Brussels, 19/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 18 March, eight companies set up "Galileo Services", with the goal of co-operating in the applications development market for the Galileo navigation satellite project. These companies include the satellite operator, Eutelsat, the French company, Thales (satellite navigation services, manufacture of GNSS receivers), the Italian satellite services company, Telespazio, the research consultancy company, FDC, the telecommunication satellite operator, Hispasat, the information-technology company, Indra, specialising in space applications, the Norwegian company, Kongsberg, which specialises in maritime positioning services and the company, Septentrio (designer and distributor of GNSS receivers). François Lureau, Director General of the Thales group declared to a press conference that, in signing this Agreement Protocol, "We are demonstrating our commitment to working together", in the development of downstream Galileo market technologies (terminals, applications and services). The Galileo structure will "certainly" be open to other participants and remain relatively flexible but the eight companies say they are prepared to create the necessary industrial structures when the moment is right.
The eight companies that attended the press conference on Monday were, however, quite vague about the financing they were prepared to contribute to the development of Galileo and the way in which they envisaged co-operating with the European institutions. Galileo services members said that, "We are prepared to contribute 50% of finance for research projects in the context of the sixth framework programme" but refused to mention any exact figure. Neither did they wish to expound on the possible participation of a joint venture that Member States were expected to create at the Transport Council on 25-26 March. The issue of private-public relations still needs to be clarified but Galileo Services is expected to play a key role, stated Sabatino Sortelli, Managing Director of Telespazio, explaining that this formed part of the questions that they were going to tackle together. Galileo Services did not elaborate on market share objectives either.
Galileo and the US group GPS, will offer "comparable precision", according to the Managing Director of the aeronautic company, Thales, whilst the European Commission has always claimed that the European system would offer superior precision. François Lureau says that the advantage with the Galileo system is that it is always available, which is not the case with the US system. Galileo partners also highlighted the "integrity of the system" and the fact that it could be managed by civilians. Mr Lureau explained that the Galileo system, "is not going to compete with the GPS system but complete it". These business leaders again stressed that it was essential that the Council meeting on 25-26 March continues with the Galileo project. These companies are making a big effort to co-operate in this project for which there are at least two structures: Oregin, for equipment and services, and Galileo Industries, created by Alcatel Space, Alenia, Astrium GmbH and Astrium Ltd, for Galileo infrastructures (system architecture and ground based segments).
The Galileo European navigation and satellite positioning system was proposed by the European Commission in 1999. Its initial study phase was then launched but held back due to the reticence of a number of Member States (particularly Germany, the Netherlands and United Kingdom) who criticised the costs and usefulness of the project. The second phase of the project is expected to be launched next week at the Transport Council, in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council of Barcelona. It is hoped that the system will be operational by 2008.