PROGENY
PROvision of Galileo Expertise, Networking and support for International Initiatives
Background & Objectives
The implementation of a programme like Galileo requires that very different issues are addressed, which includes technical aspects, market aspects, programmatic aspects, etc. This in turn requires that a large panel of expertise is made available to the organisations that are leading the programme. In the past, the European Commission has made an extensive use of independent organisations and experts to support the Galileo programme. The Thematic Networks GENESIS and GALILEAN illustrate that perfectly. Projects such as ProDDAGE can also be considered as precursors in the promotion of EGNOS and Galileo on the international scene, thanks to demonstrations, studies, training and awareness actions. PROGENY is the natural successor to these projects.
PROGENY addresses the main aspects of the Galileo development and in particular the creation of a framework to support both innovation and international initiatives. This includes the support to the Galileo R&D activities performed under FP6, the preparation of future R&D activities and the establishment of co-operation with partners originating from non-European countries.
Description
In line with its first two objectives, PROGENY will carry out the following activities:
- Organisation and performance of technical project reviews. These reviews cover the FP6 research projects funded by the GSA, including those funded under the Call dedicated to SMEs;
- Setting up advisory expert groups upon request. Depending on individual companies’ needs, these groups range from two to ten experts and potentially address any kind of issue (technical, programmatic, etc.);
- Supporting innovation by encouraging SMEs to participate more actively in the Galileo programme. This is achieved mainly through awareness actions aimed towards European SMEs.
The achievement of the third objective (i.e. to foster international co-operation) relies on the following activities:
- Funding of technical studies in co-operation with non-European partners;
- Performance of EGNOS and/or Galileo demonstration in non-European countries;
- Study of the extension of EGNOS to the ACAC region;
- Promotion of the European GNSS programme at events such as conferences, workshops or seminars.
In addition to the activities described above, the project includes tasks related to the study of possible revenue recovery mechanisms for Galileo and the study of the GNSS market in a few regions.
Objectives
The principal objectives of the project are to:
- support FP6 Galileo-related R&D activities;
- prepare the ground for future R&D activities;
- foster international co-operation.
The achievement of the first two objectives is mainly based on the strong involvement of European GNSS experts originating from both public bodies and private companies, and on specific actions oriented towards SMEs, which are recognised as a permanent source of innovation. The achievement of the third objective is based on a set of activities that all converge towards a stronger co-operation with non-European companies or organisations, with the aim of promoting the European GNSS programme abroad.
Work performed & results
As far as the support to Galileo-related R&D activities is concerned, the following activities have been performed or are still ongoing: - The technical review activity covering more than 55 projects in total; over 120 reviews have already been performed; - More than 20 advisory expert groups have been established so far, covering a wide range of issues (geodesy, timing, SAR, future R&D activities, etc.); - Numerous awareness actions directed towards SMEs have been performed: organisation of a workshop dedicated to SME, organisation of ‘face-to-face’ meetings, production of a catalogue of European SMEs, dissemination of information through networks of SMEs, interviews of SMEs, etc. Concerning international co-operation, five technical studies (involving partners from Ukraine, Korea, Canada, etc.) and five demonstrations are foreseen during the project. Several of them have already been launched. The study of the extension to the ACAC region will be completed by June 2008. PROGENY has provided support to the GSA or has acted on behalf of the GSA in order to promote EGNOS and Galileo in many events throughout the world (Brisbane, Sidney, Dubai, Sao José Dos Campos, etc.). A total of 15 events have already been covered by the project. Moreover, a library of EGNOS and Galileo-related documents is available online at the project website.
