Forum for applied satellite navigation and mobile IT Baden-Wurttemberg - an initiative that connects stakeholders and represents their interests

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are considered a relevant growth engine for the near future. Precise navigation and positioning via satellite navigation will substantially influence the entire flow of traffic and goods - on land, air, and water. Other areas, like environmental protection, will benefit from new impulses. In Baden-Wurttemberg, the future of these technologies is directly associated with the "Forum for applied satellite navigation and mobile IT Baden-Wurttemberg e.V." (Forum SatNav MIT BW e.V.). The association's members are companies, research organizations and institutions. It evolved from the Galileo Forum Baden-Wurttemberg - a committee that has been acting as a consultant to the Ministry of Economics of the State of Baden-Wurttemberg in questions related to satellite navigation and mobile IT since 2006.

Galileo is the name of the European satellite navigation system that will be operational by 2013. In cooperation with the systems GPS (USA), Glonass (Russland), Compass (China), QZSS (Japan) and IRNSS (India) it will offer location based services (LBS) on all continents. Forum SatNAV MIT BW, which was founded in 2008, aims to establish the satellite navigation more firmly within the state, to open its values to a broad business and scientific environment and to exploit it economically.

Founding Members
Among the 20 founding members, there are industrial companies, SMEs, scientific institutions, associations and municipalities. Founding members are:

• ASG Luftfahrttechnik und Sensorik GmbH
• Astrium GmbH
• Bernot Information Technology
• City of Konstanz
• FZI Research Center on Information Technology
• HTWG Konstanz
• IHK Reutlingen
• IN - Integrierte Informationssysteme GmbH
• Universität Karlsruhe (TH)
• Hochschule Karlsruhe - Technology and Economics
• MagicMaps GmbH
• MFG Baden-Wurttemberg mbH
• NavPos Systems GmbH
• PTV Planung Transport Verkehr AG
• SAP AG
• Siemens AG
• THALES ATM GmbH
• T-Systems Solutions for Research GmbH
• University of Stuttgart - Institute for Navigation
• Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH

Ambitious Goals
Forum SatNav MIT BW is convinced that satellite navigation offers huge economic potential, especially for Baden-Wurttemberg. The forum focuses on the development of applications and services that are based on navigation, information and communication technologies. It particularly wants to support small and medium-sized companies with the launch of innovative products and services as well as with the creation of strategic alliances, cooperations and partnerships. Furthermore, the association considers itself a platform for opening up new fields of business. It is open to all organizations which have a relation to the field of satellite navigation. The association will represent the interests of its members to the political level as well. Further goals are, for example, the advancement of scientific and entrepreneurial competence fields in satellite navigation and mobile IT and consequently the development of new business models. Additionally, the association wants to bring research and economy closer together in order to create a network of companies and research institutions. The association ambitiously defines its goals for 2013. By then,

• all relevant companies and research institutions that deal with satellite navigation and mobile IT in Baden-Wurttemberg will be members;
• the association will be mouthpiece and first contact in all areas of satellite navigation and mobile IT in Baden-Wurttemberg;
• the association will be known across Europe;
• the association will represent its members in relevant committees on standardization and regulation matters.