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To help eastern European countries prepare for the optimal adoption of European GNSS (E-GNSS) applications in the multimodal domains, the GSA-funded BEYOND project organised an array of events and training aimed at building the region’s E-GNSS capacity.

Efficient multimodal transportation is an essential component to the free movement of goods and to the European Union’s internal market. To ensure that all Member States have the means to optimise their access to the open market, such GSA-funded initiatives as the BEYOND project are advocating for the adoption of E-GNSS applications for use in the multimodal domains in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey and their neighbouring countries.

Watch this: European Space Programmes – Strengthening Internal Markets

Multimodal transport is the transportation of goods under a single contract but performed using at least two different means of transport, such as rail, sea and road. In such an arrangement, the carrier remains responsible for the entire transport process, although the actual transportation is typically done by individual sub-carriers.

A key component to successful multimodal transport is e-freight – also the area where E-GNSS comes into play. E-freight is a paperless freight transport system that attaches an electronic flow of information to the actual physical flow of goods. This in turn allows for intelligent, or automated, cargo shipping. As positioning services are an integral part of this concept, multimodal logistics represent a significant market for E-GNSS. With E-GNSS, one can utilise such vital applications as container ‘corridoring’ and geo-fencing or providing geo-referenced cargo status monitoring, seamlessly integrated across transport modes and geographies.

Going BEYOND borders with E-GNSS

Launched in 2015, the Horizon 2020 BEYOND project supports the competitiveness of EU industry by developing new market opportunities in eastern European and Euromed countries. In the case of multimodal transportation, the project’s activities focused on building awareness about the use and added value offered by such E-GNSS programmes as Galileo and EGNOS. Led by Telespazio and with a focus on Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and such neighbouring countries as Turkey, the project held a range of dissemination events and activities to help prepare these countries for optimal adoption of E-GNSS applications within the multimodal domain.

Key outcomes of the project include:

• creation and analysis of a database on existing GNSS sources in Euromed countries;
• stakeholder survey identifying specific needs and showing how GNSS-based applications can help address such needs;
• promoting wider use of E-GNSS in Turkey – a promising market for E-GNSS applications – and adopting an enhanced roadmap to prepare the country for integrating E-GNSS technologies, services and applications.

“Based on this work, we can say with confidence that all involved countries stand to benefit greatly from making investments in developing and upgrading their E-GNSS networks,” says Gian Gherardo Calini, GSA Head of Market development.

The BEYOND Final User Forum is scheduled for the 14th-15th June 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia. More information can be found http://www.beyondproject.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).

To help eastern European countries prepare for the optimal adoption of European GNSS (E-GNSS) applications in the multimodal domains, the GSA-funded BEYOND project organised an array of events and training aimed at building the region’s E-GNSS capacity.

Efficient multimodal transportation is an essential component to the free movement of goods and to the European Union’s internal market. To ensure that all Member States have the means to optimise their access to the open market, such GSA-funded initiatives as the BEYOND project are advocating for the adoption of E-GNSS applications for use in the multimodal domains in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey and their neighbouring countries.

Watch this: European Space Programmes – Strengthening Internal Markets

Multimodal transport is the transportation of goods under a single contract but performed using at least two different means of transport, such as rail, sea and road. In such an arrangement, the carrier remains responsible for the entire transport process, although the actual transportation is typically done by individual sub-carriers.

A key component to successful multimodal transport is e-freight – also the area where E-GNSS comes into play. E-freight is a paperless freight transport system that attaches an electronic flow of information to the actual physical flow of goods. This in turn allows for intelligent, or automated, cargo shipping. As positioning services are an integral part of this concept, multimodal logistics represent a significant market for E-GNSS. With E-GNSS, one can utilise such vital applications as container ‘corridoring’ and geo-fencing or providing geo-referenced cargo status monitoring, seamlessly integrated across transport modes and geographies.

Going BEYOND borders with E-GNSS

Launched in 2015, the Horizon 2020 BEYOND project supports the competitiveness of EU industry by developing new market opportunities in eastern European and Euromed countries. In the case of multimodal transportation, the project’s activities focused on building awareness about the use and added value offered by such E-GNSS programmes as Galileo and EGNOS. Led by Telespazio and with a focus on Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and such neighbouring countries as Turkey, the project held a range of dissemination events and activities to help prepare these countries for optimal adoption of E-GNSS applications within the multimodal domain.

Key outcomes of the project include:

• creation and analysis of a database on existing GNSS sources in Euromed countries;
• stakeholder survey identifying specific needs and showing how GNSS-based applications can help address such needs;
• promoting wider use of E-GNSS in Turkey – a promising market for E-GNSS applications – and adopting an enhanced roadmap to prepare the country for integrating E-GNSS technologies, services and applications.

“Based on this work, we can say with confidence that all involved countries stand to benefit greatly from making investments in developing and upgrading their E-GNSS networks,” says Gian Gherardo Calini, GSA Head of Market development.

The BEYOND Final User Forum is scheduled for the 14th-15th June 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia. More information can be found http://www.beyondproject.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).

Four funding opportunities currently open within the Fundamental Elements: a research and development funding mechanism to development of GNSS chipsets, receivers and antennas building on Galileo and EGNOS differentiators.

In 2015, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) launched Fundamental Elements, a research and development (R&D) funding mechanism supporting the development of innovative GNSS chipsets, receivers and antennas technology building on Galileo and EGNOS differentiators.

To accelerate the integration of Galileo and EGNOS into market-ready devices,  in February 2017 GSA has launched four new funding opportunities across all market segments:

Road, Smart Tachograph

• OS-NMA user terminals for the road segment (Deadline: 29 May 2017)

Galileo will provide a Navigation Message Authentication feature over its Open Service (OS). By means of this feature, known as Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS-NMA), the user will be able to know that the source of the navigation message is authentic, namely it is the Galileo satellites and not any other potentially malicious source.

Tenders should aim at developing a robust “close to market” OS-NMA User Terminal implementing an adequate level of anti-spoofing capability and meeting Smart Tachograph application requirements, together with an end-to-end validation platform to assess the achieved performance.

Aviation

• Advanced RAIM Multi-constellation Receiver (Deadline: 19 May 2017)

Integrity is essential for safety critical applications. The Advanced RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring, - ARAIM), concept is aimed at providing global integrity based on multiple GNSS constellations, at least Galileo and GPS.

GSA is launching a call for proposals with the main objective to develop an ARAIM prototype for aviation applications, including Horizontal as well as Vertical ARAIM concepts and threat allocation and mitigation, as well as testing the performance in real scenarios.

Maritime

• SBAS-enabled shipborne receivers (Deadline: 31 May 2017)

Nowadays, the majority of sea ships use GNSS as the primary means for obtaining Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information at sea.  However, to date there is no maritime standard or guidelines for the implementation of SBAS in shipborne receivers and the majority of these implementations do not take into account the information related to the system integrity messages that is already broadcasted by the SBAS systems.

GSA is launching a call for proposals to develop SBAS L1 receivers for maritime use compliant with IMO Resolution A.1046(27), including demonstration activities,  and the preparation of a guideline for receiver manufacturers for the implementation of the solution developed and to the standardisation process at RTCM and IEC.

Search and rescue

• MEOSAR beacons for search-and-rescue-related applications (Deadline: 31 May 2017)

Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service contributes to MEOSAR COSPAS-SARSAT system. The integration of Galileo enables nearly real-time detection and localisation of the distress alarm. 

GSA is launching a call for proposals to secure the availability of commercial products from European manufacturers of MEOSAR Beacons including the Return Link Service capabilities implemented by Galileo, thus increasing the European industry’s innovation capacity and investing on E-GNSS differentiators for MEOSAR.

Proposals should aim at developing MEOSAR beacons and its technology building blocks and shall include testing and demonstrating the product capabilities (ELT, EPIRB and PLB) and obtaining the type approval.

On March 29th 2017, in support of the companies interested to bid, the GSA organised four webinars, each dedicated to the open calls/tender. If you missed the webinars, you can find all the relevant information in the resource page, including the presentations, tips on how to prepare proposals/tenders, and Q&As. 

About Fundamental Elements

The GSA’s Fundamental Elements programme is an R&D funding mechanism supporting the development of chipsets and receivers. The programme runs through 2020 and has a projected budget of EUR 111.5 million. The main objective of the initiative is to facilitate the development of applications across different sectors of the economy and promote such fundamental elements as Galileo-enabled chipsets and receivers. 

The programme offers two types of financing:

• Grants: with financing for up to 70 % of the total value of the grant agreement, with intellectual property rights staying with the beneficiary (with conditions).
• Procurement: used only in cases where keeping intellectual property rights allow for the better fulfilment of the programme’s objectives. These are 100 % financed.

Fundamental Elements is in addition to, and complements, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme, which aims to foster adoption of Galileo via content and application development, and thus focuses on the integration of services provided by Galileo into devices and their commercialisation.

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).

Four funding opportunities currently open within the Fundamental Elements: a research and development funding mechanism to development of GNSS chipsets, receivers and antennas building on Galileo and EGNOS differentiators.

In 2015, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) launched Fundamental Elements, a research and development (R&D) funding mechanism supporting the development of innovative GNSS chipsets, receivers and antennas technology building on Galileo and EGNOS differentiators.

To accelerate the integration of Galileo and EGNOS into market-ready devices,  in February 2017 GSA has launched four new funding opportunities across all market segments:

Road, Smart Tachograph

• OS-NMA user terminals for the road segment (Deadline: 29 May 2017)

Galileo will provide a Navigation Message Authentication feature over its Open Service (OS). By means of this feature, known as Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS-NMA), the user will be able to know that the source of the navigation message is authentic, namely it is the Galileo satellites and not any other potentially malicious source.

Tenders should aim at developing a robust “close to market” OS-NMA User Terminal implementing an adequate level of anti-spoofing capability and meeting Smart Tachograph application requirements, together with an end-to-end validation platform to assess the achieved performance.

Aviation

• Advanced RAIM Multi-constellation Receiver (Deadline: 19 May 2017)

Integrity is essential for safety critical applications. The Advanced RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring, - ARAIM), concept is aimed at providing global integrity based on multiple GNSS constellations, at least Galileo and GPS.

GSA is launching a call for proposals with the main objective to develop an ARAIM prototype for aviation applications, including Horizontal as well as Vertical ARAIM concepts and threat allocation and mitigation, as well as testing the performance in real scenarios.

Maritime

• SBAS-enabled shipborne receivers (Deadline: 31 May 2017)

Nowadays, the majority of sea ships use GNSS as the primary means for obtaining Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information at sea.  However, to date there is no maritime standard or guidelines for the implementation of SBAS in shipborne receivers and the majority of these implementations do not take into account the information related to the system integrity messages that is already broadcasted by the SBAS systems.

GSA is launching a call for proposals to develop SBAS L1 receivers for maritime use compliant with IMO Resolution A.1046(27), including demonstration activities,  and the preparation of a guideline for receiver manufacturers for the implementation of the solution developed and to the standardisation process at RTCM and IEC.

Search and rescue

• MEOSAR beacons for search-and-rescue-related applications (Deadline: 31 May 2017)

Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service contributes to MEOSAR COSPAS-SARSAT system. The integration of Galileo enables nearly real-time detection and localisation of the distress alarm. 

GSA is launching a call for proposals to secure the availability of commercial products from European manufacturers of MEOSAR Beacons including the Return Link Service capabilities implemented by Galileo, thus increasing the European industry’s innovation capacity and investing on E-GNSS differentiators for MEOSAR.

Proposals should aim at developing MEOSAR beacons and its technology building blocks and shall include testing and demonstrating the product capabilities (ELT, EPIRB and PLB) and obtaining the type approval.

On March 29th 2017, in support of the companies interested to bid, the GSA organised four webinars, each dedicated to the open calls/tender. If you missed the webinars, you can find all the relevant information in the resource page, including the presentations, tips on how to prepare proposals/tenders, and Q&As. 

About Fundamental Elements

The GSA’s Fundamental Elements programme is an R&D funding mechanism supporting the development of chipsets and receivers. The programme runs through 2020 and has a projected budget of EUR 111.5 million. The main objective of the initiative is to facilitate the development of applications across different sectors of the economy and promote such fundamental elements as Galileo-enabled chipsets and receivers. 

The programme offers two types of financing:

• Grants: with financing for up to 70 % of the total value of the grant agreement, with intellectual property rights staying with the beneficiary (with conditions).
• Procurement: used only in cases where keeping intellectual property rights allow for the better fulfilment of the programme’s objectives. These are 100 % financed.

Fundamental Elements is in addition to, and complements, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research programme, which aims to foster adoption of Galileo via content and application development, and thus focuses on the integration of services provided by Galileo into devices and their commercialisation.

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).

AERO is the largest Europe-based trade show for general aviation. The show takes place annually in early April at the Friedrichshafen Messe in southern Germany. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, AERO 2017 was a record breaker with over 700 exhibitors featuring a wealth of flying machines and services, from business jets and gyrocopters to drones and gliders. GSA was there showcasing the benefits of EGNOS for aviation on a dedicated stand and through a series of ‘targeted conferences.’

The AERO 2017 show ran from 5 to 8 April. The GSA shared its stand with the Horizon 2020 project CaBilAvi (Capacity building in Aviation) and adjacent to aircraft simulator company ALSIM, who were featuring their unique GSA-co-funded and EGNOS-equipped aircraft training simulator (see separate article).

GSA and CaBilAvi also organized a series of morning seminars for pilots, airport and aircraft owners, aircraft and avionics manufactures, aviation organization representatives, delegates and other aviation and GNSS enthusiasts during the week, outlining the latest news on satellite navigation for general aviation, followed by a more general panel discussion on the Saturday morning.

GNSS benefits

On the Friday morning, the GSA conference was opened by Katerina Strelcova , GSA Market Development Innovation officer, who outlined the development and current infrastructure for EGNOS across Europe, its benefits and future plans.

Katerina Strelcova , GSA Market Development Innovation officer, outlines the benefits of EGNOS at AERO 2017.

“There are big benefits for the general aviation community, including safer landings and wider accessibility to smaller airports, even in bad weather, without the need to invest in expensive ground infrastructure.” she said. “The GSA fully supports EGNOS implementation for the general aviation community, including co-funding of pilot projects for implementation on non-instrument runways without air traffic control, retrofit of aircraft and development of pilot training materials." She also highlighted the importance of cooperation with EASA and pilot organizations.

In a presentation held as part of the CaBilAvi project, Zilina University in Slovakia shared their observations regarding the impact of GNSS use on younger, inexperienced pilots as well as older, experienced pilots. They found that less experienced and younger pilots tended to rely more on GNSS navigation aids, often to the detriment of their overall situational awareness – i.e. focusing on the instrument screens rather than looking out of the windscreen. In contrast, the more experienced pilots were very aware of their surroundings, but often struggled to navigate the GNSS screens. Clearly these are issues that training needs to address.

EASA keynote

The keynote speech on the Friday was given by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Head of General Aviation Dominique Roland. Mr Roland highlighted the importance that EASA  gives to general aviation and the Agency’s approach to achieving “simpler, lighter and better rules for general aviation” to underpin the continuing development of the sector in Europe. This means introducing new regulation only when it is really needed.

EASA’s Head of General Aviation Dominique Roland speaking at AERO 2017.

Of specific interest to GNSS and EGNOS is the EASA’s initiative to embrace new technology with the launch of the Technology for Safety (T4S) Task Force. T4S is chaired by a passionate general aviation pilot and will look into the options for how to quickly authorize use of new technologies. “Your safety is our mission,” said Mr Roland. However he cautioned that: “We will need to convince people involved of the benefit of new technology.” This meant developing methods that balance benefits with any new risks that new technology may bring.

Following his presentation, a lively question and answer session extended well beyond the seminar’s official endpoint, covering topics from drones to GNSS backup and how to accelerate the adoption of EGNOS procedures at local and regional level. Also, Mr. Roland mentioned that you can achieve a more stable approach with LPV procedures.

Other morning conferences during AERO 2017 included more on the CaBilAvi (Capacity building in Aviation) project (see below) and included contributions from European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP), ALSIM and a presentation by the CEO of AOPA UK on the GSA-co-funded GAGA project (see separate article) amongst others. The presentations can be found on the GSA slideshare and the Cabilavi website.

Capacity Building in Aviation

The GSA-funded CaBilAvi project has three main pillars of activity: first to develop a brand new training syllabus for pilots on preparing to fly using GNSS equipment; secondly, to promote opportunities to implement GNSS landing procedures in Balkan countries; and, thirdly, to provide general dissemination and communication activities on GNSS to the public and specific aviation stakeholders across Europe.

Pavel Dobeš, leading the CaBilavi consortium, confirmed that AERO gives him the opportunity  to discuss with pilots and other aviation stakeholders about the experience and insights gained during the project. “We have engaged with experienced instructors and examiners from flying schools during the project,” he said. “Most pilots don’t have this experience and we realized the proper education and training that is needed”.

The new training syllabus developed by the project shows how any potential risks can be mitigated in basic pilot training. The CaBilAvi website is a significant source of educational materials on GNSS for general aviation pilots and the project is publishing a series of training videos. The series will eventually contain 20 short episodes with a new video added every Tuesday.

“The video series is an important asset,” says the project coordinator. “They make the experience of our flight examiners and instructors available to all, each episode highlights an aspect of the limitations and risks of using GNSS to navigate for the average pilot. The videos show how to prepare and what you need to think about to be safe in the sky.”

On the Saturday morning, the GSA held a roundtable discussion in the largest theatre at the air show and screened the first four videos from the CaBilAvi Channel.

Learn more about EGNOS

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).