GNSS Education Network for Industry and UniversitieS (GENIUS)GENIUS
GNSS Education Network for Industry and UniversitieS
University of Nottingham
  

The ESNC University Challenge 2014

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The European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC)

For the past eleven years this event has become more and more important to the Satellite Navigation community, not just in Europe, but all around the world.  

There are a range of special prizes attracting different sectors of the industry and for different types of ideas. The University Challenge special prize is designed to attract students and researchers with innovative ideas, and put them on the road to becoming successful business-people.

Judging is now in progress

The submissions phase of this year's competition is now complete.

The judges are currently busy evaluating the 59 entries from students across Europe, Africa and Asia, for creativity and market needs - rather than the technical perfection of the business idea submitted.

The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Thursday 24th October 2014 in Berlin.

The objective of the competition

The competition's objective is to bridge the gap between research and entrepreneurship. Students and researchers with a bright idea that uses GNSS are encouraged to turn it into a commercial venture .  The competition's prize structure is designed to help with many aspects of this process.  In addition, some regions offer further support to ensure that ideas can achieve their potential.

Who can enter

This is not simply a competition for students and researchers with a background in GNSS-related disciplines - like engineering or aerospace technologies. There are opportunities for applications in many areas of study or to address social issues where positioning is important.  So if you have a bright idea you could win!

2015

Sadly, the GENIUS project finishes at the end of this year, so it will not be involved with supporting next year's competition.  However, the competition's organiser, AZO are busy planning for the future and on the first of April they will open the website for entries to the 2015 competition .  

If you want to be inspired by looking at how the ESNC has changed the lives of previous winners and the types of they had, visit the competition website 


 
UC-ideas

Examples of previous ideas

The competition is open to all, regardless of what your main study area is.  Previous ideas have included using GNSS to support:

  • Public and social services
  • eHealth
  • Industrial applications
  • Energy
  • High precision positioning
  • Augmented reality and gaming
  • Sports and training
  • Mobile Location Based Services (LBS)
  • Social networking
  • Transport and logistics
  • Smart moving
  • Safety and security
  • Aerospace

Prize Fund

The winning idea will receive

  • €500 cash prize provided by GENIUS.
  • Virtual incubation, technical and business consultancy support (€3,000 value) will be provided by the GNSS Research & Applications Centre of Excellence (GRACE).
  • The Institute of Space Technology and Space Applications of the Universität der Bundeswehr München will sponsor a ticket for the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2015 (a €500 travel allowance will be provided by GENIUS)

Organisation and Sponsorship

 

GNSS Education Network for Industry and Universities

Email: genius@grace.ac.uk