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The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has launched a new funding opportunity to support the development, supply and testing of a Galileo Open Service authentication user terminal.

The Galileo Open Service (OS) will soon provide a Navigation Message Authentication feature, known as the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS-NMA). Via this feature, users can verify that a navigation message comes from a Galileo satellite and not a potentially malicious source. The Open Service is the Galileo programme’s free service for positioning, navigation and timing.

OS-NMA Signal-in-Space transmission is expected to begin in 2018, reaching full service capability in 2020. However, before full service can be achieved, a new generation of OS-NMA-enabled user terminals must be developed, tested and implemented. To fulfil this need, under its Fundamental Elements funding scheme, the GSA is seeking proposals for the Development, supply and testing of a Galileo open service authentication user terminal (OS-NMA) for the GSA (GSA/OP/23/16). 

How to participate 

Proposals shall aim to develop a robust, close-to-market OS-NMA User Terminal (OS-NMA UT). The OS-NMA UT shall:

• feature OS-NMA capability
• offer the highest possible level of robustness by implementing further anti-spoofing capability
• meet smart tachograph application requirements.

Within the scope of the procurement, an end-to-end validation platform is to be developed to assess the performance of the OS-NMA UT.

The OS-NMA UT will undergo extensive testing to confirm its robustness under real conditions and against a full set of potential spoofing threats.

All proposals must be received no later than 19 May 2017 at 17:00 CET. 

In support of this opportunity, the GSA is organising several informational sessions, including:

• Receiver Manufacturers’ Workshop in Prague (21 March 2017)
• Fundamental Elements webinar covering three calls for proposals and an invitation to tender (29 March 2017).

Registration for both is available here.

The allocated budget for the project is EUR 2.5 million. The contract is expected to be signed in October 2017.

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).

Last month, for the first time, a European rail test journey was completed using a signalling system based on positioning provided by European GNSS that aims to be included as the positioning system for ERTMS.

On 24 February 2017, for the first time, a European rail test journey was completed using the positioning technology provided by Galileo. An initiative of the Horizon 2020-funded ERSAT EAV project (ERTMS on Satellite – Enabling Application Validation), the test journey took representatives of the rail industry, railway service provision and relevant European agencies between Cagliari and Decimomannu in Sardinia, Italy – thus demonstrating the capability of GNSS to monitor and safely manage rail traffic on conventional secondary, local and regional rail lines with the aim to become an integral part of European Rail Traffic Management System – (ERTMS).

“What we saw here today is how GNSS can provide the rail segment with a new level of efficiency,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “With GNSS, the rail sector can increase its capacity and safety while reducing costs for infrastructure and maintenance, along with its environmental impact.”

Also read: E-GNSS enabled railway signalling – from vision to action

Although the European rail community understands the potential of GNSS, its adoption has been limited due to a lack of clear definition and definitive testing. Specifically, before GNSS is fully adopted, the sector needs to have confidence that train localisation based on GNSS technology will satisfy European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) safety and integrity standards, which is one of the objectives towards which ERSAT EAV is progressing.

A new chapter in European rail

The ERSAT EAV project aims to verify the suitability of such European GNSS services as EGNOS and Galileo for the rail sector, particularly within regional lines. To accomplish this, the project is defining and developing the safe localisation of train positioning based on satellite technology and ensuring such a system is in harmony with the European ERTM standard.

The ERSAT EAV advantage

• increase traffic capacity available to railway undertakings
• reduce CO2 emissions
• guarantee high safety standards and punctuality
• lower operating costs with new technological equipment that requires less investments in installation and maintenance

A key component to this effort is the adoption of the virtual balise. In today’s European Train Control System (ETCS), the positioning of a train is based on a balise – a physical element mounted at specific intervals along the railway track. One objective of the ERSAT EAV project is to ensure that, wherever possible, these physical balises are replaced by virtual ones. Virtual balises expand on the cost and efficiency benefits stemming from their integration of GNSS technology into the ERTMS. Furthermore, their use does not pose any operational or safety implications on the ETCS.

Watch this: Galileo satellites already in service of the on-board train positioning system

The ERSAT EAV project is a fundamental part of the strategy to prioritise the uptake of European GNSS within the rail sector and foster innovation within the European space and rail industry. This most recent test-journey was critical in demonstrating the enormous opportunity that GNSS offers to the ERTMS, especially as it applies to local and regional lines, which currently represent nearly 50 % of Europe’s total railway length.

Read this: GSA talks GNSS and rail at ERSAT EAV workshop

“For Italy, GNSS is an exceptional solution for providing sustainable rail transport across the country,” says Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) Head of Standard Tecnologies Fabio Senesi. “The integration of new technologies, including GNSS, enables us to increase capacity, reduce cost and, most importantly, respond to the needs and expectations of our users.”

“ERSAT EAV is an example of the real innovation that the rail sector needs – an innovation with a global scope that greatly contributes to the creation of a single European rail area,” adds European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR) Executive Director Josef Doppelbauer.

The successful ERSAT EAV test-journey marks the start of a new chapter for railway traffic control. By integrating European GNSS with additional sensors and public communication networks, the system is able to locate trains via satellite and monitor rail traffic, as well as maintain ground-to-train dialogue using devices on board the train and the radio block centres positioned along the rail line in a way that promises minimum impact on the currently used technical specifications for interoperability. “Galileo and EGNOS are here to serve Europe, providing a global solution for standardisation and interoperability for ERTMS,” says des Dorides. “A solution like ERSAT EAV plays an essential role in giving Europe’s rail industry a competitive position on the global market.”

Ensuring European competitiveness

Being able to extend the benefits of GNSS for rail to the entire European rail system is critical for maintaining a sustainable and competitive railway system. Because of the efficiencies it offers, there is a growing, global interest in GNSS use for rail applications. “We firmly believe that rail transport has the potential to become one of the largest downstream markets for European GNSS in terms of volume, public utility and contribution to safety,” says des Dorides. “In fact, according to the most recent edition of the GSA’s GNSS Market Report, the number of worldwide GNSS installed units in the rail segment will double by 2020, reaching 534 000 units.”

Also read: European GNSS means safer, more efficient rail travel

To support European competiveness within this important market segment, the GSA continues to facilitate cooperation between industry, service providers and policy makers. One industrial partner, Ansaldo STS, has helped define the requirements aimed at supporting the integration of satellites and public radio communication networks. “The railway signalling market requires more and more innovative, reliable and competitive solutions in terms of costs, timing and energy saving, as well as safety and environmental impact,” says Ansaldo STS CEO Andy Barr. “We are glad to participate in testing this innovative technology.”

The GSA also supports the development of the rail market through various funding opportunities. For example, as seen in the success of the ERSAT EAV project, the Horizon 2020 (H2020) framework programme for research and innovation is taking a leading role in the standardisation and interoperability process.

In addition to ERSAT EAV, through H2020, the GSA is providing financial support to other projects working towards the integration of GNSS into the European rail sector. For example, the STARS project (Satellite Technology for Advanced Railway Signalling) is developing a universal approach for predicting the performance of GNSS in rail-related safety-critical applications and defining the necessary evolution of ERTMS to include these GNSS services.

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).

Last month, for the first time, a European rail test journey was completed using a signalling system based on positioning provided by European GNSS that aims to be included as the positioning system for ERTMS.

On 24 February 2017, for the first time, a European rail test journey was completed using the positioning technology provided by Galileo. An initiative of the Horizon 2020-funded ERSAT EAV project (ERTMS on Satellite – Enabling Application Validation), the test journey took representatives of the rail industry, railway service provision and relevant European agencies between Cagliari and Decimomannu in Sardinia, Italy – thus demonstrating the capability of GNSS to monitor and safely manage rail traffic on conventional secondary, local and regional rail lines with the aim to become an integral part of European Rail Traffic Management System – (ERTMS).

“What we saw here today is how GNSS can provide the rail segment with a new level of efficiency,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “With GNSS, the rail sector can increase its capacity and safety while reducing costs for infrastructure and maintenance, along with its environmental impact.”

Also read: E-GNSS enabled railway signalling – from vision to action

Although the European rail community understands the potential of GNSS, its adoption has been limited due to a lack of clear definition and definitive testing. Specifically, before GNSS is fully adopted, the sector needs to have confidence that train localisation based on GNSS technology will satisfy European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) safety and integrity standards, which is one of the objectives towards which ERSAT EAV is progressing.

A new chapter in European rail

The ERSAT EAV project aims to verify the suitability of such European GNSS services as EGNOS and Galileo for the rail sector, particularly within regional lines. To accomplish this, the project is defining and developing the safe localisation of train positioning based on satellite technology and ensuring such a system is in harmony with the European ERTM standard.

The ERSAT EAV advantage

• increase traffic capacity available to railway undertakings
• reduce CO2 emissions
• guarantee high safety standards and punctuality
• lower operating costs with new technological equipment that requires less investments in installation and maintenance

A key component to this effort is the adoption of the virtual balise. In today’s European Train Control System (ETCS), the positioning of a train is based on a balise – a physical element mounted at specific intervals along the railway track. One objective of the ERSAT EAV project is to ensure that, wherever possible, these physical balises are replaced by virtual ones. Virtual balises expand on the cost and efficiency benefits stemming from their integration of GNSS technology into the ERTMS. Furthermore, their use does not pose any operational or safety implications on the ETCS.

Watch this: Galileo satellites already in service of the on-board train positioning system

The ERSAT EAV project is a fundamental part of the strategy to prioritise the uptake of European GNSS within the rail sector and foster innovation within the European space and rail industry. This most recent test-journey was critical in demonstrating the enormous opportunity that GNSS offers to the ERTMS, especially as it applies to local and regional lines, which currently represent nearly 50 % of Europe’s total railway length.

Read this: GSA talks GNSS and rail at ERSAT EAV workshop

“For Italy, GNSS is an exceptional solution for providing sustainable rail transport across the country,” says Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) Head of Standard Tecnologies Fabio Senesi. “The integration of new technologies, including GNSS, enables us to increase capacity, reduce cost and, most importantly, respond to the needs and expectations of our users.”

“ERSAT EAV is an example of the real innovation that the rail sector needs – an innovation with a global scope that greatly contributes to the creation of a single European rail area,” adds European Union Agency for Railways (EUAR) Executive Director Josef Doppelbauer.

The successful ERSAT EAV test-journey marks the start of a new chapter for railway traffic control. By integrating European GNSS with additional sensors and public communication networks, the system is able to locate trains via satellite and monitor rail traffic, as well as maintain ground-to-train dialogue using devices on board the train and the radio block centres positioned along the rail line in a way that promises minimum impact on the currently used technical specifications for interoperability. “Galileo and EGNOS are here to serve Europe, providing a global solution for standardisation and interoperability for ERTMS,” says des Dorides. “A solution like ERSAT EAV plays an essential role in giving Europe’s rail industry a competitive position on the global market.”

Ensuring European competitiveness

Being able to extend the benefits of GNSS for rail to the entire European rail system is critical for maintaining a sustainable and competitive railway system. Because of the efficiencies it offers, there is a growing, global interest in GNSS use for rail applications. “We firmly believe that rail transport has the potential to become one of the largest downstream markets for European GNSS in terms of volume, public utility and contribution to safety,” says des Dorides. “In fact, according to the most recent edition of the GSA’s GNSS Market Report, the number of worldwide GNSS installed units in the rail segment will double by 2020, reaching 534 000 units.”

Also read: European GNSS means safer, more efficient rail travel

To support European competiveness within this important market segment, the GSA continues to facilitate cooperation between industry, service providers and policy makers. One industrial partner, Ansaldo STS, has helped define the requirements aimed at supporting the integration of satellites and public radio communication networks. “The railway signalling market requires more and more innovative, reliable and competitive solutions in terms of costs, timing and energy saving, as well as safety and environmental impact,” says Ansaldo STS CEO Andy Barr. “We are glad to participate in testing this innovative technology.”

The GSA also supports the development of the rail market through various funding opportunities. For example, as seen in the success of the ERSAT EAV project, the Horizon 2020 (H2020) framework programme for research and innovation is taking a leading role in the standardisation and interoperability process.

In addition to ERSAT EAV, through H2020, the GSA is providing financial support to other projects working towards the integration of GNSS into the European rail sector. For example, the STARS project (Satellite Technology for Advanced Railway Signalling) is developing a universal approach for predicting the performance of GNSS in rail-related safety-critical applications and defining the necessary evolution of ERTMS to include these GNSS services.

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 KYNEO project is a case study on the impact that the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA) various funding mechanisms have on the development of the European GNSS market.

Ever wonder what kind of impact the GSA’s various funding mechanisms have on the development of the European GNSS market? The essential role this funding plays is seen first-hand in the rapid advancement of the KYNEO project. Winner of the 2015 European Satellite Navigation Competition’s (ESNC) GSA Special Prize, the project involves the development of cheap, flexible Galileo and EGNOS-enabled modules that allow ubiquitous positioning data for applications in the Internet of Things (IoT). 

According to project coordinator Rafael Olmedo, the project’s concept is an open innovation platform for what he refers to as the ‘GNSS of Things’. “The idea came from what I perceived as a need to be able to fast-prototype applications and devices in the rapidly developing IoT field,” he says. “What I saw was that many different products and services were looking for similar solutions for positioning that can be flexibly adapted in different contexts – something particularly true for developers.”

His solution is KYNEO, an Arduino-compatible board that allows developers to rapidly and flexibly build their own solutions based on open-source software. Arduino is an open-source electronic prototyping platform for the creation of interactive electronic objects. “There is a huge development community for digital electronic products out there, and KYNEO has been developed to serve as a great positioning tool for this community,” says Olmedo.

A multi-constellation solution

As the 2015 winner, the project received an initial payment of EUR 20 000, with an option for additional funding. “Thanks to the GSA Special Prize, we have successfully developed a new version of the KYNEO unit,” says Olmedo. The new version includes several improvements to the GNSS firmware and electronic components, including more effective power consumption. In addition to the updated unit, the project also updated its website, which now makes new software tools and examples available for developers.

One of the project’s main achievements is the addition of multi-constellation capability to the KYNEO unit. “Not only have we implemented differential corrections into the unit, making it possible to get EGNOS corrections through the radio module – very useful when there is no EGNOS coverage – but now, with the launch of Galileo Initial Services, the unit can also receive Galileo signals,” adds Olmedo. 

New market opportunities

In addition to its focus on preparing the supporting tools for developers – the project’s main customer base – Olmedo says the project has identified other potential customers, including technical universities and research and development (R&D) institutes who view KYNEO as an attractive unit for research. The team is also working on creating smaller enclosed devices for use by engineers and others who lack a developer’s GNSS programming background. For example, the project is currently developing a customised solution for a professional football coach, who will use KYNEO to measure the kinematics and positioning of players during training.

Moving towards commercialisation

However, before any of these markets can be fully exploited, the unit needs to comply with all relevant regulations. As the certification process is a complex and lengthy one, the project has contracted with a Spanish consultancy, for which it plans to allocate some of the additional funding from the GSA Special Prize towards.

“In this next phase, we turn our focus on getting the unit certified and implementing the business development support required for commercialisation at the national and international levels,” says Olmedo. “Thanks to the additional funding coming from the GSA Special Prize, I am confident that we will achieve all of our objectives.”  

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).

Join the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and show off your coding skills at the second Galileo Hackathon 15 – 17 May in Gdańsk, Poland.

Mobile applications relying on a user’s position have become part of our everyday lives. In fact, more than 50 % of the applications available for download utilise location information. Smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, digital cameras – to name only a few – all depend on positioning information provided by GNSS. As a result, GNSS has become an essential service – one that many of us take for granted.

Up until now, users have depended on such GNSS systems as America’s GPS or Russia’s GLONASS. But with the launch of Galileo Initial Services, Europe has its very own GNSS programme. Now, users stand to benefit from the improved positioning and timing information that Galileo provides. However, to take advantage of everything that Galileo has to offer, users need to have innovative, Galileo-enabled applications and services – which is where you come in.

Watch this: 1st Galileo Hackathon in Berlin

The GSA is looking for passionate coders with an enthusiasm for shaping the future of Location Based Services (LBS) and Geo-IoT and a desire to transform ideas into reality. If this sounds like you, then register today for our two-day Galileo Hackathon! 

Come for the Hackathon

Not only is the Galileo Hackathon a great opportunity to connect with the Geo-IoT app development community and a chance to compete for great prizes, it is also where you can be among the first to work with Galileo-enabled mobile phones. Whether for augmented reality and games, geo marketing and advertising, mapping and GIS, fitness and mobile health, smart mobility, tracking or social networking, as long as your application makes full use of Galileo’s capabilities to provide an added commercial or societal value – then the Galileo Hackathon is or you.

You can join a team of up to four people, or sign up as an individual and form a team when you get there. Participants will compete for a EUR 1000 cash prize in each of the two categories:

• Galileo Innovation: for the most innovative app using Galileo as a source of location information
• Galileo Impact: for the Galileo app with the biggest social impact

All participants will be provided with a mobile phone, curtesy of our technology partner Samsung Electronics, for use during the Hackathon. So all you need to bring is a laptop and your best Galileo-based idea.

More information and registration can be found here.      

Register now!

Stay for infoShare 2017

The second Galileo Hackathon is being held in conjunction with infoShare 2017, scheduled for 17 – 19 May in Gdańsk, Poland. In addition to the Hackathon, participants can join in on an array of discussions and learning opportunities taking place during the conference. infoShare is also an excellent place to meet the people behind the hardware and software that enables satellite navigation and the Galileo applications created in the preceding days.

Read this: European GNSS can start you up

Of particular interest to Hackathon participants is a 17 May session hosted by the GSA. Entitled Look inside your smartphone and learn why accuracy matters, the panel discussion will take an in-depth look at how precise location accuracy will be used in such future applications as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars, drones and personal robots. 

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).

Join the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and show off your coding skills at the second Galileo Hackathon 15 – 17 May in Gdańsk, Poland.

Mobile applications relying on a user’s position have become part of our everyday lives. In fact, more than 50 % of the applications available for download utilise location information. Smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, digital cameras – to name only a few – all depend on positioning information provided by GNSS. As a result, GNSS has become an essential service – one that many of us take for granted.

Up until now, users have depended on such GNSS systems as America’s GPS or Russia’s GLONASS. But with the launch of Galileo Initial Services, Europe has its very own GNSS programme. Now, users stand to benefit from the improved positioning and timing information that Galileo provides. However, to take advantage of everything that Galileo has to offer, users need to have innovative, Galileo-enabled applications and services – which is where you come in.

Watch this: 1st Galileo Hackathon in Berlin

The GSA is looking for passionate coders with an enthusiasm for shaping the future of Location Based Services (LBS) and Geo-IoT and a desire to transform ideas into reality. If this sounds like you, then register today for our two-day Galileo Hackathon! 

Come for the Hackathon

Not only is the Galileo Hackathon a great opportunity to connect with the Geo-IoT app development community and a chance to compete for great prizes, it is also where you can be among the first to work with Galileo-enabled mobile phones. Whether for augmented reality and games, geo marketing and advertising, mapping and GIS, fitness and mobile health, smart mobility, tracking or social networking, as long as your application makes full use of Galileo’s capabilities to provide an added commercial or societal value – then the Galileo Hackathon is or you.

You can join a team of up to four people, or sign up as an individual and form a team when you get there. Participants will compete for a EUR 500 cash prize in one of two categories:

• Galileo Innovation: for the most innovative app using Galileo as a source of location information
• Galileo Impact: for the Galileo app with the biggest social impact

All participants will be provided with a mobile phone, curtesy of our technology partner Samsung Electronics, for use during the Hackathon. So all you need to bring is a laptop and your best Galileo-based idea.

More information and registration can be found here.      

Register now!

Stay for infoShare 2017

The second Galileo Hackathon is being held in conjunction with infoShare 2017, scheduled for 17 – 19 May in Gdańsk, Poland. In addition to the Hackathon, participants can join in on an array of discussions and learning opportunities taking place during the conference. infoShare is also an excellent place to meet the people behind the hardware and software that enables satellite navigation and the Galileo applications created in the preceding days.

Read this: European GNSS can start you up

Of particular interest to Hackathon participants is a 17 May session hosted by the GSA. Entitled Look inside your smartphone and learn why accuracy matters, the panel discussion will take an in-depth look at how precise location accuracy will be used in such future applications as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars, drones and personal robots. 

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).

Join the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and show off your coding skills at the second Galileo Hackathon 15 – 17 May in Gdańsk, Poland.

Mobile applications relying on a user’s position have become part of our everyday lives. In fact, more than 50 % of the applications available for download utilise location information. Smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, digital cameras – to name only a few – all depend on positioning information provided by GNSS. As a result, GNSS has become an essential service – one that many of us take for granted.

Up until now, users have depended on such GNSS systems as America’s GPS or Russia’s GLONASS. But with the launch of Galileo Initial Services, Europe has its very own GNSS programme. Now, users stand to benefit from the improved positioning and timing information that Galileo provides. However, to take advantage of everything that Galileo has to offer, users need to have innovative, Galileo-enabled applications and services – which is where you come in.

Watch this: 1st Galileo Hackathon in Berlin

The GSA is looking for passionate coders with an enthusiasm for shaping the future of Location Based Services (LBS) and Geo-IoT and a desire to transform ideas into reality. If this sounds like you, then register today for our two-day Galileo Hackathon! 

Come for the Hackathon

Not only is the Galileo Hackathon a great opportunity to connect with the Geo-IoT app development community and a chance to compete for great prizes, it is also where you can be among the first to work with Galileo-enabled mobile phones. Whether for augmented reality and games, geo marketing and advertising, mapping and GIS, fitness and mobile health, smart mobility, tracking or social networking, as long as your application makes full use of Galileo’s capabilities to provide an added commercial or societal value – then the Galileo Hackathon is or you.

You can join a team of up to four people, or sign up as an individual and form a team when you get there. Participants will compete for a EUR 1000 cash prize in each of the two categories:

• Galileo Innovation: for the most innovative app using Galileo as a source of location information
• Galileo Impact: for the Galileo app with the biggest social impact

All participants will be provided with a mobile phone, courtesy of our technology partner Samsung Electronics, for use during the Hackathon. So all you need to bring is a laptop and your best Galileo-based idea.

More information and registration can be found here.      

Register now!

Stay for infoShare 2017

The second Galileo Hackathon is being held in conjunction with infoShare 2017, scheduled for 17 – 19 May in Gdańsk, Poland. In addition to the Hackathon, participants can join in on an array of discussions and learning opportunities taking place during the conference. infoShare is also an excellent place to meet the people behind the hardware and software that enables satellite navigation and the Galileo applications created in the preceding days.

Read this: European GNSS can start you up

Of particular interest to Hackathon participants is a 17 May session hosted by the GSA. Entitled Look inside your smartphone and learn why accuracy matters, the panel discussion will take an in-depth look at how precise location accuracy will be used in such future applications as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars, drones and personal robots. 

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).

Join the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and show off your coding skills at the second Galileo Hackathon 15 – 17 May in Gdańsk, Poland.

Mobile applications relying on a user’s position have become part of our everyday lives. In fact, more than 50 % of the applications available for download utilise location information. Smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, digital cameras – to name only a few – all depend on positioning information provided by GNSS. As a result, GNSS has become an essential service – one that many of us take for granted.

Up until now, users have depended on such GNSS systems as America’s GPS or Russia’s GLONASS. But with the launch of Galileo Initial Services, Europe has its very own GNSS programme. Now, users stand to benefit from the improved positioning and timing information that Galileo provides. However, to take advantage of everything that Galileo has to offer, users need to have innovative, Galileo-enabled applications and services – which is where you come in.

Watch this: 1st Galileo Hackathon in Berlin

The GSA is looking for passionate coders with an enthusiasm for shaping the future of Location Based Services (LBS) and Geo-IoT and a desire to transform ideas into reality. If this sounds like you, then register today for our two-day Galileo Hackathon! 

Come for the Hackathon

Not only is the Galileo Hackathon a great opportunity to connect with the Geo-IoT app development community and a chance to compete for great prizes, it is also where you can be among the first to work with Galileo-enabled mobile phones. Whether for augmented reality and games, geo marketing and advertising, mapping and GIS, fitness and mobile health, smart mobility, tracking or social networking, as long as your application makes full use of Galileo’s capabilities to provide an added commercial or societal value – then the Galileo Hackathon is or you.

You can join a team of up to four people, or sign up as an individual and form a team when you get there. Participants will compete for a EUR 500 cash prize in one of two categories:

• Galileo Innovation: for the most innovative app using Galileo as a source of location information
• Galileo Impact: for the Galileo app with the biggest social impact

All participants will be provided with a mobile phone, curtesy of our technology partner Samsung Electronics, for use during the Hackathon. So all you need to bring is a laptop and your best Galileo-based idea.

More information and registration can be found here.      

Register now!

Stay for infoShare 2017

The second Galileo Hackathon is being held in conjunction with infoShare 2017, scheduled for 17 – 19 May in Gdańsk, Poland. In addition to the Hackathon, participants can join in on an array of discussions and learning opportunities taking place during the conference. infoShare is also an excellent place to meet the people behind the hardware and software that enables satellite navigation and the Galileo applications created in the preceding days.

Read this: European GNSS can start you up

Of particular interest to Hackathon participants is a 17 May session hosted by the GSA. Entitled Look inside your smartphone and learn why accuracy matters, the panel discussion will take an in-depth look at how precise location accuracy will be used in such future applications as the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars, drones and personal robots. 

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).