Belgium has participated in ESA's Navigation programmes since the implementation, in 1999, of the GalileoSat programme, which was ESA's contribution to the definition and validation phase of the Galileo satellite positioning program developed by the European Commission.
Subsequently, Belgium also took part in ESA's EGEP (European GNSS Evolution Programme).The Research & Development activities performed under the EGEP programme have been instrumental in preparing the future evolutions of the EGNOS and Galileo systems. The EGEP programme is now completed.
Belgium is currently participating in the NAVISP (Navigation Innovation and Support Program) program, the first phase of which was initiated in 2016 at the Lucerne Ministerial Council and the second in 2019 at the Seville Ministerial Council.
The main NAVISP objective is to facilitate the generation of Satellite Navigation/PNT innovative propositions with participating States and their industry, in coordination with EU and its institutions.
NAVISP is an important element for the overall European GNSS landscape, capable of leveraging both ESA expertise gained through Galileo, EGNOS and Navigation Programmes and the existing industrial base of the European Navigation sector.
It will support European industry in succeeding in the highly competitive and rapidly-evolving global market for Satellite Navigation, and more broadly PNT technologies and services, while supporting participating States in enhancing their national objectives and capabilities in the sector.
The NAVISP programme is structured according to three Elements that complement each other and contribute to the above programme objectives.
Element 1: Innovation in Satellite Navigation
The main goal of Element 1 is to generate innovative concepts, techniques, technologies and systems linked to the PNT sector, along the entire value chain.
Element 1 will not establish or duplicate the strategy or plan for the evolution of Galileo or EGNOS which is the responsibility of the EU through the Working Group EGNSS Evolution and the Horizon 2020 Programme Committee.
The specific objectives of this Element are:
For element 1, a work plan is established annually.The workplan will be implemented via competitive tenders. This Element will call for a fully funded approach.
Element 2: Competitiveness
The goal of Element 2 is to maintain and improve the capability and competitiveness of the industry of the participating States in the global market for Satellite Navigation, and more broadly PNT technologies and services.
The content of Element 2 will be activities which have been identified by industry as having clear potential for being applied in the area of PNT.
The activities may address completely new products of a disruptive nature, may be an upgrading or improvement of an existing product or may address a continuation of an activity funded in another framework within another European institutional programme, a national programme or an industrial/academic research programme. The activities shall aim at resulting in a product ready for commercial exploitation.
For this specific element, ESA will issue a continuous open call capable of stimulating unsolicited proposals, the eligibility of which will be indicated by the relevant participating State (i.e. support letter).
The pre-commercial nature of this programme element will call for a co-funding approach to be envisaged.
Element 3: Support to Member States
Element 3 is focused on participating States' priorities and aims at supporting their national navigation activities along the whole value chain.
Element 3 configures as an ad-hoc support element, which is envisaged per country and possibly per domain, for the development and promotion of products, applications and services based on GNSS and more widely on PNT systems.
The institutional nature of this programme Element will call for a fully funded approach.
Ad hoc partnership mechanism should be established on a case by case base ensuring that 100% of ESA's costs are covered.
Belgium has invested considerably in the framework of the GalileoSat program, which has enabled Belgian industry to develop unanimously recognized competence, particularly in the field of receivers but also in the field of the logistics of communication networks and on-board security instruments.
The projects financed in NAVISP should enable manufacturers active in the field of navigation to increase and consolidate their expertise.
Agnès Grandjean
Space Research & Applications
