European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC)

ESNC is leading a global network for innovation and expertise in the field of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) with more than 20 regions and 190 industry and research experts worldwide.

Since 2004 every year ESNC is looking for people with innovative ideas of service, product, or business innovation that uses satellite navigation in everyday life. The ESNC partner regions and key institutional and industry stakeholders are keen to support those innovators to take the next step with their business case.

In 2012 RCCI is regional organizer of European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) for Bulgaria. As such it has the task to promote competition, to raise ideas and identify regional winner for Bulgaria., who receives a regional award and has the chance to present his/ her idea at an international forum in Munich. All regional winners compete for the big prize of EUR 20,000 and the opportunity to realize the winning idea as part of a six-month incubation programme in the region of their choice.

In 2012, ESNC collected 406 ideas, 56% of which are intended for the mass market.

ESNC is funded by the Galileo program, which is the largest industrial EU project with the private sector. Galileo navigation system consists of 30 satellites that provide maximum coverage on the planet.

The main objective is to create and develop a satellite navigation system with civic functions and general world-wide coverage by sending a series of satellites orbiting the Earth and build a network of monitoring stations.

Besides providing a new public service worldwide, Galileo also features unknown to date measuring and positioning accuracy being able to position objects with precision of 2 meters.