Turn your satnav idea into business

3 May 2013 - Ready to take the next step with your satnav idea? ESA's business incubation centres are offering help through this year's European Satellite Navigation Competition. For the tenth time, the competition is calling for services, products and business innovations that use satellite-based navigation to improve everyday life. Also known as the Galileo Masters competition, it gives entrepreneurs from industry, research and universities the chance to present value-added business applications for the emerging satellite navigation market. Individuals and teams can benefit from cooperating with partner regions and a number of key stakeholders, including ESA, the European Patent Office, the DLR German Aerospace Center and the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency. "In recent years, the competition has proven very successful in creating added value for satellite navigation technology both in Bavaria and on a global scale," notes Bavarian State Minister Martin Zeil. "With one-third of the previous winners having founded a company and around 80% of the presented applications having been implemented, the competition has shown its ability to spur innovation and support the creation of new businesses in the emerging satellite navigation market," confirms Thorsten Rudolph, managing director of competition organiser Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen. ESA's Technology Transfer Programme has been a partner since 2005 and is offering the special innovation prize.