Official opening of the Galileo Masters 2016 Competition

This year’s edition of the Galileo Masters competition has begun, which was announced by Jadwiga Emilewicz, Ministry of Development Undersecretary of State, during a press conference on 5th May, covering the topic of “Systemic Support for Space Sector – Opening the Galileo Masters Competition and Selection of Companies to be supported by the Space3.ac Accelerator”. Space24.pl website offers its media support within the scope of this year’s edition of the Galileo Masters competition.

European Space Navigation Competition (ESNC), also known as Galileo Masters, is an international contest which has been organized since 2004. Its goal is to select and support the most interesting and prospective ideas and projects utilizing the concept of satellite navigation. Ideas for applications, devices and technologies using the satellite navigation technologies can all be submitted and take part in the ESNC initiative. The more popular “Galileo Masters” name refers to the main prize that may be won during the competition, and to the European Galileo satellite navigation system which is to constitute a European alternative for the American Global Positioning System.

Dr Krzysztof Kanawka, President of the Blue Dot Solutions company, summing up the previous edition of the competition, noted the fact that it is the Polish edition, during which the highest number of entries has been submitted. 65 entries were submitted by the Poles, while the total number of entries submitted throughout all of the national editions insignificantly exceeded 500. The organizers hope that this year’s edition is going to be quantitatively even richer, and that the submissions’ quality is also going to be maintained at a high level. 

Space3.ac – Satellite Technologies for Everyone

During the conference, the programme assumptions pertaining to the first European Space3.ac accelerator were also presented. The initiative involves, inter alia, the Ministry of Development, the city of Gdansk, Polish Space Agency and the Creotech Instruments S.A. company which is the leader of the Polish Space Sector. The goal of the undertaking is to support companies, institutions and teams of innovators, within the process, the aim of which is to commercialize technologies which utilize the satellite-provided data. The accelerator programme is expected to include Polish initiatives, as well as projects coming from the neighbouring states.

Wojciech Drewczynski of the Black Pearls Capital Fund which is one of the founding parties, while presenting the assumptions of the programme, explained the relevance of the fact that the solutions which would be developed within the initiative become expert products and solutions, created as a response to the specific market needs demands. The founders note that the accelerator, which is completely dedicated to the satellite data processing domain, is globally unique.

Satellite Data Repository – Development of the Polish Space Industry

The first edition of the Space3.ac accelerator is connected to the European Space Agency’s “EO Innovation Platform Testbed Poland” project. Implementation of the initiative which assumes that a prototype data and computing power sharing infrastructure is established in Poland, providing the above assets for the applications which support services based on Earth Observation, falls within the scope of responsibility of a consortium of Polish companies, led by Creotech Instruments S.A.

Every initiative, the aim of which is to create good conditions for development of space technologies in our country, deserves to receive support. Representing the national space industry, we shall use every opportunity to support and promote such initiatives. Our company is willing to consolidate the Polish space sector - our assumption and starting point is simple - together we can do much more.

According to Grzegorz Brona, EO Innovation Platform Testbed Poland is one of the best examples of successful cooperation. And this project is being realized by the Polish companies, including Creotech Instruments.

Establishing the infrastructure, which shares satellite data and computing power which may be used to process that data, creates a lot of completely new opportunities in front of the Polish space sector. I deeply believe that, in a course of a few upcoming years, the space sector may become a true flywheel for our economy, remaining at the cutting edge of the domestic innovations industry.

As it was stated in his conversation with Space24.pl, at the 2016 Space Sector Forum, by Jacek Kosiec, who is the director of space projects at Creotech Instruments S.A., the project which is being implemented now proceeds according to the schedule, under strict supervision of the European Space Agency. The system is to be operational, or at least reach the test phase, during the summer this year.