Sixth European Satellite Navigation Competition to Kick Off on May 1

Industry and research partners offering eight special topic prizes Prize money and start-up assistance totalling €500,000 across 17 global partner regions

The online submission database at www.galileo-masters.eu is set to open to innovators from all over the world, beginning the search for the best application ideas for satellite navigation for the sixth time.

In recent years, the winning innovations have included a rescue system for persons who have fallen overboard at sea; a mobile, GPS-supported social network; a mobile phone-based guidance system that aids more economical driving; a remote monitoring system for recovering heart patients; a Web 2.0 platform that delivers location-based videos in real time; and a flood prediction system.

In addition to the grand prize – €20,000 and extensive support in realising the winning application idea – eight special topic prizes are being sponsored by the competition's industry and research partners.

– Title sponsor T-Systems will reward the best application idea for healthcare and the public sector with an innovation project.

– The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is offering consulting and development services worth €150,000 to the three best advanced applications for industry and the public sector. Precise, interference-free, secure – new ideas and GNSS technologies are wanted, for which these criteria are essential.

– The European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) is looking for promising solutions for the GPS augmentation system EGNOS and will reward the best application with up to 12 months of support at the European incubation centre of the winner's choice.

– The European Space Agency (ESA) will award a €10,000 innovation prize to a business idea that offers the possibility of both rapid and sustainable implementation.

– NAVTEQ, the world leader in digital map data, is seeking innovative, location-based application ideas for mobile phones and navigation devices. The winner will receive a 12-month incubation program opportunity that includes one year of free access to NAVTEQ's data, content, and services, as well as personal technical consulting services and promotions, in total worth approximately €75,000.

– The Madrid region will award a €20,000 prize for the best support-of-life application.

– The Forum for Applied Satellite Navigation and Mobile IT Baden-Württemberg is searching for security-related solutions for the transport and logistics sector, promising the winner an exhibition space at the international B2B trade fair for satellite positioning, navigation and telematics in Stuttgart, the POSITIONALE 2010 and valuable industry contacts for realisation of their idea.

– In a competition first, Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen is announcing GMES Masters, which will reward the best combination of dynamic earth-observation data and satellite navigation with a six-month support programme.

Those interested can submit their application ideas for satellite navigation at www.galileo-masters.eu from May 1 to July 31, 2009.

Press contact:

Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen
Ulrike Daniels
Sonderflughafen Oberpfaffenhofen
Gebäude 319
82205 Gilching
Germany
Tel.: +49(0)8152-9099047
Fax: +49(0)8153-987555
Email: daniels@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, the ESNC will this year be held in 17 high-tech regions all over the world: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, Niedersachsen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Nice / Sophia Antipolis, Prague, South Holland, Madrid, Lombardy, Australia, Taiwan, and Great Britain, as well as newcomers Øresund, Gipuzkoa, Switzerland, and Israel.

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 topic prize winners, and the 17 regional winners – will be recognised at a state reception to be held at the Munich Residenz on October 21, 2009.