Applications for The UK leg of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013 are now in!

The European Satellite Navigation Competition has now entered its tenth year; and after a decade of seeking new and exciting business applications in the field of satellite navigation technology, it seems there is still no limit to the innovation generated by this competition. The potential of the ESNC to encourage the development of new technologies and applications surrounding satellite navigation has been demonstrated this year by the outstanding entries from the UK region of the competition. 

The regional UK aspect of the competition, the UK ESNC, has proved to be a resounding success and has once again generated more entries than any of the other 24 regions of the ESNC. In total the UK ESNC received 68 complete applications, demonstrating how wide the influence of the UK ESNC has become. It is also worth remembering that while there can only be one winner of the UK ESNC prize, each one of the other 67 applications has the potential to become a successful business within the field of satellite navigation.

Furthermore, by encouraging high levels of participation, the UK ESNC is making a major contribution to the growth of the emerging and lucrative market of satellite services within Europe. This is therefore fulfilling the original goal of the ESNC, which was to create ‘tangible benefits for European citizens and businesses’ through the development of innovative business applications for Europe’s global navigation satellite system (GNSS).

Over the course of the applications period in 2013, the UK ESNC has been represented in the media and at various events, business conferences and technology shows, in order to gain the most exposure possible and to encourage participation in the competition. Some examples include:

Media Exposure

• Feature on the Telegraph.co.uk
• Feature on Techweek Europe
• Article on ZDNet
• Feature in Engineering and Technology Magazine
• Article on What Mobile
• Feature from the Royal Institute of Navigation
• Interview with BBC Radio Nottingham
• Article in Space Trade Magazine
• Feature on growthbusiness.co.uk
• A blog post on 3-beards.com, a leading promoter in the London tech community
• Podcast on the ITProPortal, a tech commentary and analysis site
• A feature on Education Technology
• Newspaper article in the Reading Chronicle
• Exposure through the Leicestershire Business Voice network
• Article in the Leicester Mercury
• Article in the Reading Post
• News article on MidlandsBusinessNews.co.uk
• News item on Invest In Nottingham
• Feature on Love Business - East Midlands
• News article on Leicester University’s Space Ideas Hub
• Email campaigns and newsletters to businesses , development and education institutions across the UK
• There was also direct engagement with Loughborough University, Coventry University, Strathclyde University, University of Newcastle, Imperial College and Westminster University.
• Constant social media exposure via twitter and LinkedIn

Events and Conferences

• UK ESNC Launch Event
• Scotland’s Technology Show
• Digital 2013
• Women’s Business and Enterprise
• ESNC Surgery at Intellect
• Hub:ble – University of Leicester
• New Navigator Seminar 2013
• University Challenge Workshop at the University of Nottingham
• Hackathon at Catapult Satellite Applications
• Venturefest