zprávy

In the smart energy grids of the future, all energy market participants will communicate with each other, making energy supplies more reactive. This will bring many benefits, including reduced costs, improved efficiency and the seamless integration of the distribution of energy sources, including renewable energy. However, for smart grids to operate successfully they will have to be based on a solid and robust synchronisation infrastructure. This is where GNSS comes in.

Grid systems rely on GNSS clocks as a time reference source and atomic clocks as a backup in case of outages. GNSS receivers are comparably low-cost, reliable, high-precision timing sources that can be implemented in a large number in intelligent grids, to enable real-time automatic control of the grid.

“Due to the importance of the power system to our lives and economies, and the likelihood of future smart grid reliance on high-precision timing, it is critical that GNSS signals be resilient against interference, including spoofing,” said GSA Executive Director da Costa. “The accuracy and robustness of the Galileo service, and the added layer of protection offered by the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication, means that Galileo will be the go-to solution for grid operators,” he said.

Galileo time

Two projects currently developing Galileo-enabled timing receivers, supported by the GSA through its Fundamental Elements funding programme, are GIANO and GEARS. Both receivers will make critical infrastructure and in particular the energy networks more robust against spoofing and will provide accurate Galileo-based timing and synchronisation capabilities.

Read this: Galileo for Timing and Synchronisation Applications

“The Galileo programme is slowly becoming the EU’s official time reference that, together with national UTC(k) network time distribution, creates new powerful and robust synchronisation references for smart-grids,” said Tomasz Widomski, a member of the supervisory board of ELPROMA, a Polish manufacturer of NTP/PTP time servers.

“It is believed that the power industry evolving towards smart grids will rely on this solid foundation of timing information.  The main and regional systems must be tamper-proof and protected against external interferences – the time and synchronisation must be safe,” he said.

Horizon 2020 success story

ELPROMA was a member of the Horizon 2020 ‘DEMonstrator of EGNSS services based on Time Reference Architecture’ (Demetra) project, which developed a prototype of an EGNSS-based time disseminator that provides time certification, redundancy, resilience, integrity and improved accuracy, while validating the concept of ‘time as a service’. 

And this: Galileo-inspired opportunities for critical infrastructures presented at ITSF 2020

The company went on to win a seven-figure contract to supply Rubidium IEEE1588 NTS-5000 servers to support a country-scale modern smart grid system in Asia (read more here). These servers incorporate a modified version of the cyber-security solution developed as part of the Demetra project. As such, this is a Horizon 2020 success story.

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).

In the smart energy grids of the future, all energy market participants will communicate with each other, making energy supplies more reactive. This will bring many benefits, including reduced costs, improved efficiency and the seamless integration of the distribution of energy sources, including renewable energy. However, for smart grids to operate successfully they will have to be based on a solid and robust synchronisation infrastructure. This is where GNSS comes in.

Grid systems rely on GNSS clocks as a time reference source and atomic clocks as a backup in case of outages. GNSS receivers are comparably low-cost, reliable, high-precision timing sources that can be implemented in a large number in intelligent grids, to enable real-time automatic control of the grid.

“Due to the importance of the power system to our lives and economies, and the likelihood of future smart grid reliance on high-precision timing, it is critical that GNSS signals be resilient against interference,” said GSA Executive Director da Costa. “The accuracy and robustness of the Galileo service, and the added layer of protection that will be offered by the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication, means that Galileo will be the go-to solution for grid operators,” he said.

Galileo time

Two projects currently developing Galileo-enabled timing receivers, supported by the GSA through its Fundamental Elements funding programme, are GIANO and GEARS. Both receivers will make critical infrastructure and in particular the energy networks more robust against spoofing and will provide accurate Galileo-based timing and synchronisation capabilities.

Read this: Galileo for Timing and Synchronisation Applications

“The Galileo programme is slowly becoming the EU’s official time reference that, together with national UTC(k) network time distribution, creates new powerful and robust synchronisation references for smart-grids,” said Tomasz Widomski, a member of the supervisory board of ELPROMA, a Polish manufacturer of NTP/PTP time servers.

“It is believed that the power industry evolving towards smart grids will rely on this solid foundation of timing information.  The main and regional systems must be tamper-proof and protected against external interferences – the time and synchronisation must be safe,” he said.

Horizon 2020 success story

ELPROMA was a member of the Horizon 2020 ‘DEMonstrator of EGNSS services based on Time Reference Architecture’ (Demetra) project, which developed a prototype of an EGNSS-based time disseminator that provides time certification, redundancy, resilience, integrity and improved accuracy, while validating the concept of ‘time as a service’. 

And this: Galileo-inspired opportunities for critical infrastructures presented at ITSF 2020

The company went on to win a seven-figure contract to supply Rubidium IEEE1588 NTS-5000 servers to support a country-scale modern smart grid system in Asia (read more here). These servers incorporate a modified version of the cyber-security solution developed as part of the Demetra project. As such, this is a Horizon 2020 success story.

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).

In the smart energy grids of the future, all energy market participants will communicate with each other, making energy supplies more reactive. This will bring many benefits, including reduced costs, improved efficiency and the seamless integration of the distribution of energy sources, including renewable energy. However, for smart grids to operate successfully they will have to be based on a solid and robust synchronisation infrastructure. This is where GNSS comes in.

Grid systems rely on GNSS clocks as a time reference source and atomic clocks as a backup in case of outages. GNSS receivers are comparably low-cost, reliable, high-precision timing sources that can be implemented in a large number in intelligent grids, to enable real-time automatic control of the grid.

“Due to the importance of the power system to our lives and economies, and the likelihood of future smart grid reliance on high-precision timing, it is critical that GNSS signals be resilient against interference,” said GSA Executive Director da Costa. “The accuracy and robustness of the Galileo service, and the added layer of protection that will be offered by the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication, means that Galileo will be the go-to solution for grid operators,” he said.

Galileo time

Two projects currently developing Galileo-enabled timing receivers, supported by the GSA through its Fundamental Elements funding programme, are GIANO and GEARS. Both receivers will make critical infrastructure and in particular the energy networks more robust against spoofing and will provide accurate Galileo-based timing and synchronisation capabilities.

Read this: Galileo for Timing and Synchronisation Applications

“The Galileo programme is slowly becoming the EU’s official time reference that, together with national UTC(k) network time distribution, creates new powerful and robust synchronisation references for smart-grids,” said Tomasz Widomski, a member of the supervisory board of ELPROMA, a Polish manufacturer of NTP/PTP time servers.

“It is believed that the power industry evolving towards smart grids will rely on this solid foundation of timing information.  The main and regional systems must be tamper-proof and protected against external interferences – the time and synchronisation must be safe,” he said.

Horizon 2020 success story

ELPROMA was a member of the Horizon 2020 ‘DEMonstrator of EGNSS services based on Time Reference Architecture’ (Demetra) project, which developed a prototype of an EGNSS-based time disseminator that provides time certification, redundancy, resilience, integrity and improved accuracy, while validating the concept of ‘time as a service’. 

And this: Galileo-inspired opportunities for critical infrastructures presented at ITSF 2020

The company went on to win a seven-figure contract to supply Rubidium IEEE1588 NTS-5000 servers to support a country-scale modern smart grid system in Asia (read more here). These servers incorporate a modified version of the cyber-security solution developed as part of the Demetra project. As such, this is a Horizon 2020 success story.

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) is launching the 2020 editions of its Galileo User Satisfaction Survey and EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey. These surveys play an important role in the evolution of the EGNSS programmes by feeding users’ needs and requirements into programme development. 

Our motto at the GSA is ‘linking space to user needs’ and these are not empty words – users have always been at the heart of Galileo and EGNOS service provision, and feedback from users on their experience of the programmes is invaluable in shaping our services, making sure that they develop in line with market needs and continue to meet user requirements in the best way possible.

A targeted approach

The Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys are addressing all users and market segments including.: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road, Location Based Services, Agriculture, Surveying and Mapping and LBS. When responding to the survey, select the market segment in which you operate; the market segment that corresponds to your main area of activity; or the market segment that is the most important for your company or organisation, if you are active in multiple market segments.  The Galileo User Satisfaction survey is also looking for user feedback on the support provided to the users via the Galileo Service Center. You can access the Galileo survey here.

Take part to the Galileo survey here.

In addition to the various market segments, the EGNOS survey also covers all the EGNOS services, including the Open Service, the Safety of Life Service and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS). It also assesses the EGNOS service provider’s management of EGNOS User Support Services. For the EGNOS survey, click here.

Take part to the EGNOS survey here.

The feedback was positive in the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey, with a global user satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.3 in the previous year. User satisfaction with EGNOS support was up across all the support services – the website, documentation and the helpdesk.

Based on the feedback, recommendations were drawn up for improvements across all the EGNOS services and support to users. For an overview of the results of the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey and the recommendations it generated, click here. We strongly encourage Galileo or EGNOS users to take part in the survey and help us fine-tune our service provision. The more users respond, from all market segments, the better the GSA and the Galileo and EGNOS systems will be able to go on meeting the requirements of the entire user community. The surveys only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will make a real difference.

In the 2019 Galileo User Satisfaction Survey, we were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service was up from the previous year, with 94% of users satisfied with the service and 97% of users happy to recommend the service to others. Based on user feedback, a number of recommendations were drawn up to strengthen the GNSS Service Centre (GSC).

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) is launching the 2020 editions of its Galileo User Satisfaction Survey and EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey. These surveys play an important role in the evolution of the EGNSS programmes by feeding users’ needs and requirements into programme development. 

Our motto at the GSA is ‘linking space to user needs’ and these are not empty words – users have always been at the heart of Galileo and EGNOS service provision, and feedback from users on their experience of the programmes is invaluable in shaping our services, making sure that they develop in line with market needs and continue to meet user requirements in the best way possible.

A targeted approach

The Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys are addressing all users and market segments including.: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road, Location Based Services, Agriculture and Surveying and Mapping. When responding to the survey, select the market segment in which you operate; the market segment that corresponds to your main area of activity; or the market segment that is the most important for your company or organisation, if you are active in multiple market segments.  The Galileo User Satisfaction survey is also looking for user feedback on the support provided to the users via the Galileo Service Center. You can access the Galileo survey here.

Take part to the Galileo survey here.

In addition to the various market segments, the EGNOS survey also covers all the EGNOS services, including the Open Service, the Safety of Life Service and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS). It also assesses the EGNOS service provider’s management of EGNOS User Support Services. For the EGNOS survey, click here.

Take part to the EGNOS survey here.

The feedback was positive in the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey, with a global user satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.3 in the previous year. User satisfaction with EGNOS support was up across all the support services – the website, documentation and the helpdesk.

Based on the feedback, recommendations were drawn up for improvements across all the EGNOS services and support to users. For an overview of the results of the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey and the recommendations it generated, click here. We strongly encourage Galileo or EGNOS users to take part in the survey and help us fine-tune our service provision. The more users respond, from all market segments, the better the GSA and the Galileo and EGNOS systems will be able to go on meeting the requirements of the entire user community. The surveys only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will make a real difference.

In the 2019 Galileo User Satisfaction Survey, we were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service was up from the previous year, with 94% of users satisfied with the service and 97% of users happy to recommend the service to others. Based on user feedback, a number of recommendations were drawn up to strengthen the GNSS Service Centre (GSC).

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) is launching the 2020 editions of its Galileo User Satisfaction Survey and EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey. These surveys play an important role in the evolution of the EGNSS programmes by feeding users’ needs and requirements into programme development. 

Our motto at the GSA is ‘linking space to user needs’ and these are not empty words – users have always been at the heart of Galileo and EGNOS service provision, and feedback from users on their experience of the programmes is invaluable in shaping our services, making sure that they develop in line with market needs and continue to meet user requirements in the best way possible.

A targeted approach

The Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys are addressing all users and market segments including.: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road, Location Based Services, Agriculture and Surveying and Mapping. When responding to the survey, select the market segment in which you operate; the market segment that corresponds to your main area of activity; or the market segment that is the most important for your company or organisation, if you are active in multiple market segments.  The Galileo User Satisfaction survey is also looking for user feedback on the support provided to the users via the Galileo Service Center. You can access the Galileo survey here.

Take part in the Galileo survey here.

In addition to the various market segments, the EGNOS survey also covers all the EGNOS services, including the Open Service, the Safety of Life Service and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS). It also assesses the EGNOS service provider’s management of EGNOS User Support Services. For the EGNOS survey, click here.

Take part in the EGNOS survey here.

The feedback was positive in the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey, with a global user satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.3 in the previous year. User satisfaction with EGNOS support was up across all the support services – the website, documentation and the helpdesk.

Based on the feedback, recommendations were drawn up for improvements across all the EGNOS services and support to users. For an overview of the results of the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey and the recommendations it generated, click here. We strongly encourage Galileo or EGNOS users to take part in the survey and help us fine-tune our service provision. The more users respond, from all market segments, the better the GSA and the Galileo and EGNOS systems will be able to go on meeting the requirements of the entire user community. The surveys only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will make a real difference.

In the 2019 Galileo User Satisfaction Survey, we were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service was up from the previous year, with 94% of users satisfied with the service and 97% of users happy to recommend the service to others. Based on user feedback, a number of recommendations were drawn up to strengthen the GNSS Service Centre (GSC).

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) is launching the 2020 editions of its Galileo User Satisfaction Survey and EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey. These surveys play an important role in the evolution of the EGNSS programmes by feeding users’ needs and requirements into programme development. 

Our motto at the GSA is ‘linking space to user needs’ and these are not empty words – users have always been at the heart of Galileo and EGNOS service provision, and feedback from users on their experience of the programmes is invaluable in shaping our services, making sure that they develop in line with market needs and continue to meet user requirements in the best way possible.

A targeted approach

The Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys are addressing all users and market segments including.: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road, Location Based Services, Agriculture, Surveying and Mapping and LBS. When responding to the survey, select the market segment in which you operate; the market segment that corresponds to your main area of activity; or the market segment that is the most important for your company or organisation, if you are active in multiple market segments.  The Galileo User Satisfaction survey is also looking for user feedback on the support provided to the users via the Galileo Service Center. You can access the Galileo survey here.

Take part to the Galileo survey here.

In addition to the various market segments, the EGNOS survey also covers all the EGNOS services, including the Open Service, the Safety of Life Service and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS). It also assesses the EGNOS service provider’s management of EGNOS User Support Services. For the EGNOS survey, click here.

Take part to the EGNOS survey here.

The feedback was positive in the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey, with a global user satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.3 in the previous year. User satisfaction with EGNOS support was up across all the support services – the website, documentation and the helpdesk.

Based on the feedback, recommendations were drawn up for improvements across all the EGNOS services and support to users. For an overview of the results of the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey and the recommendations it generated, click here. We strongly encourage Galileo or EGNOS users to take part in the survey and help us fine-tune our service provision. The more users respond, from all market segments, the better the GSA and the Galileo and EGNOS systems will be able to go on meeting the requirements of the entire user community. The surveys only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will make a real difference.

In the 2019 Galileo User Satisfaction Survey, we were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service was up from the previous year, with 94% of users satisfied with the service and 97% of users happy to recommend the service to others. Based on user feedback, a number of recommendations were drawn up to strengthen the GNSS Service Centre (GSC).

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) is launching the 2020 editions of its Galileo User Satisfaction Survey and EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey. These surveys play an important role in the evolution of the EGNSS programmes by feeding users’ needs and requirements into programme development. 

Our motto at the GSA is ‘linking space to user needs’ and these are not empty words – users have always been at the heart of Galileo and EGNOS service provision, and feedback from users on their experience of the programmes is invaluable in shaping our services, making sure that they develop in line with market needs and continue to meet user requirements in the best way possible.

A targeted approach

The Galileo and EGNOS User Satisfaction Surveys are addressing all users and market segments including.: Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road, Location Based Services, Agriculture, Surveying and Mapping and LBS. When responding to the survey, select the market segment in which you operate; the market segment that corresponds to your main area of activity; or the market segment that is the most important for your company or organisation, if you are active in multiple market segments.  The Galileo User Satisfaction survey is also looking for user feedback on the support provided to the users via the Galileo Service Center. You can access the Galileo survey here.

Take part to the Galileo survey here.

In addition to the various market segments, the EGNOS survey also covers all the EGNOS services, including the Open Service, the Safety of Life Service and the EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS). It also assesses the EGNOS service provider’s management of EGNOS User Support Services. For the EGNOS survey, click here.

Take part to the EGNOS survey here.

The feedback was positive in the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey, with a global user satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.3 in the previous year. User satisfaction with EGNOS support was up across all the support services – the website, documentation and the helpdesk.

Based on the feedback, recommendations were drawn up for improvements across all the EGNOS services and support to users. For an overview of the results of the 2019 EGNOS User Satisfaction Survey and the recommendations it generated, click here. We strongly encourage Galileo or EGNOS users to take part in the survey and help us fine-tune our service provision. The more users respond, from all market segments, the better the GSA and the Galileo and EGNOS systems will be able to go on meeting the requirements of the entire user community. The surveys only takes a few minutes to complete and your feedback will make a real difference.

In the 2019 Galileo User Satisfaction Survey, we were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service was up from the previous year, with 94% of users satisfied with the service and 97% of users happy to recommend the service to others. Based on user feedback, a number of recommendations were drawn up to strengthen the GNSS Service Centre (GSC).

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).

Alphamonitoring System, from the joint Italian-French team Alphageomega, has taken the Traditional Geomatics prize in this year’s Geomatics on the Move Competition, while the Integrated Geomatics Prize went to the Greek team 3 Deep Vision for their project Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning. The winners shared in the overall prize of EUR 30,000, with a total of 8 prizes offered in the two categories.

The Traditional Geomatics category looked for solutions in which the main innovation was based on the use of EGNSS, employing traditional equipment such as surveying or GIS grade GNSS receivers. In this category, Alphageomega designed and built an all-in-one system that helps to improve remote real-time knowledge of displacements at sensitive critical infrastructures and the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Geomatics category targeted integrated surveying solutions that use Galileo or EGNOS along with tools and technologies such as drones, mobile mapping, laser scanners or Augmented/Mixed Reality, both within geomatics applications or beyond. 

The winner in this category - Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning - aims to implement a scalable and transferable web service for mapping shallow waters. This web service will facilitate the detailed and accurate monitoring and mapping of sensitive coastal areas, especially in times of climate crisis, taking as input georeferenced UAV images or 3D point clouds.

Targeted solutions

“With the Geomatics on the Move Prize, born from our collaboration with  the CLGE and the CLGE Young Surveyors’ Prize, we are encouraging innovators to leverage space technology and target real needs in the mapping and surveying community. Despite being the first edition in this new format, I was very impressed with the quality of the entries and congratulate the worthy winners,” said GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani.

Read this: Want to know more about EGNSS for geomatics?

This year’s Geomatics on the Move competition marks the ninth year of partnership between the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors and the GSA. Through this initiative, the GSA aims to further increase the use of Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in the field of geomatics and to increase awareness of the benefits these EU Space Programmes provide toward fostering innovative geomatics applications.

Geomatics on the Move is an ideas competition. The contenders had to present their solutions and demonstrate them through a written submission in the form of a poster and a live pitch at the finals. The prizes were awarded at an online ceremony on December 9, held as part of European Space Week.

Alphamonitoring System, from the joint Italian-French team Alphageomega, has taken the Traditional Geomatics prize in this year’s Geomatics on the Move Competition, while the Integrated Geomatics Prize went to the Greek team 3 Deep Vision for their project Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning. The winners shared in the overall prize of EUR 30,000, with a total of 10 prizes offered in the two categories.

The Traditional Geomatics category looked for solutions in which the main innovation was based on the use of EGNSS, employing traditional equipment such as surveying or GIS grade GNSS receivers. In this category, Alphageomega designed and built an all-in-one system that helps to improve remote real-time knowledge of displacements at sensitive critical infrastructures and the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Geomatics category targeted integrated surveying solutions that use Galileo or EGNOS along with tools and technologies such as drones, mobile mapping, laser scanners or Augmented/Mixed Reality, both within geomatics applications or beyond. 

The winner in this category - Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning - aims to implement a scalable and transferable web service for mapping shallow waters. This web service will facilitate the detailed and accurate monitoring and mapping of sensitive coastal areas, especially in times of climate crisis, taking as input georeferenced UAV images or 3D point clouds.

Targeted solutions

“With the Geomatics on the Move Prize, born from our collaboration with  the CLGE and the CLGE Young Surveyors’ Prize, we are encouraging innovators to leverage space technology and target real needs in the mapping and surveying community. Despite being the first edition in this new format, I was very impressed with the quality of the entries and congratulate the worthy winners,” said GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani.

Read this: Want to know more about EGNSS for geomatics?

This year’s Geomatics on the Move competition marks the ninth year of partnership between the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors and the GSA. Through this initiative, the GSA aims to further increase the use of Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in the field of geomatics and to increase awareness of the benefits these EU Space Programmes provide toward fostering innovative geomatics applications.

Geomatics on the Move is an ideas competition. The contenders had to present their solutions and demonstrate them through a written submission in the form of a poster and a live pitch at the finals. The prizes were awarded at an online ceremony on December 9, held as part of European Space Week.

Alphamonitoring System, from the joint Italian-French team Alphageomega, has taken the Traditional Geomatics prize in this year’s Geomatics on the Move Competition, while the Integrated Geomatics Prize went to the Greek team 3 Deep Vision for their project Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning. The winners shared in the overall prize of EUR 30,000, with a total of 10 prizes offered in the two categories.

The Traditional Geomatics category looked for solutions in which the main innovation was based on the use of EGNSS, employing traditional equipment such as surveying or GIS grade GNSS receivers. In this category, Alphageomega designed and built an all-in-one system that helps to improve remote real-time knowledge of displacements at sensitive critical infrastructures and the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Geomatics category targeted integrated surveying solutions that use Galileo or EGNOS along with tools and technologies such as drones, mobile mapping, laser scanners or Augmented/Mixed Reality, both within geomatics applications or beyond. 

The winner in this category - Bathymetry from UAV Imagery and Machine Learning - aims to implement a scalable and transferable web service for mapping shallow waters. This web service will facilitate the detailed and accurate monitoring and mapping of sensitive coastal areas, especially in times of climate crisis, taking as input georeferenced UAV images or 3D point clouds.

Targeted solutions

“With the Geomatics on the Move Prize, born from our collaboration with  the CLGE and the CLGE Young Surveyors’ Prize, we are encouraging innovators to leverage space technology and target real needs in the mapping and surveying community. Despite being the first edition in this new format, I was very impressed with the quality of the entries and congratulate the worthy winners,” said GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani.

Read this: Want to know more about EGNSS for geomatics?

This year’s Geomatics on the Move competition marks the ninth year of partnership between the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors and the GSA. Through this initiative, the GSA aims to further increase the use of Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in the field of geomatics and to increase awareness of the benefits these EU Space Programmes provide toward fostering innovative geomatics applications.

Geomatics on the Move is an ideas competition. The contenders had to present their solutions and demonstrate them through a written submission in the form of a poster and a live pitch at the finals. The prizes were awarded at an online ceremony on December 9, held as part of European Space Week.

Graniot, a team from Spain, has won this year’s 1st Farming by Satellite Prize. The winning team developed a web application that uses European satellite technologies to help agronomists and farmers monitor crops, reduce water waste and avoid poor fertilisation practices. The Farming by Satellite Prize promotes the use of GNSS and Earth observation in Europe and includes a special Africa Prize.

The Italian team Genuine received second prize in the competition for a web-based solution that identifies crop stress the optimal tractor path for irrigation and fertilisation using Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo. The third prize went to AI4OceanFarming, also from Spain, for a solution that uses satellite data to identify ocean farming threats such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), ocean acidification (OA), and invasive species. Finally, the Special Africa Prize went to the Kenyan-Italian team GeoM&E for a solution that uses European satellite technology to monitor coffee diseases. 

The winners beat stiff competition from 40 other young teams with innovative ideas. The judges selected first a short list of the best teams to then take their ideas forward to a ‘Deep Dive’ phase. The selected eight grand finalists had the opportunity to pitch their solutions during a final ‘live’ judging round. 

An inspiring experience

“We’re honoured to be chosen as winners of the Farming by Satellite Prize 2020. We will put the EUR 5,000 cash prize to good use developing our satellite crop monitoring web application further. The whole journey has been a great experience that would not have be possible without the support of UGREmprendedora and the Andalucia Agrotech Digital Innovation Hub,” said Pablo Romero Díaz and Manuel Castro Ruiz from Graniot. “We’ve learnt so much. We have been inspired by the feedback from the judges and have enjoyed seeing the entries from all the grand finalists during the awards ceremony.” 

Read this: A “Cerealist’s Diary”, the testimony of a wheat farmer

 “The innovation and wide variety of agriculture applications submitted by young innovators this year has been wonderful to see. It confirms the value of encouraging the next generation of farmers to explore the use of satellite technologies in agriculture to enable sustainable farming practices,” said Joaquín Reyes González, who judged the competition on behalf of the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

Hans Dufourmont, a judge for the European Environment Agency (EEA), highlighted the environmental credentials of the entries: “The agricultural sector needs to continue developing sustainable food production practices and improve their impact on the environment and climate. It’s great to see Galileo and Copernicus convincing young farmers to become tech savvy entrepreneurs and develop competitive yet sustainable agriculture.”

Increased use of EGNSS and Copernicus in agriculture

The Farming by Satellite Prize is an initiative of the GSA and the EEA, supported by agricultural engineering equipment manufacturer CLAAS. The competition aims to increase the use of Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus in European agriculture. The Prize also intends to raise awareness on the benefits the EU Space Programme provides toward fostering innovative and sustainable farming solutions. The objective of the Special Africa Prize is to encourage young Africans to develop satellite-based solutions that cater to the specific needs and resources of communities and lands in Africa.

Watch this: European Satellites for Agriculture

Commenting on the winning idea, Marcel Fölsch from CLAAS said: “The Graniot team has consistently presented a high-quality solution throughout all stages of this year’s competition. It is great to see their focus on olive farming in southern Europe, allowing them to narrow in on specific customer needs and present a compelling remote sensing solution to their users. We’re pleased to award the top prize to a team clearly driving the adoption of sustainable agriculture practises in Europe.”

Contestants were tasked with creating a new sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture solution using Galileo, EGNOS and/or Copernicus. Solutions had to demonstrate a novel approach to the use of satellite services for farming, while ensuring accurate technical feasibility and a maximum impact on the farming industry. 

Participation was open to young farmers, academics, and professionals between the ages of 18 and 32. They could take part as individuals or as a team of up to four. For the Special Africa Prize, at least one applicant was required to be a citizen of or resident in an African country.

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