The launches of the last four of a total of thirty Galileo satellites are scheduled for the end of 2020. The system is already in operation, and this year the construction of the High-Accuracy service is due to start. This service will enable more precise position determination around the globe.
With up to 20 centimeters accuracy, it offers great possibilities for all kinds of respective applications. The Galileo Masters is fostering the development of new business cases, service delivery and applications based on Galileo. This year’s edition has two new challenges as well as the possibility to use Earth observation and Galileo/EGNOS data. It is open for submissions on 1 May 2019.
Oberpfaffenhofen, 1 May 2019 – The Satellite Navigation market grew significantly due to a constantly connected society contributing to a huge increase in the number of devices connected to navigation satellites. Thus, the priorities are shifting from the deployment of infrastructure to service delivery across the globe. This is reflected by the GNSS High Accuracy Service, which aims to enable positioning up to 20 centimetres accuracy. The service is currently under construction and was planned as a commercial service, but now it will be free of charge. The source of positioning data offers a multiple platform for all kinds of business cases and solutions.
The Galileo Masters awards such applications, services and business cases that are using Galileo GNSS data to manage important challenges faced by business and society. Well-known institutions and regional partners are set to award prizes worth over EUR 1 million in total. The main target group includes SMEs, startups, universities and individuals in the fields of business, research, and higher education who are welcome to submit their solutions and product ideas. Submissions can demonstrate their innovative use of GNSS data across a wide variety of challenge topics.
Partners of the 2019 edition are the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). In addition, participants choose from this year’s confirmed 18 international partner regions.
New in the 2019 edition is a synergy challenge by GSA and EC, which is looking for solutions using Earth observation data combined with Galileo/EGNOS georeferenced data. Another novelty of this Galileo Masters is the chance to win an additional EUR 15,000 each, be it as “Startup of the Year” or “Idea of the Year”. Both prizes are run by GSA and AZO, the organiser of the Galileo Masters.
“Since 2004, the Galileo Masters competition has evolved into the leading innovation platform for promoting GNSS in a commercial, societal and sustainable context. The latest technological developments will continue to make GNSS an integral part of various commercial applications related to the Internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), 5G, and smart city projects – which is also reflected in this year’s challenges. Likewise, the new opportunity to combine Earth observation and GNSS data offers new dimensions for participants,” explains Thorsten Rudolph, Managing Director of AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen, the competition organiser.
Together with cash prizes, challenge winners will receive access to an international network of leading GNSS organizations, crowd-investing platforms, and business development support.
In addition, the Galileo Masters is complemented by the E-GNSS Accelerator to empower the transformation of great ideas into commercially viable solutions through a tailored business coaching service and a crowd funding campaign. Most of the winners of the Galileo Masters 2019 will gain access to the E-GNSS Accelerator if eligible.
For more details on this year’s challenges, prizes, and partners, please see www.galileo-masters.eu.
About Galileo Masters
Initiated by AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen, German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, the Galileo Masters today is the leading network for satellite navigation. The Galileo Masters annually awards the best services, products, and business ideas using satellite navigation in everyday life, spurring the development of respective market-driven applications. For 15 years, the international innovation competition serves as an accelerating instrument for space‐related entrepreneurs and startups, providing Europe with novelties. Since 2004, more than 11,500 developers took part with an overall prize pool worth 13 Mio. EUR for more than 300 winners and 200 international judges assigned with the evaluation of submissions. Additionally, AZO established Europe’s first E-GNSS Accelerator programme, funded by the European Commission (EC). For more information please see www.galileo-masters.eu
About AZO – Your Partner in Competition & Innovation
AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen is an international networking and branding company initiating the most important space-related innovation competitions with more than 15,000 participants, over 200 industrial & public – and 400 international stakeholders. The Masters Series, presented by AZO consists of the Galileo Masters, Copernicus Masters, Space Exploration Masters, and INNOspace Masters. Additionally, AZO organises the Copernicus Hackathons by the European Commission. AZO runs a very successful business angel network which invested more than EUR 50 million Venture Capital in 2018. Additionally, AZO manages it’s ESA Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) Bavaria. This incubation programme has supported more than 155 company foundations solely in Bavaria to date. For more information, please visit www.azo-space.com.