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The European GNSS Agency (GSA) has announced the evaluation results of its second Horizon 2020 call for Galileo applications, with 13 projects making the main list to be funded, receiving a cumulative grant of EUR 24,894,169.

The GSA has announced the results of its second call for funding the EGNSS applications under the Horizon 2020 programme. The second call received 91 total submissions, all of which focused on innovation actions, per the request for proposals. After evaluations that took place between 27th May and 11th of June, funding consideration went to those 13 proposals that best showed a significant focus toward impacting global markets with strong innovation and the incorporation of new knowledge.

Of the 91 submissions, 45 fell under the topic of European GNSS applications, 31 under the topic of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Based European GNSS applications, and 15 under the topic of releasing the potential of European GNSS applications through international cooperation. Two submissions were found ineligible or were withdrawn, for a final total of 89 proposals qualifying for evaluation. Funding for the 13 successfully chosen projects will be awarded to 95 different participants.

Under the first topic of E-GNSS applications, funding was awarded to eight projects, covering transport, surveying, location based services (LBS), agriculture, emergency services and other professional applications. The total recommended EU contribution for this topic was EUR 20,357,180.

For the second topic of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) based E-GNSS applications, three projects were approved for funding, covering applications in niche markets and business models, mass market LBS products, market testing, etc. Recommended funding for this topic came to a total of EUR 2,918,619.

Under the third and final topic of releasing the potential of E-GNSS applications through international cooperation, two projects were awarded funding, covering the development of innovative international applications that will bring E-GNSS services to the forefront of global awareness.

The total recommended funding for this topic came to EUR 2,693,639.

In addition to those projects on the main list for funding, there are an additional 14 projects on the reserve list. The total recommended EU funding contribution for these reserve projects comes to EUR 30,740,370. 

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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).

This year’s overall winner at the annual European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) is a remote-controlled multi-copter drone capable of supporting maritime search-and-rescue operations.

On October 20th, the global satellite navigation community gathered in Berlin to recognise the year's most brilliant innovations in commercial applications of satellite technology. The POSEIDRON project won over the international jury of experts with its remote-controlled multi-copter that supports maritime search-and-rescue operations. The Spanish start-up took home the grand prize ahead of the 29 other regional and special prize winners in the 2015 European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC).

Enrique Martínez Asensi and his winning team hope to soon see POSEIDRON saving lives far out at sea. The project is well-placed to help, for example, when fishing workers fall overboard or in locating the victims of the horrific shipwrecks that occur during illegal immigration.

        Also Read: GSA Special Prize Goes to the KYNEO Project

The robust drone vehicle was custom-developed by Sincratech Aeronautics based in Valencia and can be launched from ships or platforms under virtually any weather conditions. The multi-copter uses thermal cameras and EGNOS to quickly locate people in the water and transmit an alarm to rescue teams that includes vital precise location information.

The drone is capable of lifting a 70 kg payload, which means it can carry an inflatable life raft that can be deployed as soon as victims are found. This makes POSEIDRON both faster and more cost-effective than other rescue systems, which in turn significantly increases the chances of survival for victims – particularly in colder waters.

Grand Prize

In addition to winning the ESNC's € 20,000 grand prize, this innovative project will now have the chance to enter a 12-month incubation programme at one of five Science Parks in Valencia as part of the region's prize.

The ESNC set another new participation record this year, with 515 innovations entered by companies from more than 40 different countries around the world. The 2015 competition more than matched the successes of previous editions and increased its cumulative figures to 272 winners awarded, selected from 3,343 ideas received from over 10,000 participants throughout its 12 years in existence.

"Time synchronisation and reliable positioning information are essential to today's digital economy. Without corresponding satellite-based services, the development of these and other innovations - including the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communication, and Industry 4.0 - would not be possible," explains Thorsten Rudolph, ESNC organiser andCEO of Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen. Carlos des Dorides, Executive Director of the GSA, added: “The POSEIDRON project shows the huge potential for Galileo and EGNOS enabled applications in Search and Rescue operations. Using drones in combination with highly accurate European GNSS can get help to people in danger more quickly, effectively and efficiently while reducing the risk to first responders.”

Under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), the ESNC presented prizes valued at approximately EUR one million in total at its annual Awards Ceremony. An overview of all of this year’s winners can be found here.

This annual event recognises the most outstanding applications for Copernicus and European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) in various categories. Since 2014, the awards ceremony has been associated with the Satellite Masters Conference, which takes place from 20-22 October 2015.

The conference features plenary sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions centred around leveraging satellite-derived data and other space solutions for business and society. It is a unique marketplace for sharing ideas on space-based innovation and connecting with the world's leading network for downstream satellite business.

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Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) sponsored for the first time an award at the CLGE Annual Young Surveyors’ Prize.

In conjunction with INTERGEO 2015 – one of the leading international trade fairs in surveying and geo-information – the Council of Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) awards its annual Young Surveyors’ prize for outstanding contributions to the field by students. This year, for the first time, the GSA sponsored a special topic prize dedicated to Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus.

The winning entry came from Laura Van de Vyvere from the Liège University and M3 Systems, Belgium, for her project “Cycle Slips Detection in Quad-Frequency Mode: Galileo’s Contribution to an Efficient Approach under High Ionospheric Activity”. Through an innovative technique developed by Van de Vyvere, the project uses Galileo’s high number of carrier frequencies to improve positioning compared to other GNSS programmes.

“More than ever, precise positioning is an obvious necessity that is no longer questioned and cycle slips are a major issue in this field. We thus need to be aware of their presence and how they can make positioning unreliable,” she said. “This innovative detection method opens new doors to numerous research and commercial applications, and every Galileo user will benefit from better positioning – especially in harsh ionospheric conditions.”

The GSA and the CLGE have been working together for several years now – a cooperation that is likely to grow as the Galileo constellation moves towards completion. “With the Galileo constellation we need to understand the users, and the CLGE is an ideal platform for doing this,” said GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi. “We also need to look at what Galileo can provide in comparison to other GNSS programmes, and Laura’s project is an excellent example of how we can translate some of Galileo’s key differentiators – such as its unique frequency plan – into benefits for the end users.”

A video of the ceremony and of Laura’s presentation can be found here.

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Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) sponsored for the first time an award at the CLGE Annual Young Surveyors’ Prize.

In conjunction with INTERGEO 2015 – one of the leading international trade fairs in surveying and geo-information – the Council of Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) awards its annual Young Surveyors’ prize for outstanding contributions to the field by students. This year, for the first time, the GSA sponsored a special topic prize dedicated to Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus.

The winning entry came from Laura Van de Vyvere from the Liège University and M3 Systems, Belgium, for her project “Cycle Slips Detection in Quad-Frequency Mode: Galileo’s Contribution to an Efficient Approach under High Ionospheric Activity”. Through an innovative technique developed by Van de Vyvere, the project uses Galileo’s high number of carrier frequencies to improve positioning compared to other GNSS programmes.

“More than ever, precise positioning is an obvious necessity that is no longer questioned and cycle slips are a major issue in this field. We thus need to be aware of their presence and how they can make positioning unreliable,” she said. “This innovative detection method opens new doors to numerous research and commercial applications, and every Galileo user will benefit from better positioning – especially in harsh ionospheric conditions.”

The GSA and the CLGE have been working together for several years now – a cooperation that is likely to grow as the Galileo constellation moves towards completion. “With the Galileo constellation we need to understand the users, and the CLGE is an ideal platform for doing this,” said GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi. “We also need to look at what Galileo can provide in comparison to other GNSS programmes, and Laura’s project is an excellent example of how we can translate some of Galileo’s key differentiators – such as its unique frequency plan – into benefits for the end users.”

A video of the ceremony and of Laura’s presentation can be found here.

The presentation "Cycle Slips Detection in Quad-Frequency Mode: Galileo’s Contribution to an Efficient Approach under High Ionospheric Activity” by Laura Van de Vyvere can be found here.

More Information

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 2015 edition of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) once again saw increased entries, and this year’s European GNSS Agency (GSA) Special Prize went to the KYNEO project, set to take on the Internet of Things.

From a crowded field of entries, this year’s GSA Special Prize went to a familiar face – Rafael Olmedo and his KYNEO project. This is the second time the Spanish tech entrepreneur has won the GSA Special Prize, he first won it in 2012 with his 3D SOUND NAVIGATION solution.

For 2015 edition, Rafael’s innovative concept involves the development of cheap, flexible Galileo and EGNOS enabled modules that allow ubiquitous positioning data for applications in the Internet of Things – a potentially massive global market.

The basis of the KYNEO concept is a perceived need to be able to fast prototype applications and devices in the rapidly developing field of the Internet of Things. According Rafael, KYNEO is best described as an “open innovation platform for the GNSS of Things.”

Having been involved with many previous GNSS research and innovation projects, Rafael was able to bring unique insight and experience to the table. In terms of the Internet of Things, what he saw was that many different products and services are looking for similar solutions for positioning that can be flexibly adapted in different contexts – something particularly true for developers.

Seeing an opportunity, he set to work. The result 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 our aim with KYNEO is to provide a great positioning tool for this community,” says Rafael. “The first KYNEO products are already available to order via our website, but we will also sell via the many open hardware platforms that already serve the developer community.”

Although the KYNEO product is competitive in its own right, Rafael sees associated services as being the main money-spinner for his company. “There will be some profit in selling the products themselves, but these sales will open doors to services and consultancy,” he explains.

“The product will give visibility to KYNEO and the technology support and consultancy services we provide.”

Rafael highlights the flexibility of the KYNEO concept as being a key factor. “The KYNEO concept can easily provide a portfolio of functionalities in terms of positioning technologies, connection with other sensors, memory options, networking and communications,” he says.

“Application developers can use it as a ‘black box’ or get more involved to customise the unit.”

The GSA Special Topic Prize

The GSA Special Topic Prize was awarded during the annual ceremony for Europe's pre-eminent innovation competitions for space applications: the Copernicus Masters and the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). This year’s ceremony took place 20 October in Berlin.

“The GSA Special Prize nicely complements the Agency’s focus – getting closer to the end user and helping them benefit from European space technology,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Whether through competitions like this, or through such funding programmes as Horizon 2020 and Fundamental Elements, it’s by supporting innovative applications like KYNEO that the GSA will be able to succeed at its mission.”

The 2015 edition of the ESNC received a record number of entries. Rafael’s winning idea was competing against a total of 192 entries from 29 different countries, with 72 entries coming from individuals and 59 from start-up companies. In terms of topics, the majority of entries were submitted under the location based services (LBS) category, followed by Smart Mobility and Safety and Security.

This annual event recognises the most outstanding applications for Copernicus and European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) in various categories. Since 2014, the awards ceremony has been associated with the Satellite Masters Conference, taking place this year from 20-22 October.

The conference features plenary sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions centred on leveraging satellite-derived data and other space solutions for business and society. It is a unique marketplace for sharing ideas on space-based innovation and connecting with the world's leading network for downstream satellite business. 

More Information

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).