In the frame of the 7th Framwork Programme, The European GNSS Supervisory Authority recently granted a new activity in Argentina, dedicated to the creation of a Centre in Support for the development of applications in the region : GALILEO Centre of Expertise in Latin America, GACELA.The Kick of Meeting lauching the activities was celebrated in Buenos Aires on March 25th,2009.

 

 

• define the implementation steps for the completion of the first Galileo Centre of Expertise out of Europe, based in Argentina.
• define the technical means for the development of GNSS technology and application in Argentina
• identify the GNSS technical and industrial capacities as well as the related needs based in GNSS in Argentina.

The Consortium

The consortium is composed by  European and Latin American companies and public entities,wel-balanced and independent sources of expertise to carry out the activity. The partners bring a wide range of expertise, know-how and background. The GACELA team has been built around the following partners:

• Pildo Consulting: Leader of the Activity. the core value of the company for this activity is the knowledge and experience in GNSS System, especially in Signal in Space Validation.Under FP6, Pildo Labs has been awarded with several projects in which the company played a key role in GNSS Validation activities. In 2005, udner GSA supervision, Pildo Labs has created the Galileo Information Centre in Latin America (LATINO Consortium) and manages its activities.
• National Commission for Space Activities CONAE: CONAE is the public organism that guides all developments in the Space domain in Argentina. is responsible for the development of space activities in Argentina since 1994.

• Tesacom Argentina: leader in the provision of satellite telecommunication and positioning. Offers a robust experience on remote communication, fleet control and satellite telecommunication.

• Telespazio Argentina: partner for CELESTE and fLAre, the company has been also collaborating with LATINO for the industrial and educative event. Telespazio Argentina provides services on satellite telecommunications, navigation and positioning.

• Thales Alenia Space-France:partner for CELESTE  in charge of the GNSS regional plan and execution of the demonstrations from the second phase in Argentina and Brazil. TAS-F is leading the development of the FLARE infrastructure, which will provide soon an augmentation signal to demonstrate enhanced GNSS application in an area between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

• Thales Alenia Space-Italy: reference in Galileo/GNSS infrastructure program, TAS-I is the main contractor for Galileo Test Range

• International Centre for Theoritical Physics ICTP:  Well known for its ionosphere expertise and other GNSS applications activities, the Centre operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government and two United Nations Agencies, UNESCO and IAEA. Established in Italy, ICTP will play an important role of platform between EU and LATAM institutions.

GACELA Concept 

There is a cooperation agreement to be signed within Europe and Argentina, and the development of applications on the user domain is one of the topics that might be of interest in promotion for the development of local GNSS industry. 

Within the internal infrastructure ofthe Centre of Expertise,three blocks have been defined:

• R+D Platform
• Awareness and Dissemination
• Applications and Services

The three blocks correspond to the mainstay of the GACELA infrastructure
The different interfaces between the blocks constitute the substance to exchange:  for instance, the Application and Services Block identified the future Needs to supply. Those needs will be integrated in the I+D Platform to generate the corresponding software or hardware. From the Needs, a new service or application will be developed and established, which promotion will be done to the stakeholders and interested parts through the dissemination and awareness block. Obviously, the link between the 3 blocks is in two ways and reversible.
 

GACELA Approach & Phases

 This section describes the different phases of the activity and the overall timeline. Three phases will are following on while two others envolve in parrallel.

PHASE 1: Background description - duration 2 months

The Consortium will provide a good understanding of the actual GNSS situation in Argentina in order to contribute to the definition of EU recommendations for the GNSS decisions to consider in the region in the years to come.
The global picture includes  1) a Political Study 2) GNSS market elements study 3 ) industrial and technical Capacities 4 Cooperation Opportunities.

PHASE 2: Development- duration 7 months

The core development phase of the project consists on specifying the necessary steps to follow for the setting up of a Galileo Centre of Expertise in Argentina. To achieve this goal, the Consortium will perform the 1) elaboration Strategic Plan 2) Implementation Road Map Design and 3) Development Exploitation Plan.

In parallel to this phase of development, this phase shall also undertake different tasks: 1) Coordination with similar and external R&D activities 2) Ad-hoc consultancy services for GSA) 3 Awareness and Dissemination

PHASE 3: Conclusion and Assessment- duration 6 months

This phase aiming at concluding the project through a strict synthesis of the previous tasks previously performed during the whole duration of the activity. The final document D10  also named Blue Book  of the Activity to be provided, will be elaborated in this phase,

In parallel these three phases will evolve with:

Dissemination and Awareness

The Promotion activities will be ensured over the whole duration of the project through the organization of trainings, periodic dissemination of the results  as well as workshop to enforce the motivation of the partners.
Dissemination Training #1 (bridge between WP5000 and WP6000) to be organized in BsAs, organized at the same time of Awareness Workshop at T0+13

Galileo Simulation Test and Validation (STV) Tools Infrastructure Development

The activity will cover the first steps to develop to start providing STV services at CONAE facilities. This activity shall start in parallel of the Development Phase. Indeed, STV infrastructure development will directly benefit from the core development of the activity (analysis of market, political study, industrial elements) by performing an assessment of the pre-existing tools like simulators/receivers equipments, that can be in support to the Centre of Expertise.

Management

Dual management headed by Pildo and TAS-F.Pildo keeps the general management and coordination of the overall activity and will represente the unique interface with GSA.TAS-F will act as technical coordinator in particular in WP3000.
 
 

The GACELA Workshop

The GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) granted the GACELA Consortium to lead the definition of the first Galileo Centre of Expertise for Latin America (GACELA) las year.
Today, the GACELA Consortium is pleased to present the implementation steps for future GACELA Centre and the proposed future services that the Centre would offer as well as the way you could join the venture.

The future GACELA represents the appropriate starting point for the R&D Cooperation: migration to new technology, exploration of new technical solutions adapted to regional needs, enhancement of GNSS knowledge, technical support and stimulation of network with experts are among the identified benefits offered by the Centre.
 
The GACELA Consortium organizedthe GACELA Workshop for the development of GNSS applications. The Workshop took place on the Chamber of Commerce of Argentine in Buenos Aires, on July 6th-7th 2010.
 

• The Workshop addressed the following issues:
• Updated on the EGNOS and GALILEO Programmes
• Presentation of on-going GNSS related projects in the region
• Overview of the GACELA Centre implementation and the promotion of the first services to be provided, How to join the Centre at user level or as member of different boards of the Centre managing structure
• Description of the actual GNSS simulation and test tools to be potentially put at disposal and the possible synergy with similar initiatives in the region
• Identification of services to the end-users needs via organization of thematic round tables

How to join the future GACELA Centre

By understanding the political frame, local needs and existing capabilities, GACELA Centre of Expertise is proposed for the enhancement of technological solutions in the region based on the future GNSS signals coming mainly from GALILEO, but also potential augmentation services to be developed based on basic GNSS systems, or in a Multi-Constellation Regional Service (MRS) perspective.

GACELA responds to a local need for the development of knowledge and capabilities in the GNSS domain in support to the provision of applications tailored to the final end-users. The Centre would facilitate a platform for Knowledge Management for not only regional but also European industrial partners, and opens the door for developing and testing solutions via the Laboratory and Validation Platforms . For GNSS applications (Mobility, Road Transport, Location Based Services, Civil Aviation, Precise Farming, Fishery and Maritime). The technical solutions will be customized to Latin America market in the identifed validation scenarios:

• rural
• urban
• space to space
• civil aviation and
• maritime

In addition, the GACELA Centre will propose a Research and Development frame (R&D) for generic or specific issues inherent to the region. Complemented by the Validation Platform and the Laboratory facilities, the proposed Centre would be able to provide support in all the technological solution provision and development life cycle. Among the set of offered services the Centre proposes, within the Knowledge Management Block, training and awareness on EU GNSS Systems as well as consultancy and technical support on standardization and legal issues. The GACELA Centre will be developed in two versions where first version is mainly oriented to GPS and includes activities in simulated environment and the second version is oriented to GALILEO and to the multi-constellation in both real and simulated environments.  

Whatever you are university, research centre, company or SME, you could be a potential end-user of the future Centre, willing to expand your expertise, knowledge or your business with an added value of a new technology, and you will benefit from the large panel of cooperation opportunities at the Centre. In response to your needs, the GACELA Centre will provide technological solutions and high level support at affordable rates. You can also join the GACELA adventure as member of the Management either in the Board of Director to define the strategy and ensure the completion of the milestones, or as Academic Committee to orientate the R&D expertise and GACELA Board Users in charge of the market needs monitoring or finally as End-Users of the Center.

Please find enclosed a detailed description of the future Centre in the brochure attached as well as the letter of intent. Both documents are available in Spanish and English.