The Joint Research Centre has established the EU GNSS Testing and Demonstration Hub to facilitate the development of satellite positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services.
This ecosystem of state-of-the-art laboratories and testing facilities allows users to develop prototype user equipment and navigation platforms using present and future Galileo and EGNOS services.
Galileo and EGNOS are the two satellite navigation components of the EU Space Programme and Europe’s backbone of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
Testing capabilities
The GNSS Testing and Demonstration Hub is backed by a team of scientists and engineers in charge of the testing and evaluation of the platforms being assessed.
An inventory of all the GNSS testing capabilities that the hub can offer has been developed through a cooperation agreement with the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (ESPA).
This inventory was updated in 2024 and technical details can be found in the Inventory of GNSS Testing Capabilities.
Horizon Europe PNT projects
The EU research framework programme, Horizon Europe, contains a stream of R&D actions related to the conception, design, testing and operational deployment of EU PNT services.
Many of the actions develop prototype user equipment and navigation platforms using present and future Galileo and EGNOS services. These actions require state-of-the-art testing facilities where the performance and proper functioning of the platforms and systems developed can be thoroughly and quantitatively assessed.
Background
Space-based PNT services such as Galileo and EGNOS play an essential role in modern infrastructure, technology and society, with billions of users relying on them for a wide range of applications and services. This widespread adoption has led to significant economic and social impact in the EU.
The planned evolutions of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes include several key developments aimed at enhancing their capabilities and performance. The introduction of new PNT services is an important stream of the planned enhancements, some of which are unique world-wide, such as the open service navigation message authentication (OSNMA), Galileo high accuracy service (HAS), or the Galileo emergency and warning service (EWS).
For questions or information please contact: JRC-Galileo@ec.europa.eu
- Organisation
- JRC
