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Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)

MOEA Drives Global Galileo Industry Alliance

Satellite Industry Brings Sky-rocketing Business Opportunity

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) hosts the Next Wave Sky Industry Business Opportunity Forum and Taiwan’s Award Ceremony of European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2009. The event also marks the establishment of the Global Galileo Industry Alliance (GGIA), which is expected to create a market in NT$3.7 trillion in 2012.

Today (Nov. 2) Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) hosts the Next Wave Sky Industry Business Opportunity Forum and Taiwan’s Award Ceremony of European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2009. The event also marks the establishment of the Global Galileo Industry Alliance (GGIA). Thorsten Rudolph, Chairman of ESNC, Johnsee Lee, President of ITRI, Wen-Hsin Chan, Consultant of Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA and Christian Stammel, CEO of Navispace AG discuss the huge business opportunities of the Galileo satellite system which is expected to create a market of NT$3.7 trillion in 2012.

Lee points out, ITRI looks forward to integrating world resources of related industries through GGIA in order to bring new business opportunities, while through participating ESNC to induce creative ideas in the applications of satellite communication technology. ITRI will also provide incubation and assistance to Taiwan's business sector so that local industries will make big contribution in providing innovative products and services of world satellite applications. Lee says, Taiwan's competitive edge lies in its strong ODM and OEM including such fields as semiconductor chip sets, modules, system integration, and terminal products, while European companies are specialized in critical components and software capability such as geographic information system (GIS) map databases, navigational engine software, and other innovative applications. GGIA enables Taiwan and Europe to complement each other and facilitate more exchange of their resources and R&D experiences. ITRI expects Taiwan business firms could maintain their advantages and strengthen developments of innovative applications so that Taiwan will become a part of supply chain of global satellite industry.

Chan says, EC started building Galileo satellite system in 2002, and expects to launch the system in 2013. The system's higher accuracy and wider coverage enables it to provide multiple value-added applications and create new industries and more job opportunities. Starting from 2006, MOEA initiated cooperation and exchange with EC satellite industries. With Taiwan's efforts in satellite technology development, the nation sales of satellite terminal devices account for 20.3% of world's market share. Based on Taiwan's superior deign and manufacturing capability, MOEA is confident that Taiwan's business firms will develop the critical technologies required by Galileo and GPS navigational products, and successfully become one of the major suppliers of satellite navigational products in the world.

In April this year, ITRI signed the LOI with AZO, sponsor of ESNC, to initiate cooperation between Taiwan's business firms and their partners in the world. In August, Navispace ordered 10,000 units of Smart Personal Trackers from Taiwan's satellite navigational manufacturer Wonde Proud Technology Co., Ltd. through the effort of GGIA. In October, Septentrio2 of Belgium visited 12 Taiwan companies, including Tai-Saw Technology Co., Ltd., Faraday Technology Corporation, Alchip Technologies, for purchasing satellite navigational hardware products and working out technical cooperation arrangements.

ITRI's cooperation with the EC sets another milestone by inviting Mr. Christian Stammel to introduce the business opportunities in the upper, middle, and lower chains of Galileo project, EC's Galileo R&D experience. Mr. Stammel's participation will consolidate the cooperation of satellite navigational industries between Taiwan and the EC.

Company Introduction

Navispace AG: It is located in Munich, which provides technology marketing and technology consultation in four major fields, including 1) geographical information; 2) satellite navigation; 3) telecommunications technology; 4) leisure life. The company endeavors to transfer new technologies for commercialization, and provide product launching planning and comprehensive information exchange platform.

Septentrio: It is located in Leuven, Belgium. Its operations include R&D, manufacture, marketing and sales of satellite navigation products. It focuses on high end GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System, which means Galileo Satellite System) products. It offers a wide range of products including OEM printed circuit boards to complete systems; single channel to multiple channels; single GPS to GPS/GLONSS/Galileo. The company is an important founding member of the Galileo project and supplier of key satellite navigation products.

The Creative Idea of Taiwan Takes 2nd Place In European Satellite Navigation Competition 2009

 

    The award ceremony of European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2009 takes place today (Nov. 2) at Far Eastern Plaza Hotel.  Thorsten Rudolph, Chairman of ESNC, Johnsee Lee, President of ITRI, and Wen-Hsin Chan, Consultant of DOIT, MOEA present awards to Taiwan winners.  Taiwan's participants of ESNC 2009 also garnered the 2^nd place of the regional competition and the championship of special topic award.
   
    ESNC started in EC in 2004.  Originally, participants of the competition were limited to European Community countries.  Taiwan became the only participating country in Asia last year.  The number of entries submitted by Taiwan's participants last year was the highest among all participating regions.  In 2009, there are 18 regions participating ESNC, and there are total 289 entries.  Participants from Taiwan submitted 48 entries, accounting for 17% of all.

    Taiwan's participating entry - Shadow Guide - A guiding solution for a group of people to enjoy their trip leisurely and consciously - took the 2^nd place of the ESNC 2009. It is a navigational device which can be encased into a package the size of a wrist watch. In addition to single direction display function, it enables multiple users in a group to communicate with one another. Traditional GSM navigation requires the users to pay for service.  However, Shadow Guide will make use of satellites of Galileo project free of charge, and its monitoring capability will be extended from several meters to several kilometers. In the final competition of ESNC 2009, the product took the second place when it was compared with entries from 18 other competing areas. The judges of ESNC 2009, who are from the 18 competing regions, were impressed with the idea's innovative features, and its making the best use of satellite positioning technology.  The idea also has a high potential of commercialization. The creative concept of this solution came from ITRI South, the southern branch of ITRI.

    Information and Communications Research Laboratories (ICRL) of ITRI got the citation for design excellence at the ESNC 2009 in Taiwan area. ICRL entered its "TravMate - Stay connected with locals and new friends on trip".  The product was awarded "special topic winner" among 66 competing teams from over the world. The special topic was sponsored by NAVTEQ, the leading Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data company in the world.  TravMate integrates satellite positioning and pedestrian navigation technology.  It enables a foreign tourist to access local socializing networks so that the tourist can interact with local friends and overcome cultural and language barriers and access local services such as dining, accommodation, transportation and recreation, etc.  NAVTEQ gave the idea the highest mark because it matches the theme of LBS (location-based service) and has a high potential of commercialization.

    Starting from this year, ITRI established a value-added mechanism designed to help participating teams of ESNC. ITRI will offer participating teams to take advantage of ITRI's “value creation education session”.  Each session will last 4 to 6 months.  ITRI’s experts will offer consultation and education in five aspects, including creative thinking, market insight, R&D management, intellectual property value addition, and business development. These five capabilities are required to start a promising venture.  During the education process, ITRI will help the participating teams generate “Three P's” - rapid prototyping (RP), intellectual property (IP), and business plan (BP).  After this process, ITRI's assistance will link the participating teams to its incubation center, venture capital providers, and big business partners so that the innovative product concept can be turned into a start-up business.

    One of the outstanding products selected through the incubation process is "AREA 911", which offers rescue functions in case emergency occurs.  The fire-resistant product provides telecommunication, global positioning, life-sustaining, life-exploring, and floating functions. It can be embedded into homes, commercial buildings, and ships. ITRI will continue to provide evaluations and suggestions to companies which took part in ESNC 2009.  ITRI will also provide start-up consultation and venture capital to companies with promising satellite terminal products.

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