Global Network Promotes Innovation in Satellite Navigation

Oberpfaffenhofen, 3 March 2010: On 1 May 2010, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) will begin its seventh search for the best application ideas in its field. For a three-month period culminating at the end of July, innovators from all over the world will answer the call to devise new products and services based on satellite positioning. This area is virtually unlimited in its scope of potential application, having contributed to optimisations in a broad array of industries in recent years. These range from the more traditional - such as as automotive, transport, and logistics - to more specialised domains, including high-accuracy solutions for agriculture, security, green tech, and healthcare, as well as the practically boundless field of location-based services for GPS-enabled mobile phones.

Meanwhile, the Galileo Application Days taking place in Brussels this week provide an ideal setting for kicking off this year's competition and, for the first time, demonstrate the full range of market potential satellite navigation offers - particularly in connection with the future European satellite system, Galileo. Over 900 registered participants from research, industry, and politics attest to the relevance of application development in this field and the interest in claiming a piece of the corresponding future market. With the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, the Application Center for Satellite Navigation Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO) and the European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) have conceived of an event that combines a first-rate conference programme with a focus on vivid demonstrations of already functional application innovations. The ESNC also offers a series of networking sessions for participants seeking to meet new contacts.

In starting the European Satellite Navigation Competition in 2004, AZO established a network that has since expanded to 19 regions worldwide. It now connects hubs of technology and company foundation that boast some of the most important players in the fields of incubation, prototype and product development, market development, and idea management for applications related to satellite navigation. Meanwhile, aerospace clusters and other regional initiatives involved in the network give entrepreneurs crucial access to potential partners and investors.

For the first time, this year's ESNC is offering a special prize that targets users who test and validate products and services in Living Labs. Currently, 129 such facilities all over the world comprise a network that is committed to user-generated open innovation, as well as providing additional support to participants in ESNC 2010 and, in particular, imparting experience from user industries.

In addition, numerous further sponsors will award their own special prizes for solutions in specific areas. The GSA, for example, is looking for promising applications for the GPS augmentation system EGNOS, while the ESA is to award its prize to a business idea that can be realised both quickly and sustainably. NAVTEQ, the world's leading provider of digital map data, is searching for innovative location-based applications for mobile phones and other portable navigation devices, and the ESNC title sponsor, T-Systems, will award the GMES Masters prize to applications that combine dynamic earth observation data with satellite navigation. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is also sponsoring a special prize.

The idea database of this year's European Satellite Navigation Competition will be made accessible on 1 May at www.galileo-masters.eu. The site already offers all of the information available on the competition, partner regions, and special prizes.


Press contact:

Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO)
Ulrike Daniels
Sonderflughafen Oberpfaffenhofen
Friedrichshafenerstr. 1
82205 Gilching
Germany
Tel.: +49(0)8105-7727710
Fax: +49(0)8105-7727755
E-mail: daniels@anwendungszentrum.de
www.anwendungszentrum.de


Facts and data on the European Satellite Navigation Competition

The European Satellite Navigation Competition is an international innovation contest that awards the best ideas for applications in satellite navigation. The competition has been organised by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen since 2004 and is oriented toward companies, entrepreneurs, research institutes, universities, and private individuals. Having begun with three partner regions, this year's ESNC will be held in 19 high-tech regions all over the world: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Nice / Sophia Antipolis, Prague, South Holland, Madrid, Lombardy, Australia, Taiwan, Great Britain, Øresund, Gipuzkoa, Valencia, Switzerland, and Israel as well as newcomer Aquitaine.

The ESNC is intended to further strengthen international collaboration among these regions, particular with regard to the development of applications and services made possible by the European satellite navigation system Galileo. The competition is held under the patronage of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and is supported by Messe München GmbH. The main winners of the ESNC - the GALILEO Master, the special prize winners, and the 19 regional winners - will be recognised at a state reception to be held at the Munich Residenz on October 18, 2010.

www.galileo-masters.eu