Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) based EGNSS applications
Specific challenge: European society and industry are facing new societal challenges, requiring more innovation, productivity and competitiveness, whilst using fewer resources and reducing environmental impact. GNSS offers various possibilities for the development of new space enabled applications, which will enhance Europe's capacity to address major societal challenges in focus areas such as health, citizen safety, mobility, smart cities, sustainable resources management, regional growth, low-carbon energy infrastructure planning and protection, disaster management and climate action including natural catastrophes.
Satellite navigation provides continuous, real-time, reliable, accurate and globally available position, velocity and time. The technology fits important societal and market needs.
Scope: This topic will explore new applications in niche market sectors and business models in any application domain. Proposals should aim at developing sophisticated, innovative applications, such as mass market location based services (LBS) products, feasibility studies, market tests etc. Application development should be seen in a broad context - it includes the development, adaptation and/or integration of new software, hardware, services, datasets etc. Proposals should address emerging user needs and, specifically, take advantage of the Galileo and EGNOS capabilities and their distinguishing features. A specific emphasis will be given to support development of technological breakthrough into viable products with real commercial potential, where SMEs, which are considered as the key players for innovation in this domain, play a pivotal role, given their flexibility and adaptability.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 0.5 and 1 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
Expected impact: Activities should aim at developing highly innovative and adaptive applications taking advantage of the Galileo and EGNOS. The proposal should be led by an SME and have a clear intention to commercialise the products and services developed, including a business plan. Additional partners within the consortium should contribute directly to the needs identified by the SME in the lead, in order to fulfil the above objective of commercialisation.
Release of practical tools to the GNSS developer community, ideally with free open source license, is of particular interest.
Type of action: Innovation actions