An Inside Look at the GSA

Three years ago, the GSA moved its headquarters from Brussels to Prague. Since then, the Agency has been in acceleration mode – expanding both in terms of people and responsibilities. To celebrate the anniversary and highlight the many benefits the GSA is bringing to both Europe and, in particular, the Czech Republic, the Agency held its first Open Days 9 – 10 October.

“In celebration of our third year here in Prague, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to open our doors to our host city,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides, speaking during a ribbon cutting ceremony. “We are excited at the chance to show the public the work we are doing on EGNOS and Galileo.”

Des Dorides noted that although the GSA has been in existence for over a decade, it wasn’t until its relocation to Prague that it took on its current place at the centre for European GNSS programmes. Today, the GSA is charged with the service provision of EGNOS today and Galileo in 2017. It also ensures these services are secure. “Another core function of the GSA is market development, where we are committed to preparing the best return on investment for Europe in terms of both economics and benefits to European citizens,” he added.

Des Dorides was joined  by Head of the European Commission Representation in Prague, Jan Michal, and EU GNSS Security Accreditation Board Chair, Jeremy Blyth, Deputy Czech Transport Minister Kamil Rudolecký and Karel Dobeš, Czech Commissioner for Galileo, among others, who gave guests a comprehensive overview of the GSA, its work and its role in the Czech economy. 

A Bright Future

Despite all the success, there are still challenges ahead. One such challenge, noted by Dobeš, is finding the talent needed to maintain the European GNSS programmes’ momentum into the future. However, judging by the hundreds of excited local students who visited GSA headquarters during Open Days, perhaps this won’t be so much of a challenge after all.

Over 500 students visited the GSA on Friday as part of a classroom visit, where they were able to explore how space technology benefits them on a daily basis via interactive displays and presentations. “I never realised that satellites have such an impact on our lives,” said one local secondary student. “I now have a clear understanding of the European Union, its space programmes, and the GSA – and who knows, maybe one day I’ll be working in the space sector too.”

During the event, over 2000 people came through the GSA’s doors. Saturday included a range of workshops and activities, including the opportunity to see a model Galileo satellite and the first GSA Space Film Festival. Plans for a second edition next year are already in the works.

Benefiting the Czech Republic

Open Days was also an occasion to highlight how the GSA’s location in Prague is benefiting the Czech Republic. “From my perspective, we have seen a growing interest from Czech industry in the GNSS market,” said des Dorides. “We planted the seeds by relocating here and today we are seeing the results as more space applications and products are coming onto the market that originate from the Czech Republic.”

The Czech aerospace industry is also receiving support from the federal government. Rudolecký noted that the government is dedicated to ensuring the aerospace industry in the Czech Republic continues to expand. In support of this mission, the government recently approved 200 million Czech Koruna (EUR 7 million) to be invested in various space programmes. “I think we can invest more and do more, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together with the GSA in the years to come.”

According to a recent GSA study, the Agency’s move has impacted the Czech economy both directly and indirectly. For example, it has had a direct impact through its employment of Czech citizens (currently 18 permanent staff and 13 trainees) and an indirect impact via the Agency’s various procurement activities.

Czech companies are also benefiting from the GSA’s location in Prague. Since the relocation, an increasing number of companies and consortia of Czech companies and institutions have teamed up and applied for European R&D funding programme such as FP7 or Horizon 2020.

Organisation of R&D-focused workshops in Prague as the 2014 European Space Solutions conference or the H2020 workshops is raising awareness on the sectors and the European activities. The networking opportunities at such conferences also play a role in enabling SMEs that would not otherwise participate in such an event to test ideas and establish connections that could lead to successful applications.

The GSA in Prague is indeed changing horizons in the Czech Republic.

More Information

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