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The city of Madrid is one of the first utilising Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in conjunction with enhanced positioning services, in order to improve public transport services in the Spanish capital.

Recent innovations and improvements include updating the positioning on-board units in public buses, which allows for the communication of the exact position of buses, thus enabling commuters to plan their journeys and for public transport timings to be more accurate. Amongst others, these receivers use signals from EGNOS and Galileo, the European Global Navigation Satellite System, which has allowed the “Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid” (EMT Madrid) to improve their bus positioning services.

EMT is a public limited company owned by Madrid City Council, and is responsible for the network of buses and bicycle sharing service available in the Spanish capital. The company forms part of the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium, the commissioned authority that undertakes the planning of public transport in Madrid.

Improved positioning

EMT fleet has been undergoing the biggest historic renovation of its bus fleet since 2016. Improved positioning information on the 2,050 buses in the EMT Madrid network is invaluable, and forms part of the innovative use of ITS employed by the company, which is recognised and respected on an international level. The addition of improved positioning has elevated the fleet, one of the most modern in Europe and that boasts universal accessibility for both wheelchair using passengers and those with reduced mobility, to a new level. From now on, Galileo will serve to 420 million users per year.

“It is encouraging to see major public transport operators starting to use Galileo services and for European citizens to be able to benefit directly from improved positioning on their daily commutes” said Daniel Lopour, Market Development Officer from the GSA. 

Public mobility pioneer

The company has already been pioneering the use of other technologies within transport including operational support systems, driving simulations, CCTV, WiFi, information systems, Open Data, eco driving and more. As part of its pioneering attitude, the entire fleet will go ‘eco’ (both zero and low emission) by the end of 2020.

Read this: Satellite positioning is changing how we move

All of these ITS systems rely on positioning data, which has now become much more precise thanks to Galileo services. With the help of Galileo, advanced implementation of ITS is now becoming a reality for transport and mobility companies.

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 a vote on 17 April 2019, the European Parliament endorsed a provisional agreement reached by co-legislators on the EU Space Programme for the 2021-2027 budget period. The agreement passed by a large majority, with 560 votes in favour, 63 against and 32 abstentions.

In June 2018, the European Commission proposed the new EUR 16-billion EU Space Programme to help maintain and further enhance the EU's leadership in space. The Commission's proposal brings all existing and new space activities under the umbrella of a single programme and will foster a strong and innovative space industry in Europe.

Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, welcomed the vote. “Space technology, data and services have become indispensable in the daily lives of Europeans and for Europe to pursue its strategic interests. We therefore need to ensure continuity and financial stability in our space activities,” she said.

Watch this: European Space Programmes: Supporting European Jobs

“The new EU Space Programme will not only do that, but also address global challenges, such as fighting climate change, a transition to a low-carbon economy, smart mobility and digital economy,” the Commissioner said, adding that more would be invested in space activities to adapt to new needs and technologies, while reinforcing Europe's autonomous and secure access to space.

Benefitting Europe’s economy and citizens

European GNSS Agency (GSA) Executive Director Carlo des Dorides also welcomed the European Parliament vote. “With this vote the European Parliament has given a clear message about the importance of the space sector for the European economy and a sign of trust towards the GSA. The Space Programme for the next budget period will provide continuity of investment in space, ensuring that the EU continues to lead the way in space-based innovation,” he said.

“At the GSA we remain committed to ensuring that every euro invested in space delivers the greatest possible return in terms of benefits for Europe’s economy and its citizens. We are ready to make available the invaluable experience gained over the years with EGNOS and Galileo to other new EU space programmes,” des Dorides said.

Commissioner Bieńkowska also highlighted the importance of space for the European economy. “Europe's space industry is the second largest in the world, and its space-enabled services fuel a steadily increasing 6-9% of our economy. The EU Space Programme will be key to keep this trend going,” she said.

The Commissioner cited Copernicus and Galileo as “two successful EU space programmes that already improve the lives of citizens and business in Europe and beyond,” adding that, with its vote, the European Parliament had sent a clear signal to the space sector that these flagship projects would continue to prosper and evolve towards new services.

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“With the new Space Programme we also introduce new security-related space initiatives: space and situational awareness (SSA) and Governmental Satellite Communication (GOVSATCOM). We will also put the European space sector in a better position to react to the ongoing changes the space sector is undergoing worldwide,” she said, adding: “In particular, we will support a European ‘New Space' approach with innovative start-ups, reliable and cost-effective European launch solutions and increased European technological autonomy.”

“Space matters for Europe,” the Commissioner said.

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 urban populations grow, cities will have to become smarter to provide the same level of services to their residents, while tackling growing environmental and logistical challenges. A dedicated session at the recent Munich Satellite Navigation Summit discussed the future needs of smart cities and how synergies between GNSS and other emerging technologies support the applications that will meet these needs.

Modern society is already totally dependent on GNSS, and this dependence is set to increase as the world’s cities strive to become smarter to meet the demands of their growing populations. In his presentation at the Munich summit, Dr Igancio Fernandez-Hernandez, Galileo Authentication and High Accuracy Service Manager at the European Commission, highlighted some of the challenges ahead.

“According to some estimates, in the coming decades 75% of the world’s population will live in cities, so cities will need to become smarter,” he said, adding that, with smart technology targeting IT connectivity, water and waste management, electricity grids, transport and mobility, and citizen participation, cities will be able to improve people’s lives and the urban environment. “GNSS contributes to all of these solutions,” he said.

Underpinning smart city networks

“GNSS timing is essential for the synchronisation of communications networks and smart power grids and positioning is essential for the geolocation of transmitters. Essentially, all of the networks that underpin the smart city depend to one extent or another on GNSS,” Fernandez-Hernandez said.

Read this: Galileo provides boost to smart transport systems

However, GNSS will not have to bear this burden alone. Miguel Mantiega Bautista, GNSS Evolutions Programme Manager at the European Space Agency, who moderated the session, said that interoperability between systems will be crucial to meet the future requirements of smart cities.

Likewise, Fernandez-Hernandez described GNSS as one technology among many. “But it is nevertheless an essential element of the smart city, as the location of physical assets and the synchronisation of signals in various smart applications are all underpinned by GNSS,” he said.

Fernandez-Hernandez stressed that, as our dependence on GNSS increases, it becomes more important to have redundancy and regional independence and better signal availability in cities. “Galileo brings this. It brings more independence, redundancy, accuracy and security to smart cities,” he said.

Roberto Prieto Cerderia, GNSS Evolutions R&D Principal Engineer at the European Space Agency in Noordwijk, the Netherlands noted that GNSS in combination with 5G will provide the synergy that urban areas need. He said that GNSS will not only complement 5G in supporting smart city applications, GNSS is also an enabler of 5G, supporting network synchronisation and, in particular, meeting the stringent timing requirements for aspects such as massive mining.

Three technology pillars

European GNSS Agency (GSA) Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi noted that that the vast majority of data supporting smart applications contains a location component. He said that smart cities are built on three technology pillars – ubiquitous location, ubiquitous sensing and ubiquitous communications.

“The role of GNSS is different for each pillar – for location it obviously plays a key role, but GNSS also provides critical services for the sensing and communications pillars, with timestamping of sensor data and synchronization of communications networks,” he said.

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Likewise, GNSS plays a role in all the major technology trends and emerging apps within the smart city, from the Internet of Things and augmented reality, to autonomous cars, drones and Mobility as a Service (MaaS). “The reality today is multi-constellation, multi-frequency, high accuracy,” he said, adding that Galileo brings all of these to the table.

Looking to the future, Blasi outlined some of the things on the table for the next generation of Galileo that can support the smart cities of 2030 and later. These include features such as new signals, high accuracy services including real integrity, an Emergency Warning System, increased robustness supported by ARAIM deployment beyond aviation, chipsets with very low energy per fix, and hybrid 5G-GNSS PNT.

Dr Bruno Bougard, R&D Director at Septentrio said that 5G and high accuracy GNSS complement each other perfectly and bring the assured and accurate positioning needed for smart mobility. “The challenge is to make them work together seamlessly,” he said.

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).