cut in half, improving the outcome for people injured and reducing the number of deaths in road accidents throughout the European Union.

Drivers and passengers will also be able to use a manual control system to call the 112 emergency number themselves, and it will be virtually impossible to trigger the manual signal accidentally.

“Galileo and EGNOS play key roles in the eCall initiative,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “By providing more accurate location information, emergency and rescue operations can deliver more efficiently and effectively, making eCall a clear example of how European GNSS can contribute to saving lives.”

Not only will eCall devices be compatible with the Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems, but manufacturers will also be able to ensure compatibility with other navigation systems.

Vehicle owners will still be able to access to third party services in addition to the 112-based eCall system. However, these additional services should not affect the functioning of the 112-based eCall in-vehicle system.

Privacy and data protection

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Finally, detailed technical rules will prevent the exchange of personal data between the eCall in-vehicle system and third-party systems. All of this means your right to privacy and protection of your data is ensured.

The Council's position follows an agreement reached with the European Parliament last December. Thus, the Parliament is now expected to confirm the Council's position without amendments at a vote before this summer.

All eCall system infrastructures should be in place by 1 October 2017 and its use will be available to all and free of charge.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

A safer drive empowered by European GNSS
European GNSS success story: eCall
European Space Solutions

On 2 March 2015, the European Council adopted a position on type-approval requirements for fitting eCall devices in new motor vehicles. The EU-wide eCall system is aimed at speeding up emergency response services in case of a road accident.

In accordance to the Council position, as of 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using GNSS technologies to indicate the precise location of the incident.

Once the system is fully operational, authorities expect emergency response time to be cut in half, improving the outcome for people injured and reducing the number of deaths in road accidents throughout the European Union.

Drivers and passengers will also be able to use a manual control system to call the 112 emergency number themselves, and it will be virtually impossible to trigger the manual signal accidentally.

“Galileo and EGNOS play key roles in the eCall initiative,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “By providing more accurate location information, emergency and rescue operations can deliver more efficiently and effectively, making eCall a clear example of how European GNSS can contribute to saving lives.”

Not only will eCall devices be compatible with the Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems, but manufacturers will also be able to ensure compatibility with other navigation systems.

Vehicle owners will still be able to access to third party services in addition to the 112-based eCall system. However, these additional services should not affect the functioning of the 112-based eCall in-vehicle system.

Privacy and data protection

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Finally, detailed technical rules will prevent the exchange of personal data between the eCall in-vehicle system and third-party systems. All of this means your right to privacy and protection of your data is ensured.

The Council's position follows an agreement reached with the European Parliament last December. Thus, the Parliament is now expected to confirm the Council's position without amendments at a vote before this summer.

All eCall system infrastructures should be in place by 1 October 2017 and its use will be available to all and free of charge.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

A safer drive empowered by European GNSS
European GNSS success story: eCall

On 2 March 2015, the European Council adopted a position on type-approval requirements for fitting eCall devices in new motor vehicles. The EU-wide eCall system is aimed at speeding up emergency response services in case of a road accident.

In accordance to the Council position, as of 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using GNSS technologies to indicate the precise location of the incident.

Once the system is fully operational, authorities expect emergency response time to be cut in half, improving the outcome for people injured and reducing the number of deaths in road accidents throughout the European Union.

Drivers and passengers will also be able to use a manual control system to call the 112 emergency number themselves, and it will be virtually impossible to trigger the manual signal accidentally.

“Galileo and EGNOS play key roles in the eCall initiative,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “By providing more accurate location information, emergency and rescue operations can deliver more efficiently and effectively, making eCall a clear example of how European GNSS can contribute to saving lives.”

Not only will eCall devices be compatible with the Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems, but manufacturers will also be able to ensure compatibility with other navigation systems.

Vehicle owners will still be able to access to third party services in addition to the 112-based eCall system. However, these additional services should not affect the functioning of the 112-based eCall in-vehicle system.

Privacy and data protection

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Finally, detailed technical rules will prevent the exchange of personal data between the eCall in-vehicle system and third-party systems. All of this means your right to privacy and protection of your data is ensured.

The Council's position follows an agreement reached with the European Parliament last December. Thus, the Parliament is now expected to confirm the Council's position without amendments at a vote before this summer.

All eCall system infrastructures should be in place by 1 October 2017 and its use will be available to all and free of charge.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

A safer drive empowered by European GNSS
European GNSS success story: eCall

On 2 March 2015, the European Council adopted a position on type-approval requirements for fitting eCall devices in new motor vehicles. The EU-wide eCall system is aimed at speeding up emergency response services in case of a road accident.

In accordance to the Council position, as of 31 March 2018, all manufacturers of cars to be sold in Europe will be required to equip their new models with an in-vehicle GNSS-based eCall device. The wireless system will automatically trigger a distress signal to the 112-based eCall interoperable service in the event of an accident, using GNSS technologies to indicate the precise location of the incident.

Once the system is fully operational, authorities expect emergency response time to be cut in half, improving the outcome for people injured and reducing the number of deaths in road accidents throughout the European Union.

Drivers and passengers will also be able to use a manual control system to call the 112 emergency number themselves, and it will be virtually impossible to trigger the manual signal accidentally.

“Galileo and EGNOS play key roles in the eCall initiative,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “By providing more accurate location information, emergency and rescue operations can deliver more efficiently and effectively, making eCall a clear example of how European GNSS can contribute to saving lives.”

Not only will eCall devices be compatible with the Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems, but manufacturers will also be able to ensure compatibility with other navigation systems.

Vehicle owners will still be able to access to third party services in addition to the 112-based eCall system. However, these additional services should not affect the functioning of the 112-based eCall in-vehicle system.

Privacy and data protection

Taking into account public concerns about privacy and data protection, vehicles equipped with the system will not be subject to constant tracking, and data on the location of the vehicle will be continuously erased. Nor will any data be communicated to third parties without the specific consent of the vehicle owner.

Finally, detailed technical rules will prevent the exchange of personal data between the eCall in-vehicle system and third-party systems. All of this means your right to privacy and protection of your data is ensured.

The Council's position follows an agreement reached with the European Parliament last December. Thus, the Parliament is now expected to confirm the Council's position without amendments at a vote before this summer.

All eCall system infrastructures should be in place by 1 October 2017 and its use will be available to all and free of charge.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

A safer drive empowered by European GNSS
European GNSS success story: eCall

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the JUPITER project are seeking SMEs and local authorities to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the ITS World Congress.

With the theme "Towards Intelligent Mobility - Better Use of Space,” the ITS World Congress 2015 in Bordeaux, France is focusing in how progress in satellite-based technology is paving the way towards better transport services and new applications for safe transport and smart mobility.

To that end, the JUPITER project (Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising) is seeking applications from 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and 15 local authorities that want to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the Congress.

Several examples might be:

• Hybridisation of GNSS receivers with other sensors (eg video, lidar).
• Reliable positioning for critical ITS services (tolling...)
• Multimodal transport planning solutions for travellers
• Points of interest notification or parking availability
• Solutions for regulated services (eg eCall, digital tachograph, dangerous goods)

Applicants should reflect on how EGNSS can bring added value to innovative ITS solutions.

The 25 SMEs will be awarded a EUR 4000 voucher to cover the cost of participating in the ITS World Congress 2015. Half of the amount will be appropriated prior to the Congress, with the remainder given out after the event.

JUPITER is a Horizon 2020 project funded through the European Union and managed by the GSA. The project’s goal is promote the European GNSS and encourage and foster technological innovation.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

For more information about the call for SMEs click here.

Participation form for SMEs

For more information about the call for local authorities click here.

Participation form for local authorities

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

ITS World Congress

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the JUPITER project are seeking SMEs and local authorities to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the ITS World Congress.

With the theme "Towards Intelligent Mobility - Better Use of Space,” the ITS World Congress 2015 in Bordeaux, France is focusing in how progress in satellite-based technology is paving the way towards better transport services and new applications for safe transport and smart mobility.

To that end, the JUPITER project (Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising) is seeking applications from 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and 15 local authorities that want to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the Congress.

Several examples might be:

• Hybridisation of GNSS receivers with other sensors (eg video, lidar).
• Reliable positioning for critical ITS services (tolling...)
• Multimodal transport planning solutions for travellers
• Points of interest notification or parking availability
• Solutions for regulated services (eg eCall, digital tachograph, dangerous goods)

Applicants should reflect on how EGNSS can bring added value to innovative ITS solutions.

The 25 SMEs will be awarded a EUR 4000 voucher to cover the cost of participating in the ITS World Congress 2015. Half of the amount will be appropriated prior to the Congress, with the remainder given out after the event.

JUPITER is a Horizon 2020 project funded through the European Union and managed by the GSA. The project’s goal is promote the European GNSS and encourage and foster technological innovation.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

For more information about the call for SMEs click here.

Participation form for SMEs

For more information about the call for local authorities click here.

Participation form for local authorities

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

ITS World Congress

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the JUPITER project are seeking SMEs and local authorities to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the ITS World Congress.

With the theme "Towards Intelligent Mobility - Better Use of Space,” the ITS World Congress 2015 in Bordeaux, France is focusing in how progress in satellite-based technology is paving the way towards better transport services and new applications for safe transport and smart mobility.

To that end, the JUPITER project (Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising) is seeking applications from 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and 15 local authorities that want to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the Congress.

Several examples might be:

• Hybridisation of GNSS receivers with other sensors (eg video, lidar).
• Reliable positioning for critical ITS services (tolling...)
• Multimodal transport planning solutions for travellers
• Points of interest notification or parking availability
• Solutions for regulated services (eg eCall, digital tachograph, dangerous goods)

Applicants should reflect on how EGNSS can bring added value to innovative ITS solutions.

The 25 SMEs will be awarded a EUR 4000 voucher to cover the cost of participating in the ITS World Congress 2015. Half of the amount will be appropriated prior to the Congress, with the remainder given out after the event.

JUPITER is a Horizon 2020 project funded through the European Union and managed by the GSA. The project’s goal is promote the European GNSS and encourage and foster technological innovation.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

For more information about the call for SMEs click here.

Participation form for SMEs

For more information about the call for local authorities click here.

Participation form for local authorities

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

ITS World Congress

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the JUPITER project are seeking SMEs and local authorities to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the ITS World Congress.

With the theme "Towards Intelligent Mobility - Better Use of Space,” the ITS World Congress 2015 in Bordeaux, France is focusing in how progress in satellite-based technology is paving the way towards better transport services and new applications for safe transport and smart mobility.

To that end, the JUPITER project (Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising) is seeking applications from 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and 15 local authorities that want to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the Congress.

Several examples might be:

• Hybridisation of GNSS receivers with other sensors (eg video, lidar).
• Reliable positioning for critical ITS services (tolling...)
• Multimodal transport planning solutions for travellers
• Points of interest notification or parking availability
• Solutions for regulated services (eg eCall, digital tachograph, dangerous goods)

Applicants should reflect on how EGNSS can bring added value to innovative ITS solutions.

The 25 SMEs will be awarded a EUR 4000 voucher to cover the cost of participating in the ITS World Congress 2015. Half of the amount will be appropriated prior to the Congress, with the remainder given out after the event.

JUPITER is a Horizon 2020 project funded through the European Union and managed by the GSA. The project’s goal is promote the European GNSS and encourage and foster technological innovation.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

For more information about the call for SMEs click here.

Participation form for SMEs

For more information about the call for local authorities click here.

Participation form for local authorities

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

ITS World Congress

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the JUPITER project are seeking SMEs and local authorities to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the ITS World Congress.

With the theme "Towards Intelligent Mobility - Better Use of Space,” the ITS World Congress 2015 in Bordeaux, France is focusing in how progress in satellite-based technology is paving the way towards better transport services and new applications for safe transport and smart mobility.

To that end, the JUPITER project (Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising) is seeking applications from 25 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and 15 local authorities that want to promote their innovative ITS mobility applications at the Congress.

Several examples might be:

• Hybridisation of GNSS receivers with other sensors (eg video, lidar).
• Reliable positioning for critical ITS services (tolling...)
• Multimodal transport planning solutions for travellers
• Points of interest notification or parking availability
• Solutions for regulated services (eg eCall, digital tachograph, dangerous goods)

Applicants should reflect on how EGNSS can bring added value to innovative ITS solutions.

The 25 SMEs will be awarded a EUR 4000 voucher to cover the cost of participating in the ITS World Congress 2015. Half of the amount will be appropriated prior to the Congress, with the remainder given out after the event.

JUPITER is a Horizon 2020 project funded through the European Union and managed by the GSA. The project’s goal is promote the European GNSS and encourage and foster technological innovation.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

For more information about the call for SMEs click here.

Participation form for SMEs

For more information about the call for local authorities click here.
Participation form for local authorities

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

ITS World Congress

As Galileo becomes a reality and multi-GNSS applications are developed, international collaboration is becoming increasingly vital. GNSS.asia, an EU-Horizon 2020 project managed through the GSA aims to develop industrial cooperation between GNSS industry in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

During its first phase, GNSS.asia successfully facilitated industrial matchmaking and provided business development support to the European GNSS industry in Asia. This collaboration will continue in phase two, with a new focus on outreach to local participants.

Expanding the GNSS.asia Horizon

With Phase Two officially launched, GNSS.asia will continue to act as an independent catalyst for facilitating industrial interaction. Specifically, the project will promote the creation of industrial partnerships through a series of new activities, including workshops, industry seminars, thematic events and round tables, to be held in both Asia and the EU.

GNSS.asia will also expand its geographic reach from India, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan to Australia and a number of Southeast Asian countries. To investigate GNSS market opportunities in this region, GNSS.asia will be collaborating closely with carefully selected local partners and stakeholders.

With multi-GNSS solutions becoming increasingly important in the near future, this will become an overarching focus in all of GNSS.asia’s work. The project will contribute an international industrial angle to the Multi-GNSS Asia Demonstration Campaign (MGA), with a focus on promoting Galileo’s differentiators within this multi-constellation solution.

Supporting Your Company in Asia

The GNSS.asia consortium consists of European and Asian players that have long-standing experience in fostering EU-Asian industrial cooperation and a proven track record in GNSS activities. To maximise the project’s impact, the consortium works in close collaboration with prominent Asian companies, industry associations and research organisations. Furthermore, the GNSS.asia team continues to assess market areas of mutual interest, analyse the GNSS landscape in the target economies and provide expert guidance for European companies searching for business opportunities in Asia.

If your company is looking for Asian partners with GNSS expertise, in-depth business support to enter the Asian market or unique networking opportunities with industrial and institutional stakeholders, do not hesitate to get in touch with GNSS.asia.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Looking for more information on GNSS.asia?

• Visit the multilingual website: www.gnss.asia
• Follow GNSS.asia on LinkedIn
• Contact GNSS.asia at eu@gnss.asia

As Galileo becomes a reality and multi-GNSS applications are developed, international collaboration is becoming increasingly vital. GNSS.asia, an EU-Horizon 2020 project managed through the GSA aims to develop industrial cooperation between GNSS industry in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

During its first phase, GNSS.asia successfully facilitated industrial matchmaking and provided business development support to the European GNSS industry in Asia. This collaboration will continue in phase two, with a new focus on outreach to local participants.

Expanding the GNSS.asia Horizon

With Phase Two officially launched, GNSS.asia will continue to act as an independent catalyst for facilitating industrial interaction. Specifically, the project will promote the creation of industrial partnerships through a series of new activities, including workshops, industry seminars, thematic events and round tables, to be held in both Asia and the EU.

GNSS.asia will also expand its geographic reach from India, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan to Australia and a number of Southeast Asian countries. To investigate GNSS market opportunities in this region, GNSS.asia will be collaborating closely with carefully selected local partners and stakeholders.

With multi-GNSS solutions becoming increasingly important in the near future, this will become an overarching focus in all of GNSS.asia’s work. The project will contribute an international industrial angle to the Multi-GNSS Asia Demonstration Campaign (MGA), with a focus on promoting Galileo’s differentiators within this multi-constellation solution.

Supporting Your Company in Asia

The GNSS.asia consortium consists of European and Asian players that have long-standing experience in fostering EU-Asian industrial cooperation and a proven track record in GNSS activities. To maximise the project’s impact, the consortium works in close collaboration with prominent Asian companies, industry associations and research organisations. Furthermore, the GNSS.asia team continues to assess market areas of mutual interest, analyse the GNSS landscape in the target economies and provide expert guidance for European companies searching for business opportunities in Asia.

If your company is looking for Asian partners with GNSS expertise, in-depth business support to enter the Asian market or unique networking opportunities with industrial and institutional stakeholders, do not hesitate to get in touch with GNSS.asia.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Looking for more information on GNSS.asia?

• Visit the multilingual website: www.gnss.asia
• Follow GNSS.asia on LinkedIn
• Contact GNSS.asia at eu@gnss.asia

As Galileo becomes a reality and multi-GNSS applications are developed, international collaboration is becoming increasingly vital. GNSS.asia, an EU-Horizon 2020 project managed through the GSA aims to develop industrial cooperation between GNSS industry in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

During its first phase, GNSS.asia successfully facilitated industrial matchmaking and provided business development support to the European GNSS industry in Asia. This collaboration will continue in phase two, with a new focus on outreach to local participants.

Expanding the GNSS.asia Horizon

With Phase Two officially launched, GNSS.asia will continue to act as an independent catalyst for facilitating industrial interaction. Specifically, the project will promote the creation of industrial partnerships through a series of new activities, including workshops, industry seminars, thematic events and round tables, to be held in both Asia and the EU.

GNSS.asia will also expand its geographic reach from India, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan to Australia and a number of Southeast Asian countries. To investigate GNSS market opportunities in this region, GNSS.asia will be collaborating closely with carefully selected local partners and stakeholders.

With multi-GNSS solutions becoming increasingly important in the near future, this will become an overarching focus in all of GNSS.asia’s work. The project will contribute an international industrial angle to the Multi-GNSS Asia Demonstration Campaign (MGA), with a focus on promoting Galileo’s differentiators within this multi-constellation solution.

Supporting Your Company in Asia

The GNSS.asia consortium consists of European and Asian players that have long-standing experience in fostering EU-Asian industrial cooperation and a proven track record in GNSS activities. To maximise the project’s impact, the consortium works in close collaboration with prominent Asian companies, industry associations and research organisations. Furthermore, the GNSS.asia team continues to assess market areas of mutual interest, analyse the GNSS landscape in the target economies and provide expert guidance for European companies searching for business opportunities in Asia.

If your company is looking for Asian partners with GNSS expertise, in-depth business support to enter the Asian market or unique networking opportunities with industrial and institutional stakeholders, do not hesitate to get in touch with GNSS.asia.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Looking for more information on GNSS.asia?

• Visit the multilingual website: www.gnss.asia
• Follow GNSS.asia on LinkedIn
• Contact GNSS.asia at eu@gnss.asia

Following the recent launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invited members of the European GNSS Industry to Prague to learn more about the procurement. Over 100 participants from across all sectors of the space industry participated in the February 3rd Galileo Service Operation Industry Day.

The Industry Day introduced Phase I of the GSOp procurement, including its scope, process, conditions and schedule. In addition to providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the competition and a chance to ask questions, the event also served as an excellent networking opportunity.

“We are very encouraged by the strong showing at the event,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “This is a testament to the importance the European aerospace sector places not only on this tender, but on ensuring the future of the Galileo programme.”

The contract, which is the first important step for the GSA in its recently delegated role of overseeing the exploitation of the Galileo programme, will be the largest ever awarded for Galileo. With a value of approximately  EUR 1 billion, the contract will shape the future of Galileo services for the next eight to ten years.

“As we launch this procurement process, the GSA’s primary objective is to guarantee full transparency and fair competition in compliance with the EU’s procurement rules,” adds des Dorides.

The deadline for requesting access to procurement documents  is 20 February 2015. The deadline for submitting Request to Participate is 27 February 2015. The awarding of the contract is expected in the second half of 2016.

More information can be found here.

“This (turnout) is a testament to the importance the European aerospace sector places not only on this tender, but on ensuring the future of the Galileo programme.”
-
Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Service Operator (GSOp)

Following the recent launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invited members of the European GNSS Industry to Prague to learn more about the procurement. Over 100 participants from across all sectors of the space industry participated in the February 3rd Galileo Service Operation Industry Day.

The Industry Day introduced Phase I of the GSOp procurement, including its scope, process, conditions and schedule. In addition to providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the competition and a chance to ask questions, the event also served as an excellent networking opportunity.

“We are very encouraged by the strong showing at the event,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “This is a testament to the importance the European aerospace sector places not only on this tender, but on ensuring the future of the Galileo programme.”

The contract, which is the first important step for the GSA in its recently delegated role of overseeing the exploitation of the Galileo programme, will be the largest ever awarded for Galileo. With a value of approximately  EUR 1 billion, the contract will shape the future of Galileo services for the next eight to ten years.

“As we launch this procurement process, the GSA’s primary objective is to guarantee full transparency and fair competition in compliance with the EU’s procurement rules,” adds des Dorides.

The deadline for requesting access to procurement documents  is 20 February 2015. The deadline for submitting Request to Participate is 27 February 2015. The awarding of the contract is expected in the second half of 2016.

More information can be found here.

“This (turnout) is a testament to the importance the European aerospace sector places not only on this tender, but on ensuring the future of the Galileo programme.”
-
Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Read more:

Galileo Service Operator (GSOp)

Galileo recently took centre stage at the United Nations in Vienna and the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The European GNSS programme was part of an interactive exhibition on both EGNOS and Galileo, an event jointly sponsored by the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) on the occasion of the 52nd Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

“While Galileo is indeed a project under the European Commission, cooperation with non-EU partners is nevertheless essential for its success,” said UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, speaking during the exhibition’s opening on 9 February. “As satellite navigation systems expand globally, the goal of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) is to ensure they remain fully compatible and interoperable – and for this, international cooperation is crucial.”

“We know that the real power of GNSS comes not from single systems, but from systems working together to achieve a common goal,” said Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna, echoing the words of Di Pippo. “We know cooperation among the different satellite navigation systems will lead to even greater economic, environmental, technical and social benefits.”

The Ambassador went on to note that with a ‘system of systems’, users will benefit from greater coverage, better accuracy and more confidence in their position fixes. Although the range of applications is already large, with the new accuracy, reliability and confidence offered by Galileo, this range will only grow.

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing,” concluded the Ambassador. “It's a very exciting time for us.”

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing.” 
-
Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

GSA Hosts Global GNSS Community in Prague
International Committee on GNSS
EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna

Galileo recently took centre stage at the United Nations in Vienna and the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The European GNSS programme was part of an interactive exhibition on both EGNOS and Galileo, an event jointly sponsored by the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) on the occasion of the 52nd Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

“While Galileo is indeed a project under the European Commission, cooperation with non-EU partners is nevertheless essential for its success,” said UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, speaking during the exhibition’s opening on 9 February. “As satellite navigation systems expand globally, the goal of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) is to ensure they remain fully compatible and interoperable – and for this, international cooperation is crucial.”

“We know that the real power of GNSS comes not from single systems, but from systems working together to achieve a common goal,” said Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna, echoing the words of Di Pippo. “We know cooperation among the different satellite navigation systems will lead to even greater economic, environmental, technical and social benefits.”

The Ambassador went on to note that with a ‘system of systems’, users will benefit from greater coverage, better accuracy and more confidence in their position fixes. Although the range of applications is already large, with the new accuracy, reliability and confidence offered by Galileo, this range will only grow.

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing,” concluded the Ambassador. “It's a very exciting time for us.”

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing.” 
-
Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

GSA Hosts Global GNSS Community in Prague
International Committee on GNSS
EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna

Galileo recently took centre stage at the United Nations in Vienna and the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The European GNSS programme was part of an interactive exhibition on both EGNOS and Galileo, an event jointly sponsored by the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) on the occasion of the 52nd Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

“While Galileo is indeed a project under the European Commission, cooperation with non-EU partners is nevertheless essential for its success,” said UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo, speaking during the exhibition’s opening on 9 February. “As satellite navigation systems expand globally, the goal of the International Committee on GNSS (ICG) is to ensure they remain fully compatible and interoperable – and for this, international cooperation is crucial.”

“We know that the real power of GNSS comes not from single systems, but from systems working together to achieve a common goal,” said Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna, echoing the words of Di Pippo. “We know cooperation among the different satellite navigation systems will lead to even greater economic, environmental, technical and social benefits.”

The Ambassador went on to note that with a ‘system of systems’, users will benefit from greater coverage, better accuracy and more confidence in their position fixes. Although the range of applications is already large, with the new accuracy, reliability and confidence offered by Galileo, this range will only grow.

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing,” concluded the Ambassador. “It's a very exciting time for us.”

“It gives me great pleasure to see that Europe's global satellite navigation system is about to make a real contribution to the future of navigation, positioning and timing.” 
-
Ambassador Györgyi Martin Zanathy, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

GSA Hosts Global GNSS Community in Prague
International Committee on GNSS
EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna

Sci-Tech Systems, the 2008 winner of the GSA Special Topic Prize at the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC), is now in its final stage after successful prototype trials.

The Diver Tracking System, a system using EGNOS positioning accuracy, continuously tracks divers on the surface. Originally developed by Peter Hall and Christine Edwards, both avid sailors, the project’s origins followed a particularly rough sail, which led the two to ask what would have happened if someone went overboard? This in turn launched an ongoing discussion about current safety devices and their limitations. When it became obvious that there was no ideal solution, the project was born.

Read also: And the winner is…

“We are both very excited to see development enter this stage,” says Christine. “Initial results showed our system performing better than expected, and we expect the final prototype to become an essential part of every diver’s kit.”

The original idea was to create an emergency device using the technology most sailors already know how to use, in order to eliminate the added stress of having to learn a new system during an emergency situation. The on-board navigation system fits this description, and Peter and Christine used their device with it to create the initial project.

Essential to divers

During development, the two were approached by a number of parties asking if the system could be developed for particular needs. Most of these were divers, and it quickly became apparent that diving was an area where the system could be extremely useful.

As a result, the system changed from an emergency-only system to a constant tracking system, with an alert button a diver can use to attract their boat’s attention. A common concern among divers is that their cover boat will not see or hear them when they surface. The tracking system will help to reduce these concerns, increase diver safety, and make getting to the end of dive quicker and more efficient.

Prolonging divers separation from their boat can result in hypothermia, exposure and even fatality. Knowing exactly where divers are, especially if hurt or in difficulties, is therefore very important, and the EGNOS-enhanced GNSS receiver used in the tracking system gives the best chance of getting accurate diver positions and guiding the cover boat to them.

Although developed with divers in mind, the tracking system can be used for many different Watersports. With its good range and no operational costs, the Sci-Tech tracker is a valuable addition to the water enthusiast’s equipment.

Peter and Christine reached the second phase of the Harwell Launchpad II competition earlier this month, and are looking to raise the matching funds in order to make a few final adjustments to the product, make it cheaper to manufacture and sell, and fund final trials and commercialisation.

EGNOS today, Galileo tomorrow

Sci-Tech takes advantage of EGNOS’ positioning accuracy to within three metres, which enhances the tracking device’s GNSS output to provide correct position data. In the future the Sci-Tech device will be developed to incorporate Galileo.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS Maritime
Sci-TEch

Sci-Tech Systems, the 2008 winner of the GSA Special Topic Prize at the European Satellite Navigation Competition(ESNC), is now in its final stage after successful prototype trials.

The Diver Tracking System, a system using EGNOS positioning accuracy, continuously tracks divers on the surface. Originally developed by Peter Hall and Christine Edwards, both avid sailors, the project’s origins followed a particularly rough sail, which led the two to ask what would have happened if someone went overboard? This in turn launched an ongoing discussion about current safety devices and their limitations. When it became obvious that there was no ideal solution, the project was born.

Read also: And the winner is…

“We are both very excited to see development enter this stage,” says Christine. “Initial results showed our system performing better than expected, and we expect the final prototype to become an essential part of every diver’s kit.”

The original idea was to create an emergency device using the technology most sailors already know how to use, in order to eliminate the added stress of having to learn a new system during an emergency situation. The on-board navigation system fits this description, and Peter and Christine used their device with it to create the initial project.

Essential to divers

During development, the two were approached by a number of parties asking if the system could be developed for particular needs. Most of these were divers, and it quickly became apparent that diving was an area where the system could be extremely useful.

As a result, the system changed from an emergency-only system to a constant tracking system, with an alert button a diver can use to attract their boat’s attention. A common concern among divers is that their cover boat will not see or hear them when they surface. The tracking system will help to reduce these concerns, increase diver safety, and make getting to the end of dive quicker and more efficient.

Prolonging divers separation from their boat can result in hypothermia, exposure and even fatality. Knowing exactly where divers are, especially if hurt or in difficulties, is therefore very important, and the EGNOS-enhanced GNSS receiver used in the tracking system gives the best chance of getting accurate diver positions and guiding the cover boat to them.

Although developed with divers in mind, the tracking system can be used for many different Watersports. With its good range and no operational costs, the Sci-Tech tracker is a valuable addition to the water enthusiast’s equipment.

Peter and Christine reached the second phase of the Harwell Launchpad II competition earlier this month, and are looking to raise the matching funds in order to make a few final adjustments to the product, make it cheaper to manufacture and sell, and fund final trials and commercialisation.

EGNOS today, Galileo tomorrow

Sci-Tech takes advantage of EGNOS’ positioning accuracy to within three metres, which enhances the tracking device’s GNSS output to provide correct position data. In the future the Sci-Tech device will be developed to incorporate Galileo.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
EGNOS Maritime
Sci-TEch

The GSA joined the European Commission, members of the European Parliament and the European space community at the Seventh Annual Conference on EU Space Policy to discuss how Europe is confronting the rising demand for services and applications. The conference was held 27 – 28 January in Brussels.

A consensus coming from the two day event was that 2015 will be a crucial year for European space programmes. With several launches planned that will place new Galileo and Copernicus satellites into orbit, 2015 will put the spotlight on the competitiveness of Europe within this sector.

“The new European Commission considers space policy very important and is the flagship of the smart economy that we want to build,” said European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič. “Space policy is a tool for building innovation and a solid industrial base in Europe, which is essential to protecting us from the effects of recession.”

This is a sentiment echoed by others: “Space policy is the symbol of European cooperation,” said European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain. “We need services and applications to serve as a link between space and the end user.”

European GNSS as a Case in Point

Perhaps nowhere is this connection between space technology and user needs more visible than in the transportation sector, where both EGNOS and Galileo are driving forces. GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides elaborated on this during a session entitled ‘EGNOS, Galileo and transport activities: how to mobilise public policy and the end user to fully benefit from this European technology’.

For example, take aviation, which is already a major user of satellite technology – and in the future its dependency on such technology is only expected to grow. “EGNOS was designed to support airspace users to improve today’s Non Precision Approach operations, as recommended by ICAO,” said des Dorides. “The introduction of EGNOS approaches in aviation is part of a wider strategy for new navigation capabilities in the shape of what we call Performance Based Navigation (PBN), and it is a priority for ICAO and the European ATM Master Plan.”

Today, 163 LPVs are operational in 106 airports, 86 APV Baro can be flown using EGNOS vertical guidance and more than 500 runways plan to use EGNOS-enabled approaches by 2018. In addition, the shipment of EGNOS-enabled devices are expected to dominate the market, especially the regional, business and general aviation segments – growing from some 20% in 2012 to 40% in 2018.

Another area of transport positioned to benefit from E-GNSS is rail. “As to rail, DG GROW and the GSA will continue to support the railway industry to define the E-GNSS requirements and overall architecture of the GNSS-enabled train positioning subsystem to be included in the ERTMS,” explained des Dorides. “In general, the main advantage of the GNSS-based solution is that it allows for a remarkable increase in safety at a lower cost than other solutions.”

A recent success story comes from the eCall initiative. The initiative intends to install into all new cars sold in Europe a device that automatically calls the 112 emergency number in the case of an accident or other emergency. “The eCall device will be mandatory on all new car models that are type approved in Europe as of 2018,” said des Dorides. “The legislation is now finalised and adoption is expected this year.”

To further initiatives like these, the GSA recently issued the Galileo Service  Operator Tender (GSOp) – the first concrete step made by the agency in its role overseeing the exploitation of the programme and most likely the highest contract ever to be awarded in the Galileo programme. 

More information on the Galileo Service Operator Tender

“This contract, with its emphasis on service and performance, will shape the future of Galileo,” said des Dorides.

Commitment at the EU Level

The Juncker Investment Plan – which has a focus on further developing space-based applications, including in transportation – presents a huge opportunity for the sector. “My focus is on jobs and growth, and an effective space policy will contribute to that,” said Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska. “Space is a highly strategic sector, if we get policy right, it will help us build our industrial base – and this will mean more investment, more growth and more jobs.”

“Transportation is an essential backbone to our daily life and our economy, and half of all revenues generated by all satellite navigation programmes come from the transport sector,” added Matthias Petschke, Director of the European GNSS programmes at the European Commission, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Such a user-focused space policy also has economic benefits. “All applications and the commercialisation of them will be a very useful tool for economic development,” said European Parliament TRAN Committee Vice Chair Dominique Riquet. To emphasise this point, Riquet notes that the US enjoys EURO 150 billion of positive economic impact from its GPS programme – clearly showing that Europe only stands to benefit from its plan to develop the downstream market.

“My focus is on jobs and growth, and an effective space policy will contribute to that.”
-
Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020 Page
Conference on EU Space Policy
GSOp

The GSA invites you to join them during the 2015 World Mobile Congress in Barcelona for the Galileo Power Hour. The event, which will highlight the latest trends in location based consumer applications and Galileo’s role as a freely available location service for app developers and users, will take place 5 March from 10:00 – 11:00 in Hall 8, Theatre A.

    Click here to request a free invitation to the Galileo Power Hour

Application developers in particular will enjoy learning about Galileo’s role within a multi-constellation/multi-frequency GNSS environment, together offering improved accuracy and availability – especially important for the consumer applications often accessed in such difficult environments as urban canyons.

The European Union supports the development of innovative LBS applications through its FP7 and Horizon 2020 funding programmes. The GSA’s Galileo Power Hour is an excellent opportunity to learn how you can take advantage of the opportunities this EU-backing offers. Some examples of innovative apps developed with GSA support will also be presented. 

Why Galileo?

Galileo is the European global satellite-based navigation system, offering enhanced location information for mobile devices and creating new possibilities for applications – and with them new business opportunities. More than 40% of all mobile applications depend on GNSS positioning services, and Location Based Services (LBS) are used by millions of people every day.

In other words, there’s never been a better time for mobile app developers to take advantage of these services.

Galileo provides enhanced accuracy, improving on current GNSS capabilities and providing more accurate and reliable positioning, even in urban environments where buildings often obscure signals. Galileo is 100% interoperable with other GNSS services, including GPS, and these services are already benefiting from the use of Galileo satellites.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

Horizon 2020 Page
Galileo Comes to the World Mobile Congress
Galileo Applications
GSA Location Based Services Brochure
World Mobile Congress

Recently, GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides and Nichi Vendola, President of the Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies (NEREUS) met in Brussels.

The meeting kicked-off a dialogue between NEREUS and the GSA on how to convey the concept of space to the European regions, and in particular SMEs and individual end users, who are increasingly relying on space-based applications.

“We are all aware of the relevance of the programmes the GSA is working on and how satellite positioning has become essential for socio-economic prosperity,” said Vendola. “GNSS has already become the backbone of a growing industry worth billions of euros.”

During the meeting, Vendola described how a region such as Puglia, which has been working vigorously to develop its own aerospace sector, is now developing a project that will see Grottaglie Airport become a test site for aviation and remote pilot control. In this sense, the utilization of GNSS programmes like EGNOS and Galileo within the aviation sector, for example, can prove decisive for European regions.

“With its 24 regions and 40 associate members, NEREUS will help us better understand and respond to specific user needs for services and systems that stand to benefit from satellite navigation,” said des Dorides.

The meeting represents an important milestone in NEREUS’ 2014-2015 roadmap. One of its key objectives is to open a dialogue with the primary actors in space, including the GSA, ESA, national space agencies and all European institutions engaged in the sector.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
NEREUS

Recently, GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides and Nichi Vendola, President of European Network for Spatial Regions (NEREUS) met in Brussels.

The meeting looked to start a dialogue between NEREUS and the GSA on how to convey the concept of space to the European regions, both as to the advantage of the PMI system and to the end users, who are increasingly relying on spatial applications.

“We are all aware of the relevance of the programmes the GSA is working on and how satellite positioning has become essential for socio-economic prosperity,” said Vendola. “GNSS has already become the backbone of a growing industry worth billions of euros.”

During the meeting, Vendola described how a region such as Puglia, which has been working vigorously to develop its own aerospace sector, is now developing a project that will see Grottaglie Airport become a test site for aviation and remote pilot control. In this sense, the utilization of spacial applications like EGNOS and Galileo within the aviation sector, for example, can prove decisive for European regions.

“With its 24 regions and 40 associate members, NEREUS will help us to better understand and respond to specific user needs for services and systems that stand to benefit from satellite navigation,” said des Dorides.

The meeting represents an important milestone in NERUS’ 2014-2015 roadmap. One of its key objectives is to open a dialogue with the primary actors in space, including the GSA, ESA, national spatial agencies and all European institutions engaged in the sector.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
NEREUS

Recently, research and development in E-GNSS has undergone a major shift from being technology driven to being user driven.  “Today, user needs are driving services, as can be seen from the many user-focused services coming from the FP7 funding period,” said GSA Head of Market Development Gian-Gherardo Calini, speaking at a recent workshop on Horizon 2020 funding opportunities.

For example, out of the 299 proposals submitted during the FP7 cycle, 86 projects received a total of EUR 66 million in funding. Projects covered all market sectors and resulted in 43 product innovations, 10 trademarks and patents registered and 77 prototypes.

One example of this success is the FP7 supported UNIFARM User Forum, which focuses on expressing and defending the GNSS needs of the agricultural sector. The project held regular user forum meetings, bringing together stakeholders with the purpose of discussing the uptake of GNSS technology. The discussions ultimately led to a research agenda and policy suggestions on improving the use of GNSS in the agriculture sector.

“Our stakeholders value the user forum for its open and independent brokerage and knowledge transfer,” explained Project Coordinator Tamme van der Wal. “The forum will continue after the end of the project, with the aim of discussing how Galileo, EGNOS and GNSS in general contributes the challenges facing farming today.”

Another example is the HEDGE-NEXT project within the aviation market. "The HEDGE-NEXT project implemented the first EGNOS based PinS procedure to Insel Hospital in Bern, enabling safe landing in all weather conditions. It has been very important for us as it brought us the opportunity to understand and remedy the problems preventing the implementation of EGNOS procedures in the helicopter sector,” says Mercedes Reche. “This experience has proved valuable for positioning our company to better serve this unique user segment.”

Horizon 2020 too is already producing results, following the first call for proposals last year. The call received 105 eligible proposals with a requested EUR 174.3 million from a budget of EUR 38 million. “This shows that there is strong interest and desire to contribute to the success of European GNSS,” said Calini.

Facing strong competition, 25 proposals were invited to the grant preparation phase, 19 coming from innovation actions and six from coordination and support actions.

“Clearly, these funding opportunities accelerate the progress of products and services that, on the one hand, serve user needs and improve the quality of life of European citizens and, on the other, creates growth, economic opportunities and jobs that keep Europe competitive in this rapidly evolving market landscape,” said Calini.

Scanning Horizons

As part of an ongoing effort to scan the horizon for the latest trends in GNSS, the GSA also included a presentation on the Galileo  part of the Horizon 2020 Space Work Programme 2016 – 2017 Consultation during its Horizon 2020 Workshop. For example, identified market growth trends include increasing penetration of GNSS devices in different platforms and devices and a proliferation of devices per person and across different regions –particularly in emerging markets. Identified technology trends include multi-constellation/multi-frequency devices in wider markets, fusion with other services and seamless, connected services.

With these trends in mind, the strength of the EU value chain is in the downstream market, such as component manufacturers, system integrators and value added service providers. Knowing this, the EGNOS and Galileo features that should be leveraged are its civil nature, high precession and authentication services and integrity function in order to maximize public, societal and private benefits. Thus, Working Programme (WP) 2016 -2017 focuses on opportunities primarily in the consumer, transport and professional domains.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency
EGNOS Portal
Horizon 2020 Workshop Presentations
Workshop Web Broadcast
Horizon 2020 Page

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has signed funding agreements with 25 projects as part of the first call of Horizon 2020. Under the agreements, the projects will receive a cumulative grant of EUR 37,096,177.

The first call saw the submission of 105 proposals addressing all market segments. Of particular note were the high scores of these submissions – raising the competition among upcoming calls. Ultimately, those proposals that best maximized the technical aspects as well as market potential were selected for funding.

Of the 25 successful projects, 19 stand for Innovation Action and six for Coordination and Support Action. From Topic 1, which focuses on E-GNSS applications, six projects received funding, covering transport, LBS, Surveying/Mapping and other professional applications. The total recommended European Commission (EC) contribution for this topic was EUR 15,830,129, allocated to 48 beneficiaries from 11 countries.

From Topic 2, which focuses on supporting Small and Medium Enterprises, there will be 10 representative projects with a total grant of EUR 9,066,958. The participation of beneficiaries comes up to 62 from 19 different countries.

From Topic 3, EUR 3,356,662 was allocated to three projects and 30 beneficiaries from 14 countries. From Topic 4, EUR 8,842,428 was allocated to six projects with 62 beneficiaries from 26 countries.

In addition, two projects on the reserve list, one in each action, have the potential to be funded in the future. The requested EC contribution for these two proposals is EUR 3,329,266.

A Coordinators’ Day was organized at the GSA’s office in Prague, where project participants received detailed information on organizational and financial issues and had an opportunity to meet with project officers. They were also able to pose questions on administrative matters. Some projects have already had their kick-off meetings, and others will take place soon.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

Horizon 2020 Page

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently held a workshop on funding opportunities for European GNSS Applications in Horizon 2020.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) recently held a workshop on funding opportunities for European GNSS Applications in Horizon 2020. Hosted by the CTU Civil Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Prague, the day-long event covered such topics as past R&D successes under FP7, the process and procedures for applying under the currently open Second Call of Horizon 2020 and an overview of the opportunities available in such market segments as agriculture, aviation, LBS, road, rail, maritime and more.

Not to be Missed

Overall, 200 people registered for the workshop, with an additional 500 tuning in via a live web-stream. Participants represented a diverse array of sectors and included SMEs, research institutions and multinational corporations. In addition to the presentations, the event proved to be an excellent opportunity for the GNSS industry to network, exchange experiences and prepare for the next call.

“With almost four billion GNSS devices in use worldwide and all regions experiencing growth, GNSS represents an opportunity that Europe cannot afford to miss,” said Calini. “With a EUR 63 million budget for 2014 – 2015, Horizon 2020, the European Commission and the GSA have a key role to play in ensuring Europe is in the driver’s seat by supporting European business and research, providing them the support needed to ignite their potential.”

Segment  Opportunities

Funding opportunities are available across all market sectors. For example, in aviation, GNSS is expected to reach over 90% penetration by 2020 as an enabler of Performance Based Navigation. Key market trends in this sector include a transition from traditional routing to GNSS navigation solutions for all phases of flight, with new operational requirements driving the growth of GNSS avionics use. With communication, navigation and surveillance applications relying on E-GNSS, the current call is interested in research focused on E-GNSS, including, but not limited to, the following areas:

• E-GNSS as a PVT source for navigation, including innovative navigation concepts In surveillance applications, including ADS-B and terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS)
• In timing, including in system and ATM synchronization in a SWIM environment
• Reliable PVT for Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS)

On the rail side, GNSS adoption is progressing at a slower rate, due in part to the environmental challenges of using GNSS within the unique sector. In fact, GNSS systems are currently used primarily for non-safety critical applications. Thus, European GNSS has a unique value proposition to offer the sector, with the current call interested in research focused on:

• Contributing to building a certifiable E-GNSS based solution for railway signalling, with potential to be included in the ERTMS
• Evolutions of such non-safety critical applications as passenger information services and driver assistance
• Multimodal applications and asset management/logistics solutions for improving asset tracking and supply chain visibility

Similar opportunities are available in the LBS, Road, Maritime, Agriculture, Mapping, and Surveying sectors. More information on these opportunities can be found here.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

EGNOS Portal

Horizon 2020 Workshop Presentations

Workshop Web Broadcast

Horizon 2020 Page

Safety-critical and liability-critical GNSS-based applications are needed to enable Intelligent Transport Systems and smart mobility. This requires trusted GNSS signals that are authenticated and of appropriate integrity. Assessing GNSS signal integrity in complex urban environments is not easy, but the GLOVE FP7 project has successfully demonstrated one possible approach that uses inter-vehicle communication to collate information on GNSS signal quality from a number of vehicles for assessing the local integrity.

To respond to user needs, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) must deliver reliable position and timing data to user applications. The user must be able to trust the information provided and be certain that its accuracy is within specified limits. This is especially true for safety-critical or liability-critical applications.

The level of trust that a user can place on GNSS signals is implied by authentication of the signal – i.e. an assurance that it is a genuine signal – and integrity parameters that relate to estimation of gross errors in the signal due to the space segment, the equipment characteristics and the operating environment.

As concepts for Intelligent Transportations Systems (ITS) and Intelligent Vehicle (IV) technologies are developed to help deliver major societal benefits in terms of smart and sustainable mobility, there is an increasing need to ensure that GNSS signal position integrity and authentication can be delivered to in-vehicular applications. GNSS-enabled applications, such as road user charging, pay-as-you-drive insurance and tracking of dangerous or high-value freight, require that highly accurate positioning data is available in all road environments. High accuracy and integrity will be essential for future applications, such as autonomous driving.

In Urban Canyons

In urban and other ‘non-open sky’ environments there are other challenges to signal-in-space integrity. These include limited satellite visibility as surrounding buildings cause multi-path signals and reception of other signals that are not ‘line-of-sight’, poor signal-to-noise ratio due to trees and other obstructions, and unintentional interference from other radio infrastructures.

For many positioning applications, the use of very accurate maps can satisfy user needs. However, for vehicle applications that require ‘lane level’ accuracy, this can be very difficult to achieve.

Space-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as EGNOS provide integrity for safety-of-life applications, such as aviation. Unfortunately, transferring this solution to other non-aviation transport scenarios is not straight forward – especially in the urban context. The ‘classical’ integrity approach for aviation is not practical for a ground-based vehicle, as in the air it is reasonable to assume open-sky visibility, which is not the case on the ground.

Clearly, an enhanced solution is required.

Local Integrity for a Local Solution

Recent trends in GNSS-based applications point towards one alternative. The growing availability of multi GNSS constellations (Galileo, GPS, Glonass etc.), increasing integration of data from a variety of on-vehicle sensors and the development of inter-vehicle communication to exchange data could combine to provide local estimations of GNSS signal integrity.

One of the aims of the GSA-managed FP7 GLOVE (GaLileo Optimization and VANET Enhancement) research project was to develop and demonstrate such a local integrity solution that exploits the potential of Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) infrastructures. The research team, led by the Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB) in Turin, shares and combines multiple observations of GNSS signals measured by different vehicles participating in a VANET.

VANETs are being developed to enable exchange of information between vehicles and roadside infrastructure that can, for example, be used to optimise intelligent traffic management and provide other useful information or entertainment services. GNSS and VANETs are two strongly related components within vehicle on-board units (OBU) with VANETs relying on position and time data and the VANET having the potential to make the GNSS positioning more flexible and precise.

The GLOVE approach effectively uses individual cars equipped with mass-market GNSS receivers as sensors for GNSS signal quality assessment. Data from collaborating vehicles is collected and collated via the VANET architecture and combined to characterise local spatial and temporal degradations of the GNSS signals.

By sharing GNSS data, a database of local integrity information can be generated and used to predict local GNSS signal degradations over time within an urban scenario. Centralised processing of GNSS measurements leads to a digital map (database) built from local information on GNSS signal quality. This in turn can be used to generate local protection level ellipses that are defined as Along-Track (AT), i.e. in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and Cross-Track (CT) directions. These protection levels are much more appropriate for vehicle applications with the CT level requirement being more stringent for lane positioning applications.

Proof-of-Concept

The GLOVE project has designed and assembled a measurement facility to collect real GNSS data in an urban context and carried out testing on the road in various dynamic conditions and a range of signal degradation environments. The analysis of data collected has validated the feasibility of this approach to local integrity assessment.

A GLOVE proof-of concept of local integrity and prototype demonstrator have also been designed, developed and installed in a Fiat 500. A real-time demonstration of the concept took place at GLOVE’s final project event on 11 December 2014 in Turin.

Over and above the demonstration of a solution for local integrity and augmented positioning for vehicles in an urban environment, the GLOVE project has shown that demonstrated integration of data from various sensor sources and contributed to the convergence of in-vehicle technologies.

These types of development will be critical to the future development of ITS and smart mobility.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

EGNOS Portal

GLOVE FP7 project

EGNOS for Aviation

Safety-critical and liability-critical GNSS-based applications are needed to enable Intelligent Transport Systems and smart mobility. This requires trusted GNSS signals that are authenticated and of appropriate integrity. Assessing GNSS signal integrity in complex urban environments is not easy, but the GLOVE FP7 project has successfully demonstrated one possible approach that uses inter-vehicle communication to collate information on GNSS signal quality from a number of vehicles for assessing the local integrity.

To respond to user needs, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) must deliver reliable position and timing data to user applications. The user must be able to trust the information provided and be certain that its accuracy is within specified limits. This is especially true for safety-critical or liability-critical applications.

The level of trust that a user can place on GNSS signals is implied by authentication of the signal – i.e. an assurance that it is a genuine signal – and integrity parameters that relate to estimation of gross errors in the signal due to the space segment, the equipment characteristics and the operating environment.

As concepts for Intelligent Transportations Systems (ITS) and Intelligent Vehicle (IV) technologies are developed to help deliver major societal benefits in terms of smart and sustainable mobility, there is an increasing need to ensure that GNSS signal position integrity and authentication can be delivered to in-vehicular applications. GNSS-enabled applications, such as road user charging, pay-as-you-drive insurance and tracking of dangerous or high-value freight, require that highly accurate positioning data is available in all road environments. High accuracy and integrity will be essential for future applications, such as autonomous driving.

In Urban Canyons

In urban and other ‘non-open sky’ environments there are other challenges to signal-in-space integrity. These include limited satellite visibility as surrounding buildings cause multi-path signals and reception of other signals that are not ‘line-of-sight’, poor signal-to-noise ratio due to trees and other obstructions, and unintentional interference from other radio infrastructures.

For many positioning applications, the use of very accurate maps can satisfy user needs. However, for vehicle applications that require ‘lane level’ accuracy, this can be very difficult to achieve.

Space-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as EGNOS provide integrity for safety-of-life applications, such as aviation. Unfortunately, transferring this solution to other non-aviation transport scenarios is not straight forward – especially in the urban context. The ‘classical’ integrity approach for aviation is not practical for a ground-based vehicle, as in the air it is reasonable to assume open-sky visibility, which is not the case on the ground.

Clearly, an enhanced solution is required.

Local Integrity for a Local Solution

Recent trends in GNSS-based applications point towards one alternative. The growing availability of multi GNSS constellations (Galileo, GPS, Glonass etc.), increasing integration of data from a variety of on-vehicle sensors and the development of inter-vehicle communication to exchange data could combine to provide local estimations of GNSS signal integrity.

One of the aims of the GSA-managed FP7 GLOVE (GaLileo Optimization and VANET Enhancement) research project was to develop and demonstrate such a local integrity solution that exploits the potential of Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) infrastructures. The research team, led by the Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB) in Turin, shares and combines multiple observations of GNSS signals measured by different vehicles participating in a VANET.

VANETs are being developed to enable exchange of information between vehicles and roadside infrastructure that can, for example, be used to optimise intelligent traffic management and provide other useful information or entertainment services. GNSS and VANETs are two strongly related components within vehicle on-board units (OBU) with VANETs relying on position and time data and the VANET having the potential to make the GNSS positioning more flexible and precise.

The GLOVE approach effectively uses individual cars equipped with mass-market GNSS receivers as sensors for GNSS signal quality assessment. Data from collaborating vehicles is collected and collated via the VANET architecture and combined to characterise local spatial and temporal degradations of the GNSS signals.

By sharing GNSS data, a database of local integrity information can be generated and used to predict local GNSS signal degradations over time within an urban scenario. Centralised processing of GNSS measurements leads to a digital map (database) built from local information on GNSS signal quality. This in turn can be used to generate local protection level ellipses that are defined as Along-Track (AT), i.e. in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and Cross-Track (CT) directions. These protection levels are much more appropriate for vehicle applications with the CT level requirement being more stringent for lane positioning applications.

Proof-of-Concept

The GLOVE project has designed and assembled a measurement facility to collect real GNSS data in an urban context and carried out testing on the road in various dynamic conditions and a range of signal degradation environments. The analysis of data collected has validated the feasibility of this approach to local integrity assessment.

A GLOVE proof-of concept of local integrity and prototype demonstrator have also been designed, developed and installed in a Fiat 500. A real-time demonstration of the concept took place at GLOVE’s final project event on 11 December 2014 in Turin.

Over and above the demonstration of a solution for local integrity and augmented positioning for vehicles in an urban environment, the GLOVE project has shown that demonstrated integration of data from various sensor sources and contributed to the convergence of in-vehicle technologies.

These types of development will be critical to the future development of ITS and smart mobility.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

More information:

The European GNSS Agency

EGNOS Portal

GLOVE FP7 project

EGNOS for Aviation

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here. The registration will be closed on 30/01 by 4.00pm.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

For the registration please click here.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

Following the launch of the Galileo Service Operator (GSOp) procurement procedure the European GNSS Agency (GSA) invites the European1 GNSS industry with an interest in taking part in the competition to participate in the Industry Day organised on 3 February 2015 with respect to that procurement.

Venue: Parkhotel Praha- Veletržní 1502/20, 170 00 Prague 7, Holešovice, Czech Republic.

The Industry Day will introduce Phase I of the GSOp procurement - its scope, procurement process, participation conditions, schedule - and provide an opportunity for industry to exchange information and express views.

The presentation will not provide further or different information than the one provided in the Tender Information Package (TIP) or any advance content of Phase II or III of the GSOp procurement procedure. The draft agenda of the event is available here.

It is recalled that the formal questions regarding the GSOp procurement procedure will have to be submitted in writing and will be answered following the public procurement rules foreseen in the TIP. Therefore, the Industry Day is not intended as a substitute for such questions/answers process and participation in such Industry Day is not a pre-requisite for responding to the procurement procedure.

For the TIP and the access procedure for further documentation please refer to GSA procurement website here.

The registration has been closed at 4.00pm on 30/01. No further registration is possible anymore.

Please note that only registered participants will be granted entry to the event, and to the extent permitted by the available space at the venue space.

Privacy notice

• 1. Please refer to section 2.5.3.1 of TIP

The European GNSS Agency on behalf of the European Commission has released today new version for the three EGNOS Service Definition Documents (SDD) already available for the EGNOS users: 

•    Open Service SDD (v2.1)
•    Safety of Life Service SDD (v2.1)
•    EDAS Service SDD (v2.1)
 
These are the current versions in force for each of the EGNOS SDDs.
 
The EGNOS Service Definition Document (SDD) describes the characteristics and conditions of access to the corresponding EGNOS service offered to users. Each SDD also contains updated information about the EGNOS system architecture and a Signal-In-Space (SIS) characteristic, the service performance achieved, EGNOS interfaces with users and provides information on the established technical and organizational framework, at European level, for the provision of this service.
 
The first version of each SDD was published by the European Commission when each of the EGNOS Service was declared operational (1st October 2009, 2nd March 2011 and 30th July 2012 respectively for Open Service, Safety-of-Life and EDAS). New SDD versions are periodically published to reflect the significant changes in the EGNOS service.

EGNOS (the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) is the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) that complements the GPS system to improve the accuracy and provides integrity to the signal over most of Europe.

It is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation and a major stepping-stone towards Galileo, Europe's own global satellite navigation system for the future.

Since January 2014, EGNOS is managed by the European GNSS Agency under a delegation agreement with the European Commission.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).