The 8th European Satellite Navigation Competition is about to begin

Your first opportunity to learn about this year's competition is at the ESNC International Kick-off Conference. This year's kick-off event will be held on 11 May and is hosted by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) in London.

The event will be opened with a lively 'elevator pitch' session. Any innovator can apply to give a 5-minute presentation about their business idea to a jury on the evening of 10 May. The pitches will be followed by a warm-up party at the Inmarsat premises, where guided tours of their Satellite Control Centre (SCC) will also be offered.

The kick-off Conference will be opened by Carlo des Dorides, the new Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). Representatives of the competition's sponsors will introduce this year's special topic prizes and all the benefits ESNC can offer participants in 2011.

Experts will give an overview on financing opportunities and IPR issues and outline which sectors and application areas have the most potential. Previous competition winners will also be on hand to share their ESNC experience: 'How did winning the ESNC influence their business?', 'What has happened since winning?', and 'What was the result?'

The ESNC 2011 promises to be a huge success: Start-up aid worth EUR 1 million EUR 100,000 cash in the prize pool More than 20 partner regions worldwide Seven special prizes by partners from industry and research

The 2011 ESNC International Kick-off Meeting is not only the perfect occasion to learn all about the competition, but you can also benefit by being a part of a unique network of international satellite navigation innovation and expertise. Don't miss this opportunity to establish new business contacts, meet old partners and find out more about the trends in the GNSS industry.