Call for novel exploitation of navigation systems

Galileo Masters at SYSTEMS 2004

This year, ideas for the present and the future are being accepted. Applications for the GPS, GLONASS and EGNOS systems already in operation are also being considered, as Galileo will significantly enhance all three.

According to the competition organisers, by 2015 over 400 million satellite navigation users will have created more than 100 000 new jobs within the European aerospace and electronics industry. Therefore it is important to start thinking about the possibilities that will open up as Galileo becomes operational.

Last year’s winner was German company HCL Technologies. Their winning idea was an inexpensive device to help developing-nation fishermen decide where best to cast their nets.

“To find out information about the signal and then use it for a novel application is the sort of thinking we are looking for in small companies,” said Christian Stammel from Anwendungszentrum Oberpfaffenhofen, an European Space Incubator Network member and one of the competition organizers.

“Companies must wake up now because in four years they will have to move their businesses in a direction for Galileo.”

Kick-off meeting in ESTEC

Galileo Masters 2005, ESI's kick-off meeting

"This competition is an incentive for more Galileo applications and increases the innovative entrepreneurship. It is important for Europe's space industry as it creates novel utilisations for our navigation systems and in the end will generate income for their technology," said Bruno Naulais, manager of ESA's European Space Incubator (ESI) at the regional kick-off meeting in ESTEC.

Toine van Kessel from Siemens Automotive added that such a competition could be a very effective way to visualise opportunities for future business relationships between established industry and start-up companies. He stressed Siemens' interest in cooperating with innovative start-ups and SMEs.

Christian Stammel and Bruno Naulais

Prof. Dr Bernard Katzy from the University of Leiden and CeTIM (Centre for Technology and Innovation Management) emphasised the importance of clustering innovations on regional levels: "With good innovation networks in place on regional level, through cooperation between these regions, innovation on European level is much better managed and achieved. This competition is a good start to activate such clusters around Europe for Galileo applications."

The Galileo Masters 2005 competition opened on 1 May and closes on 30 June 2005. Participants can apply via the Galileo Masters website, where they will also find more information.

Galileo satellite navigation system

Galileo: the European satellite navigation system

Galileo will be Europe’s global navigation satellite system, developed jointly by the European Commission and ESA, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It will be interoperable with GPS and GLONASS, the two other global satellite navigation systems.

A user will be able to take a position with the same receiver from any of the satellites, in any combination. By offering dual frequencies as standard, however, Galileo will deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metre range, which is unprecedented for today's publicly available systems.

Galileo programme

Galileo will provide considerable economic and social benefits globally, and to Europe in particular. The European Commission will continue overseeing the programme during the implementation in all programmatic and political aspects and the European Space Agency will assume responsibility for the development of the Galileo infrastructure.

The fully deployed Galileo system will consist of 27 operational satellites plus three active spares and is planned to be in commercial operation by 2008, with the first test satellite due to launch by the end of this year.