CGI to Build European Satnav Commercial Platform; Steve Smart Comments

The European Commission has awarded CGI a contract to develop a commercial application for the European-made global navigation satellite system Galileo.

CGI will build the core platform for the Galileo Commercial Service program with the goal of delivering location-based information in vertical markets such as transportation, insurance and personal mobility, CGI said Tuesday.

Galileo is designed to improve positioning accurancy on the ground and in the air, especially if used with GPS technology, according to CGI.

“The Commercial Service has many added benefits beyond its original designation as a potential revenue source for the Galileo system,” said Steve Smart, CGI UK vice president of space, defence and national security.

“It will maximise the program’s ability to provide the best navigation services possible to the public and commercial sectors, and will create economic value for the EU in general,” Smart added.

The Galileo GNSS is a joint effort of the European Union and European Space Agency.

CGI has built the constellation control infrastructure for Galileo’s constellation of 30 satellites and has developed software platforms that work to support more than 200 satellites.