Entrepreneurs with a commercial plan to use the EGNOS satellite navigation signal have a chance to make their vision a reality by entering the Special Topic Prize for the most promising EGNOS application idea, which the GSA offers in line with the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2009.
The main aim of the Prize is to raise awareness across Europe of the commercial opportunities created by EGNOS, the first European satellite navigation system, and demonstrate its business potential while stimulating innovation in the continent’s GNSS markets.
In making use of the EGNOS signal or services, applications will be evaluated on the:
– Uniqueness and originality of the idea
– Business potential of the idea
– Credibility of the management team
– Exploitation of EGNOS
In addition, applicants must propose an idea that involves an application for which EGNOS location positioning data is a key function. The EGNOS signal or the EGNOS Data Access System can be used for the application.
EDAS, which is a main pillar of the EGNOS Commercial Service, provides EGNOS’ raw data to users in real-time and within guaranteed delay, security and performance parameters. A free train of the EDAS service was launched in March 2009 along with a related Internet portal, providing users with sub-metre precision.
Last year’s GSA Special Topic Prize winner was British company, Sci-Tech Systems, which proposed to use EGNOS to locate people who are lost overboard at sea. The proposal also won the GALILEO Masters prize, the top award at the competition, and the regional prize jointly awarded by the United Kingdom and Ireland. As a result of the award the company has moved to the premises of the Hertfordshire Business and Technology Center in Stevenage, United Kingdom, where they are currently developing a prototype.
The European GNSS Supervisory Authority, a European Community agency, works with the European Commission on a range of market development activities aimed at helping European entrepreneurs and businesses commercially exploit EGNOS and Galileo. Partnering the European Satellite Navigation Competition, an international ideas contest that is looking for commercially viable application ideas of GNSS is one of such promotional activities addressing especially high tech SMEs.
For more information please visit http://galileo-masters.eu/index.php?anzeige=special_prizes_gsa.html or www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?mission=EGNOS&type=I