The inaugural NAVISP Industry Days, taking place at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ESTEC technical center in Noordwijk, the Netherlands on January 17-18, 2019, are aimed at fostering innovation and competitiveness in the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) domain.
With 26 Galileo satellites in orbit around Earth, delivering services to users worldwide, what comes next? The ESA program generating exciting new ideas for navigation technology is hosting its first Industry Days at the Agency’s technical heart in the new year – and companies from ESA Member States are invited to attend.
ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP) is applying ESA’s hard-won expertise from Galileo and Europe’s EGNOS satellite augmentation system to new satellite navigation and – more widely – PNT challenges.
Since the start of the program in early 2017 more than 40 contracts have been signed with industry, 30 more are in the process of finalization, and the efforts are starting to produce some exciting results, according to the ESA. To find out about them, and learn about new research opportunities opening up, come to the inaugural NAVISP Industry Days to start off the new year.
ESTEC Technical Center
The Industry Days will include a wide range of presentations on activities within the various elements covered by NAVISP.
For instance UK company Surrey Satellite Technology will present on satellite-based PNT infrastructure in low-Earth orbit, complementing traditional medium-Earth orbit satnav constellations. GMV UK will recount its work on using highly regular electromagnetic signals from pulsating “pulsar” stars. Teleconsult Austria will demonstrate its satnav interference detection and analysis system.
The event will also feature talks by well-known satnav and PNT experts, and the chance to speak directly with ESA’s NAVISP team.
Who can attend? NAVISP is comprised of three elements, and start-ups, small-medium companies, large space companies, universities, research institutions and public entities based within the participating states of each element are welcome.
Element 1 fosters new space-based PNT technologies and concepts through R&D invitations to tender, with participating states Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and UK.
Element 2 is boosting the market competitiveness of PNT products, with an Open Call through ESA’s online tendering system EMITS, with participating states Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK.
Element 3 is supporting the PNT national programs of ESA Member States, with an Open Call through ESA’s online tendering system EMITS, with participating states Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Romania and UK.
To see the full agenda of the NAVISP Industry Days, and to register, click here.
