Safeguarding the sat-nav knowledge base
European investment in the Galileo system will present significant economic opportunities as new navigation applications come on stream. Innovations are already underway for controlling and planning transport on the road, at sea and in the air. The mass mobile phone market alone promises huge potential for new location-based services. But where will the system engineers, technicians and commercial managers come from to support this economic growth? And which courses are in place to provide a skilled workforce with relevant expertise in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)? Dynamic and creative application depends on advanced near-market R&D and appropriate support mechanisms for innovation and technology transfer. But how well is Europe doing in these areas with respect to Galileo, GNSS and how they are applied in navigation? The ERIG project, managed by the European GNSS Supervisory Auuthority through EU 6FP funds, will analyse these questions in a Europe-wide review of Education, Research and Innovation in GNSS. Data collection for the study has just begun and the ERIG consortium is keen to hear from any public or private sector organisation that offers education or training courses with a Galileo or GNSS element. The team also welcomes feedback on national R&D programmes in this area and any initiatives to support innovation and technology transfer which could be used to support GNSS developments. The results from ERIG will feed into decision-making for Galileo activities in FP7.
Keywords
Satellite Communications
Countries
Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom