Wednesday, 05 June 2019
The call is out for aspiring entrepreneurs across the UK to enter into an international space competition, with the opportunity to win thousands of pounds in cash and business support for their innovative idea.
The Galileo Masters competition is open to anyone who has an idea that uses satellite navigation technology - be it for position, time, navigation or any other use, including iPhone, iPad and Android apps, as well as applications in any professional field.
GRACE (the Geospatial Research and Applications Centre of Excellence) at the University of Nottingham is hosting the UK rounds of the Galileo Masters competition, where the region’s champions will win £1,000 in cash and £4,000 worth of business support including an incubation programme. The UK winners will then go on to compete at international level for a €10,000 cash prize, as well as further support such as an accelerator programme.
The competition comes at a crucial time, as uncertainty continues over the UK-EU relationship post-Brexit. Should the UK winners be successful internationally, the collaboration with European industry and business is vital post-Brexit, enabling the UK to maintain ties with EU partners and shape the future of satellite technology.
The UK challenges of the competition are a fantastic opportunity for those with an innovative idea for a satellite-based product or service that just need some help getting off the ground. The attractive support package, which includes business incubation, consultancy and patent advice, will help advance an idea all the way through to commercial success.
The competition is open to anyone - a team or an individual; employees or students at a UK university; start-up companies or fully operational businesses – all that’s needed is an idea and we hope to get a huge array to champion the UK as a world-leading region for Space.
From healthcare, military and leisure, to traffic management and transport logistics, satellite navigation is used around the globe. The Galileo Masters sets out to find the innovators of tomorrow with ideas that improve everyday life, which will advance Europe’s satellite technology capabilities.
The competition provides support for innovative ideas at any development stage, with the ultimate aim to turn them into reality. In previous years the Galileo Masters has helped launch a number of successful business ventures.
Those entering with links to a university should enter the University Challenge and start-ups, businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs should apply to the UK Challenge.
Successful entrants will be invited to a ‘dragon’s den’ style pitch to a panel of UK space industry experts, who will decide the winning idea to go forward to the international competition.
The competition is sponsored by Collins Aerospace, SPRINT, Nottingham Scientific Limited, the Manufacturing Technology Centre and the Royal Institute of Navigation with the support of the Satellite Applications Catapult and the UK Space Agency.
More information and details on how to enter the competition is available at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/grace/galileo-masters/index.aspx
The closing date for entries is July 31 2019.
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For those who would like to discuss their ideas in confidence and for more information, please contact Paul Bhatia, general manager of GRACE, on paul.bhatia@nottingham.ac.uk 07825 753940
GRACE (the Geospatial Research and Applications Centre of Excellence) at the University of Nottingham focuses on the growth in applications for satellite navigation and positioning systems such as the American Global Positioning System (GPS) and the European Galileo system. This major cross-disciplinary research centre also provides new technology transfer and business development opportunities.
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About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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