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Facing Problems, Finding Solutions
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| This year more nations than ever before participated in the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2008 which was held from February 19th to 21st in Munich, Germany. Organizer Prof. Guenter W. Hein of the Institute of Geodesy and Navigation of the University FAF Munich welcomed 400 guests from about 30 nations in the “Allerheiligen- Hofkirche” (Court Church of all Saints). He compared the SatNav-Summit with a real summit in the Bavarian Alps. “From the top of a mountain you have a great overview and breath clean air”, Hein said. He wished everybody that the Munich Summit could evoke something similar. “The difficulties might be not anymore as big as they were”, he went on, “and perhaps there is a solution which comes up in an easy atmosphere”.
The last year – concerning Galileo – was frustrating, Paul Verhoef (Director GNSS Unit, DG Transport and Energy, European Commission, Brussels) told the auditorium. The work still to be done by the EC is to fix the rules and modalities of the expenses. But the budget should no longer be subject of negotiations. Finalizing an ESA-EC agreement on the role of ESA as procurement agency is an important step to achieve full operational capability in 2013. Etelka Barsi-Pataky (Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for Galileo) recalled that eleven years have past by since the first announcement of the Galileo program. But after overcoming the financial crisis in autumn 2007 she insisted on the defined sum of 3.4 billion € for the program. Galileo back on track – Jacques Barrot speaks at the summitJacques Barrot, Vice President of the European Commission in Brussels, summarized the problems Galileo had to cope with during the last years. After the PPP concept was cancelled, Galileo will be now exclusively financed on public money, thus the European Commission being now the manager of the project. The European Space Agency (ESA) will work for the EC, ensuring the integration of EGNOS and Galileo in order to become operational 2013. At the end of his speech Barrot expressed his hope that until the next Munich Summit “the Galileo dream will have come true”. Read more about the Session with Jacques Barrot and other sessions: www.munich-satellite-navigation-summit. org/Summit2008/DocumentationIndex.html Sessions – Speakers – Space Night FeelingThe two traditional sessions called “GNSS Program Update” and “Munich flashlights – News from Bavaria” were followed by sessions with trend-setting titles like: – Galileo Guarantees of Service and Certification – Education, Research & Innovation in Satellite Navigation in Europe – New GNSS Product and Service Announcements Speakers from all over the world came to make the sessions a really extraordinary event with first hand updates from technical innovations, engineering changes, political measures and scientific troubleshooting. For speakers and attendees there was enough time to network during the several coffee breaks and lunches. Each conference day closed with an evening reception. Exhibiting In Royal RoomsThis year, the Summit Exhibition was early fully booked. This traditional exhibition gives 15 exhibitors the opportunity to show their products or work on certain projects. One exhibition area was built up in the foyer of the conference room “Max- Joseph-Saal”, the second Area could be found in the historic “Theatinergang”. The former royal summer residence made the exhibition a very kingly presentation. Find more information about the exhibiton: www.munich-satellite-navigationsummit. org/Exhibition.html Next Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2009 will be held from March 3rd – 5th, 2009. www.munich-satellite-navigation-summit.org
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