The U.S. State Department and the National Coordination Office (NCO) for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) are soliciting participation from the GPS industry in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization’s GNSS Innovation Summit and the 12th GNSS Implementation Team (GIT) Meeting to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.
The Innovation Summit takes place May 26–27, followed by the GIT meeting May 28–30.
The U.S. State Department and the National Coordination Office (NCO) for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) are soliciting participation from the GPS industry in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization’s GNSS Innovation Summit and the 12th GNSS Implementation Team (GIT) Meeting to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.
The Innovation Summit takes place May 26–27, followed by the GIT meeting May 28–30.
Established in 1989, APEC describes itself as a forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. Its 21 participating nations — referred to as “Member Economies” — account for approximately 41 percent of the world’s population, 55 percent of world GDP, and 49 percent of world trade. Decisions made within APEC are reached by consensus and commitments are undertaken on a voluntary basis.
APEC’s Transportation Working Group set up the GIT in 2002, tasking it to investigate multimodal uses of GNSS that would provide operational and financial benefits in the APEC region. GIT seeks to identify measures to facilitate regional GNSS implementation as well as provide a public/industry forum to address GNSS-related issues in support of safe, secure, efficient, and financially sound multimodal transportation systems.
The GNSS Innovation Summit includes sessions on air, land, maritime and intermodal transportation applications and policies, as well as safety and security-related applications, for which speakers are being solicited to address. Organizers expect pproximately 150 persons to attend the event.
Alice Wong, senior advisor of GNSS affairs for the State Department, says the GNSS Innovation Summit “would be an excellent forum for U.S. companies to participate show off their capabilities and voice any concerns about trade issues in the region. Mike Shaw, director of the NCO, will give a keynote speech at the summit on May 27.
The GIT/12 Meeting will address GNSS-related activities of economies, GIT initiatives, progress of the GNSS Testbed Project and some administrative matters.
The GNSS testbed, commissioned in 2006 and financed by a $675,000 grant from the State Department’s Trade and Development Agency, to demonstrate the application of the GPS for safer and more efficient air navigation in Southeast Asia and, eventually, the applications and benefits of a seamless satellite navigation and positioning system for all modes of transportation. Coordinated by AEROTHAI, Thailand’s aviation agency, the project has participation from seven Asia-Pacific nations.
U.S. companies active in the GPS marketplace may find out more about the APEC events and opportunities to participate by contacting Maureen Walker, State Department Representative to the National Space-Based PNT Executive Committee <Maureen.Walker@pnt.gov>.
APEC member economies are Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States; and Viet Nam.
