Services

Services

EUSPA’s mission is to link space to user needs and to achieve the highest return on European Space Programme investment in terms of benefits to users and EU economic growth and competitiveness.

To achieve this, EUSPA manages the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, develops markets for Copernicus services and data, coordinates user-related aspects of the GOVSATCOM programme, and carries out work in various areas targeted at Security, Research and Development and increasing space’s contribution to the EU Market.

EUSPA is also responsible for the security accreditation of all the components of the EU Space Programme.

Galileo

Since December 2016, Galileo has been providing safe and secure satellite navigation services worldwide for improved positioning, navigation and timing information. The Galileo system offers secure and performant services globally, including:

Open Service: a free mass-market service for positioning, navigation and timing.

Search and Rescue Service (SAR): this contributes to the SAR service provided worldwide by COSPAS-SARSAT, helping to save thousands of lives globally. On January 21th 2020, the SAR/Galileo Return Link Service (RLS) was declared operational, providing acknowledgement to people in distress that their signal has been received and that help is on the way. The RLS is a key Galileo differentiator.

Public Regulated Service (PRS) is an encrypted navigation service for governmental authorised users and sensitive applications that require high continuity. EUSPA actively contributes to the development of all areas of the PRS user segment to ensure that user needs are met, and supports a wide and secure use of PRS in compliance with PRS Decision 1104/2011.

Galileo will offer two additional services: the High Accuracy Service (HAS) and the Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA). The HAS will complement the Open Service by providing an additional navigation signal and added-value services in a different frequency band; the HAS signal can be encrypted in order to control access to HAS services. The Galileo OSNMA is an authentication mechanism that will allow GNSS receivers to verify the authenticity of GNSS information, making sure that the data they receive are indeed from Galileo and have not been modified in any way.

EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is Europe’s first GNSS success story. Since being declared operational in 2009, the EGNOS Open Service has been successfully augmenting satellite navigation signal (GPS), enabling their use in safety-critical applications such as civil aviation. The Safety of Life service was declared operational in 2011.

EGNOS increases the accuracy of satellite positioning signals and provides a crucial ‘integrity message' that informs users in the event of signal problems. EGNOS is essential for applications where accuracy and integrity are critical. In addition to the aviation sector, EGNOS improves and extends the scope of GNSS applications in numerous market segments, including road, rail, maritime, surveying and mapping, location-based services and agriculture.

The next generation of EGNOS – EGNOS V3 – is currently under development. EGNOS V3 will improve the robustness and performance of the EGNOS services, including a second signal, and will augment Galileo in addition to GPS. Its gradual entry into service is planned to start in 2025.

Security

To ensure that these GNSS services are secure, EUSPA manages operations relating to the security of GNSS systems, including operating the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC), ensuring the functioning of the Security Accreditation Board of the EU GNSS systems, securing the Galileo Public Regulated Service and developing the PRS user segment. 

EUSPA is responsible for the security accreditation of all the components of the EU Space Programme.

Research & Development

EUSPA actively supports the development of innovative European products and applications based on Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus services. The Agency is in charge of managing Horizon 2020 projects to develop solutions that demonstrate the clear advantages of these services in meeting the needs of different market segments. 

In 2021-2027, EUSPA will also manage Horizon Europe, and will continue its efforts to support commercial solutions leveraging Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, as well as synergies between them. The goal is to foster the development of EGNSS and Copernicus applications in support of the European Green Deal, safety and crisis management, and digitalisation, as well as to push forward Smart Mobility, public adoption of Galileo and Copernicus, and promote use of GOVSATCOM. 

The Agency also funds GNSS-based innovation through its Fundamental Elements (FE) Programme, an R&D funding mechanism supporting the development of chipsets and receivers. Fundamental Elements projects are part of EUSPA’s overall strategy for European GNSS market uptake. The programme leverages innovative EGNSS services and differentiators to address user needs in priority market segments. In so doing, it improves the competitiveness of EU industry and maximises benefits to European citizens. Many projects funded under the first FE envelope in 2014-2020 are still ongoing. The new FE plans for 2021-2027 are currently being defined.

EUSPA also supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem by nurturing emerging start-ups throughout the innovation life cycle, improving their access to private funding through investments and matchmaking with industrial partners and investors. A key role here is played by various entrepreneurship initiatives, hackathons, competitions, development programmes, networking initiatives and investors events. New prizes and competitions will also be part of Horizon Europe, in line with the Cassini entrepreneurship initiative. 

Contribution to the EU Market

The global GNSS downstream market is growing rapidly. The latest GSA GNSS Market Report forecasts that the installed base of GNSS devices in use will reach 9.5 billion by 2029, with global GNSS downstream market revenues from devices and services set to exceed EUR 324 billion by the same date. European companies account for approximately 27% of the overall global GNSS market and, of the 1.7 billion GNSS units shipped in 2019, more than 40% were Galileo-enabled, a remarkable result for the European GNSS programme. 

The 2019 Copernicus Market Report predicts economic benefits from the Copernicus programme of up to EUR 21.3 billion in 2008-2020 (not including non-monetary benefits). Based on information from the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC), Earth observation revenue reached EUR 1.38 billion in 2020. EU companies are responsible for a third of the global EO market revenue and this share is expected to grow. There are currently more than 570 EO companies in the EU, of which more than 90% use Copernicus data. 

Galileo, Copernicus and EGNOS support industries far beyond what we normally tend to think of as ‘space based’. The downstream industry for GNSS includes component manufacturers that produce receivers, chipsets, antennas and safety beacons. It includes system integrators that integrate GNSS capability into larger products, such as vehicles and consumer electronics. It also includes value-added service providers that improve access to and use of GNSS, including map providers and augmentation service providers. Meanwhile, the agriculture, marine and renewable energy sectors are driving the use of Copernicus data and services. Small-scale farmers, forest owners, shipping companies and solar panel providers increasingly rely on Copernicus data and services to monitor current conditions and understand long-term trends. Start-ups and SMEs are also eagerly seizing upon opportunities to develop services using GNSS and Earth observation to create a wide variety of applications for the growing global app community.

Innovation plays a key role in driving economic growth and sustainability in the European Union. The European space programme offers huge potential in this context, as an engine of innovative growth in a number of sectors: LBS, transport, surveying, agriculture, and timing and synchronisation. Likewise, Copernicus data is being leveraged in multiple value-added services that respond to specific public or commercial needs, resulting in new business opportunities.

Finally, GOVSATCOM may generate up to 5,000 jobs in the EU and the programme offers huge potential as an engine of innovative growth in a number of sectors. This will enable the EU to lay claim to a growing share of the global market for SatCom services, which is estimated to reach EUR 126 billion by 2025, and of the SatCom equipment market, which is projected to increase to EUR 25 billion by 2022.

GOVSATCOM

The European Union Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) initiative is being set up in response to new emerging security threats and risks. The programme aims at providing secure and cost-efficient communications capabilities to security and safety critical missions and operations managed by the European Union and its Member States, including national security actors and EU Agencies and institutions. The three main GOVSATCOM use cases are crisis management, including maritime emergency, humanitarian aid, civil protection, etc.; surveillance, such as border and maritime surveillance; and key infrastructures, such as transport infrastructure, EU space infrastructure, and other critical infrastructure.

Copernicus

Copernicus is the European Union's Earth observation programme, looking at our planet and its environment to benefit all European citizens. The programme consists of a complex set of systems that collect data from multiple sources. Copernicus services address six thematic areas: land, marine, atmosphere, climate change, emergency management, and security. They support a wide range of applications, including environment protection, management of urban areas, regional and local planning, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, health, transport, climate change, sustainable development, civil protection, and tourism.

Updated: May 07, 2021