EGNSS applications for the Digital Age

Deadline: Feb 16, 2022  
CALL EXPIRED

Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Foster the adoption of EGNSS in mass markets and professional markets.
• Create applications that will make the best use of EGNSS innovative features such as better multipath resistance, authentication etc.
• Contribute to the competitiveness of the European GNSS industry in the area of mobile applications, with special focus on the innovative role of SMEs and midcaps, and non-space countries.
• maximise public benefits by supporting the development of EGNSS applications that will address major societal challenges in focus areas such as health, citizen safety and security, mobility and the sharing economy.

Proposals may be submitted in any of the following areas:

• Internet of Things: Within Internet of Things solutions, there is a clear trade-off in terms of accuracy and battery life that prevents users to rely on GNSS in any situation. EGNSS solutions should demonstrate how power reduction techniques can effectively deliver GNSS-level accuracy in IoT devices and develop IoT solutions able to demonstrate the EGNSS compositeness in the IoT domain, to be used in application fields such as food geo traceability, blockchain and Artificial Intelligence
• Mobile solutions. Development of new EGNSS enabled solutions which exploit the EGNSS differentiators such as High Accuracy Service and authentication features or which leverage the availability of GNSS raw measurements in smartphones.
• mHealth-solutions for ‘silver economy’, robotics. With the ageing population growing fast in the EU, governments will be increasingly challenged to meet the needs of older people in a cost-effective manner. EGNSS can support the ‘silver economy’ by satisfying the specific needs of elderly and disabled persons. The innovations brought by EGNSS, together with technologies such as robotics or enhanced home automation – should be exploited to develop innovative solutions.
• Artificial intelligence- Big Data, geo-tagging, optimisation for multiple sensors. Advances in AI will improve the capabilities of applications and services, providing improved experiences to all users.AI-enabled machine learning can be used to improve the GNSS data processing to provide greater performance thanks to the optimisation of multiple sensors. Proposals should explore synergies between EGNSS and Artificial Intelligence, in the frame of applications relaying on big data and geo-tagging techniques. Synergies with earth observation data can be also exploited.
• Cybersecurity- solutions that are stimulating privacy, security of location data, exploiting synergies with quantum. In a digitalised world, privacy and cybersecurity are of utmost importance for individuals who are increasingly relying on digital applications to perform day-to-day task and activities. EGNSS solutions should enhance the security of location-based applications. Additionally, synergies with quantum can be leveraged as well.
• Sharing economy- solutions for logistics, mobility services, goods and food. The sharing economy covers many different sectors. It is rapidly emerging across Europe. Within this trend, GNSS is a key technology for all services requiring geographic information. Newly developed EGNSS solutions in the field of logistics, mobility services, and food industry should capitalise on the enhanced accuracy and the innovative features provided by EGNSS.
• Sports and fitness - smart wearables. Wearables represent the beginning of the separation between smartphones and end users, as an increasing number of smartphone services and apps are now accessible via new interfaces (smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, clothing, etc.). Currently, wearables are mostly used for fitness, health and entertainment. Proposals should ensure the use of EGNSS innovative features and differentiators in the smart wearables domain, integrating also other non-space technologies.

Synergies with other space components and other non-space technologies are applicable to this topic.

The developed applications should have a clearly defined commercial potential and should respond to user needs. Standardisation of new technologies is also in the scope of the topic and might be considered by the applicant. The solution developed is expected to achieve TRL7-9 by the end of the project.

Proposals should deliver new innovative applications, with commercial
and social benefits, impact and a clear market uptake. The standardisation of new technologies is also in the scope of the topic and might be considered by the applicant. The use of other space components such as Copernicus is highly encouraged. The developed solutions may integrate other non-space technologies like IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, drones, 5G, augmented/mixed reality etc.

For proposals under this topic:

• Participation of industry, in particular SMEs and midcaps, is encouraged;
• Participation of, or outreach to,entities based in countries without a space tradition is encouraged;
• Involvement of post-graduate researchers (engineers, scientists, and others) is also encouraged, for example through professional work experience or through fellowships/scholarships when applicable;
• A Business Plan and evidence of user engagement iscompulsory and must be provided as part of the proposal, to demonstrate the user need and sustainability of the project.
• Proposals addressing PRS (Public Regulated Service) related applications are not in the scope of this action.

Applicants are advised to exploit all possible synergies with other security specific actions funded under the work programme of Cluster 1 “Health”, other parts of Cluster 4 “Digital, Industry and Space”, and Cluster 5 “Climate, Energy and Mobility” (e.g. destinations 5 and 6).

Proposals under this topic should exploit synergies and be complementary to national activities and activities funded by ESA.

Applicants are welcome to use the European space data infrastructures, e g. Galileo Service Centre, EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS) and the EGNOS user support facilities (ASQF).

Activities are expected to achieve TRL7-9 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.