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The European Union's blue economy is thriving - economic activities related to oceans, seas and coastal areas recorded gross profit of EUR 74.3 billion in 2017. By providing the tools needed to streamline marine navigation and port operations, support fast and effective search and rescue, and monitor the health of the marine environment, Europe’s GNSS and Earth Observation programmes offer crucial services for this vital segment of the European economy.

The maritime sector is critical for Europe’s economic well-being - almost 90% of the EU’s external freight trade is seaborne. For World Maritime Day, which falls on 26 September, we take a look at some of the ways that satellite technology is supporting effective maritime operations and the sustainable use of Europe’s marine resources.

Speaking at the ‘International Space Forum 2019 - The Mediterranean Chapter’ earlier this month, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides noted that the core contribution of GNSS to the maritime world and the blue economy – the provision of accurate position, velocity and time – is already well known. 

Key contributions

Consequently, in his address at the event, des Dorides highlighted some lesser-known ways in which GNSS supports the blue economy. In particular, GNSS enables the generation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) position reports for maritime traffic management and situational awareness.

Watch this: EGNOS for Waterborne Transport

What’s more, GNSS supports position reporting in Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). In the EU, all vessels above 15 metres are fitted with a VMS, and a “blue box” installed on the vessel transmits the GNSS-derived vessel position to the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) in the flag state, which then communicates this information to the state or regional fisheries body in whose waters the vessel is fishing.

Galileo SAR

Another key service offered by Galileo is its search and rescue (SAR) service. Galileo is the first GNSS constellation offering global SAR capability. The Galileo SAR service is also a fundamental European contribution to the Cospas-Sarsat International Programme, thanks to the SAR/Galileo repeaters and ground segment equipment that relay Cospas-Sarsat distress alerts to national authorities through the Cospas-Sarsat ground network.

And this: Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) Service

Timed to coincide with World Maritime Day, Shark Bait - a live demonstration of how quickly the Galileo SAR service can help in triggering a rescue operation - will be held on 26 September in Oostende, Belgium. 

As part of the event, a ‘victim’ will be left on a life raft at sea with a 406MHz Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon. When the beacon is activated, a chronometer will be launched to calculate the time taken to receive the distress signal, to compute the raft’s position and to send the alert to the relevant authorities. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube and on EuropeBySatellite (EBS).

Europe’s eyes on Earth

But it’s not just European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) that offers services to support efficient maritime operations. The European Union's Earth Observation Programme – Copernicus, “Europe’s eyes on Earth,” also provides some crucial services to the maritime sector, offering information services based on satellite Earth Observation and in situ (non-space) data.

In particular, the Copernicus marine environment monitoring service provides regular and systematic core reference information on the state of the oceans and seas in support of all marine applications, including those related to marine safety, marine resources, the coastal and marine environment, and weather forecasting and climate action.

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 Union's blue economy is thriving - economic activities related to oceans, seas and coastal areas recorded gross profit of EUR 74.3 billion in 2017. By providing the tools needed to streamline marine navigation and port operations, support fast and effective search and rescue, and monitor the health of the marine environment, Europe’s GNSS and Earth Observation programmes offer crucial services for this vital segment of the European economy.

The maritime sector is critical for Europe’s economic well-being - almost 90% of the EU’s external freight trade is seaborne. For World Maritime Day, which falls on 26 September, we take a look at some of the ways that satellite technology is supporting effective maritime operations and the sustainable use of Europe’s marine resources.

Speaking at the ‘International Space Forum 2019 - The Mediterranean Chapter’ earlier this month, European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides noted that the core contribution of GNSS to the maritime world and the blue economy – the provision of accurate position, velocity and time – is already well known. 

Key contributions

Consequently, in his address at the event, des Dorides highlighted some lesser-known ways in which GNSS supports the blue economy. In particular, GNSS enables the generation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) position reports for maritime traffic management and situational awareness.

Watch this: EGNOS for Waterborne Transport

What’s more, GNSS supports position reporting in Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). In the EU, all vessels above 15 metres are fitted with a VMS, and a “blue box” installed on the vessel transmits the GNSS-derived vessel position to the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) in the flag state, which then communicates this information to the state or regional fisheries body in whose waters the vessel is fishing.

Galileo SAR

Another key service offered by Galileo is its search and rescue (SAR) service. Galileo is the first GNSS constellation offering global SAR capability. The Galileo SAR service is also a fundamental European contribution to the Cospas-Sarsat International Programme, thanks to the SAR/Galileo repeaters and ground segment equipment that relay Cospas-Sarsat distress alerts to national authorities through the Cospas-Sarsat ground network.

And this: Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) Service

Timed to coincide with World Maritime Day, Shark Bait - a live demonstration of how quickly the Galileo SAR service can help in triggering a rescue operation - will be held on 26 September in Oostende, Belgium. 

As part of the event, a ‘victim’ will be left on a life raft at sea with a 406MHz Cospas-Sarsat distress beacon. When the beacon is activated, a chronometer will be launched to calculate the time taken to receive the distress signal, to compute the raft’s position and to send the alert to the relevant authorities. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube and on EuropeBySatellite (EBS).

Europe’s eyes on Earth

But it’s not just European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) that offers services to support efficient maritime operations. The European Union's Earth Observation Programme – Copernicus, “Europe’s eyes on Earth,” also provides some crucial services to the maritime sector, offering information services based on satellite Earth Observation and in situ (non-space) data.

In particular, the Copernicus marine environment monitoring service provides regular and systematic core reference information on the state of the oceans and seas in support of all marine applications, including those related to marine safety, marine resources, the coastal and marine environment, and weather forecasting and climate action.

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 Galileo – Accuracy Matters campaign was a worthy runner-up in the ‘Campaign of the Year - Associations & Institutions’ category at this year’s Digital Communication Awards. The first place prize in the category went to Finland’s Capital of Metal campaign, which set out to determine which Finnish city deserves to be known internationally as the Capital of Metal. 

The Accuracy Matters team presented the campaign to the Awards jury in a pitch made at the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin in Berlin on Friday, 20 September, and the awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Kino International in Berlin later on the same day.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA), with the support of the European Commission, launched the Accuracy Matters #UseGalileo campaign last December to raise awareness about how Galileo, a component of the European Union's Space Programme, is making a real difference in the lives of the billion users who have Galileo’s added accuracy in their smart phones.

Making a real difference

The campaign began with a series of light-hearted videos showcasing everyday situations where ‘Accuracy Matters’ to anyone using location data on their smartphones. The campaign later took a more serious tone – highlighting how Galileo’s added accuracy makes a real difference in an emergency. Coinciding with the European elections, the campaign ran on Social Media and was advertised in metro stations, buses and airports across Europe, generating over 65 million impressions.

Read this: GSA celebrates 1 billion Galileo smartphone users

“We launched the Accuracy Matters campaign to increase public awareness of the benefits of Galileo. With this campaign, for the first time ever we engaged with European citizens, the final users and beneficiaries of the European Global Navigation Satellite System,” said GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay. “Thanks to this campaign, European citizens now know more about Galileo and we know more about their communication needs, which is an invaluable asset for the European GNSS Agency,” she continued. “Participation in the Digital Communication Awards has been a rewarding experience. It has increased the visibility of our campaign and will contribute to its ongoing success,” she said.

Honouring outstanding projects

The Digital Communication Awards honour outstanding projects, campaigns and innovations in the sphere of online communications. Launched and hosted by the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences since 2011, the DCA help to lift up industry-leading online communications campaigns. The Awards provide innovative online projects with the visibility and reputation they deserve. 

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 Galileo – Accuracy Matters campaign was a worthy runner-up in the ‘Campaign of the Year - Associations & Institutions’ category at this year’s Digital Communication Awards. The first place prize in the category went to Finland’s Capital of Metal campaign, which set out to determine which Finnish city deserves to be known internationally as the Capital of Metal. 

The Accuracy Matters team presented the campaign to the Awards jury in a pitch made at the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin in Berlin on Friday, 20 September, and the awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Kino International in Berlin later on the same day.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA), with the support of the European Commission, launched the Accuracy Matters #UseGalileo campaign last December to raise awareness about how Galileo, a component of the European Union's Space Programme, is making a real difference in the lives of the billion users who have Galileo’s added accuracy in their smart phones.

Making a real difference

The campaign began with a series of light-hearted videos showcasing everyday situations where ‘Accuracy Matters’ to anyone using location data on their smartphones. The campaign later took a more serious tone – highlighting how Galileo’s added accuracy makes a real difference in an emergency. Coinciding with the European elections, the campaign ran on Social Media and was advertised in metro stations, buses and airports across Europe, generating over 65 million impressions.

Read this: GSA celebrates 1 billion Galileo smartphone users

“We launched the Accuracy Matters campaign to increase public awareness of the benefits of Galileo. With this campaign, for the first time ever we engaged with European citizens, the final users and beneficiaries of the European Global Navigation Satellite System,” said GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay. “Thanks to this campaign, European citizens now know more about Galileo and we know more about their communication needs, which is an invaluable asset for the European GNSS Agency,” she continued. “Participation in the Digital Communication Awards has been a rewarding experience. It has increased the visibility of our campaign and will contribute to its ongoing success,” she said.

Honouring outstanding projects

The Digital Communication Awards honour outstanding projects, campaigns and innovations in the sphere of online communications. Launched and hosted by the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences since 2011, the DCA help to lift up industry-leading online communications campaigns. The Awards provide innovative online projects with the visibility and reputation they deserve. 

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 Galileo – Accuracy Matters campaign was a worthy runner-up in the ‘Campaign of the Year - Associations & Institutions’ category at this year’s Digital Communication Awards. The first place prize in the category went to Finland’s Capital of Metal campaign, which set out to determine which Finnish city deserves to be known internationally as the Capital of Metal. 

The Accuracy Matters team presented the campaign to the Awards jury in a pitch made at the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences Berlin in Berlin on Friday, 20 September, and the awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Kino International in Berlin later on the same day.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA), with the support of the European Commission, launched the Accuracy Matters #UseGalileo campaign last December to raise awareness about how Galileo, a component of the European Union's Space Programme, is making a real difference in the lives of the billion users who have Galileo’s added accuracy in their smart phones.

Making a real difference

The campaign began with a series of light-hearted videos showcasing everyday situations where ‘Accuracy Matters’ to anyone using location data on their smartphones. The campaign later took a more serious tone – highlighting how Galileo’s added accuracy makes a real difference in an emergency. Coinciding with the European elections, the campaign ran on Social Media and was advertised in metro stations, buses and airports across Europe, generating over 65 million impressions.

Read this: GSA celebrates 1 billion Galileo smartphone users

“We launched the Accuracy Matters campaign to increase public awareness of the benefits of Galileo. With this campaign, for the first time ever we engaged with European citizens, the final users and beneficiaries of the European Global Navigation Satellite System,” said GSA Head of Communications Donna Reay. “Thanks to this campaign, European citizens now know more about Galileo and we know more about their communication needs, which is an invaluable asset for the European GNSS Agency,” she continued. “Participation in the Digital Communication Awards has been a rewarding experience. It has increased the visibility of our campaign and will contribute to its ongoing success,” she said.

Honouring outstanding projects

The Digital Communication Awards honour outstanding projects, campaigns and innovations in the sphere of online communications. Launched and hosted by the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences since 2011, the DCA help to lift up industry-leading online communications campaigns. The Awards provide innovative online projects with the visibility and reputation they deserve. 

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).

Submissions in the MyGalileoApp competitions target applications in 11 innovation areas. European Mobility Week, which is taking place this week, is a good opportunity to take a look at some of the applications addressing mobility-related issues that were shortlisted in the Top 30 in this year’s edition of the competition.

The Smart Navigation and Infotainment innovation area was a popular choice in this year’s MyGalileoApp competition, with a total of six submissions. Of these, five target applications that aim to improve users’ mobility experience. For example, the Mob(ility) app aims to help different communities of pedestrians living in urban areas that need to have real-time accurate information of their environment to improve everyday mobility. The app will display the best route between two different points of the city depending on users’ preferences.

Streamlining urban traffic

Two applications in this year’s competition aim to streamline urban traffic flows. Firstly, the ReadyPark app makes it possible to exchange parking spots in real-time, by pairing users leaving a spot with users looking for one, which will improve the urban driving experience. Secondly, the Mylights application displays the remaining time of a red or green signal at a traffic light controlled junction and provides optimal speed recommendation (within the applicable speed limit) for drivers to arrive at the junction just in time for a green signal.

Read this: GSA, EIB sign agreement on investment in space

Another mobile application - Lycie - notifies drivers whenever a dangerous situation is detected, by monitoring both the driver and the road. Potential Lycie users include all drivers exposed to road traffic risks: employees or individuals in a car, bus, train or even on a motorbike.

However, it’s not only road transport solutions that were developed in this year’s competition – maritime transport was also targeted. Specifically, the GALILEONAUT application helps sailors to find their way inside a port or a marina. The solution provides a link between the harbour master's office and sailors and allows the harbour master to assign a docking place to a boat entering the harbour, and the sailor to be guided without requiring any assistance from the harbour master’s office.

Mapping, GIS and Agriculture

The Smart Navigation and Infotainment innovation area was not the only one to receive mobility-related submissions. In the Mapping, GIS and Agriculture areas too, some of the applications address specific mobility-related needs. For example, the RoadEO project makes use of a smartphone’s accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone, camera and of course GNSS module to record its environment while driving in a car, truck, bike or other mode of transport, and combines this with Earth observation data in a predictive analytics solution that advises road authorities about where and when road segments need to be maintained.

And this: GSA celebrates 1 billion Galileo smartphone users

In the agriculture segment, Tractor Navigator provides guidance for farmers driving tractors. It is a navigation app (like a car GPS) that enables users to visualise their current position and trajectory on an open field (no road). Using the app, farmers can also accurately follow a predefined trajectory with live feedback to correct deviations and record and load saved trajectories to pick up work from where they left off, thereby avoiding covering the same area twice.

Moving forward

Of the seven mobility related submissions reviewed here, three – Tractor Navigator, Ready Park and GALILEONAUT – have made it through to the final 10 projects selected for the second development phase of the competition. So stay tuned to see how they do!

Along with the other projects in the final 10, these three projects have until October 21 to deliver a finalised version of their app with 100% functionality. All teams that will successfully complete the second development phase will be invited to the finals, to be held in November 2019, where they will present their application to the GSA evaluation board. The awards will be decided after these presentations, with the first-place winner receiving a EUR 100,000 prize. The runner up and third place winners will receive EUR 50,000 and EUR 30,000 respectively.

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).

Submissions in the MyGalileoApp competitions target applications in 11 innovation areas. European Mobility Week, which is taking place this week, is a good opportunity to take a look at some of the applications addressing mobility-related issues that were shortlisted in the Top 30 in this year’s edition of the competition.

The Smart Navigation and Infotainment innovation area was a popular choice in this year’s MyGalileoApp competition, with a total of six submissions. Of these, five target applications that aim to improve users’ mobility experience. For example, the Mob(ility) app aims to help different communities of pedestrians living in urban areas that need to have real-time accurate information of their environment to improve everyday mobility. The app will display the best route between two different points of the city depending on users’ preferences.

Streamlining urban traffic

Two applications in this year’s competition aim to streamline urban traffic flows. Firstly, the ReadyPark app makes it possible to exchange parking spots in real-time, by pairing users leaving a spot with users looking for one, which will improve the urban driving experience. Secondly, the Mylights application displays the remaining time of a red or green signal at a traffic light controlled junction and provides optimal speed recommendation (within the applicable speed limit) for drivers to arrive at the junction just in time for a green signal.

Read this: GSA, EIB sign agreement on investment in space

Another mobile application - Lycie - notifies drivers whenever a dangerous situation is detected, by monitoring both the driver and the road. Potential Lycie users include all drivers exposed to road traffic risks: employees or individuals in a car, bus, train or even on a motorbike.

However, it’s not only road transport solutions that were developed in this year’s competition – maritime transport was also targeted. Specifically, the GALILEONAUT application helps sailors to find their way inside a port or a marina. The solution provides a link between the harbour master's office and sailors and allows the harbour master to assign a docking place to a boat entering the harbour, and the sailor to be guided without requiring any assistance from the harbour master’s office.

Mapping, GIS and Agriculture

The Smart Navigation and Infotainment innovation area was not the only one to receive mobility-related submissions. In the Mapping, GIS and Agriculture areas too, some of the applications address specific mobility-related needs. For example, the RoadEO project makes use of a smartphone’s accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone, camera and of course GNSS module to record its environment while driving in a car, truck, bike or other mode of transport, and combines this with Earth observation data in a predictive analytics solution that advises road authorities about where and when road segments need to be maintained.

And this: GSA celebrates 1 billion Galileo smartphone users

In the agriculture segment, Tractor Navigator provides guidance for farmers driving tractors. It is a navigation app (like a car GPS) that enables users to visualise their current position and trajectory on an open field (no road). Using the app, farmers can also accurately follow a predefined trajectory with live feedback to correct deviations and record and load saved trajectories to pick up work from where they left off, thereby avoiding covering the same area twice.

Moving forward

Of the seven mobility related submissions reviewed here, three – Tractor Navigator, Ready Park and GALILEONAUT – have made it through to the final 10 projects selected for the second development phase of the competition. So stay tuned to see how they do!

Along with the other projects in the final 10, these three projects have until October 21 to deliver a finalised version of their app with 100% functionality. All teams that will successfully complete the second development phase will be invited to the finals, to be held in November 2019, where they will present their application to the GSA evaluation board. The awards will be decided after these presentations, with the first-place winner receiving a EUR 100,000 prize. The runner up and third place winners will receive EUR 50,000 and EUR 30,000 respectively.

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).