The EU Space Programme at EcoMotion Week 2023: fostering EU-Israel cooperation in the space domain

On 23 May, staff from the European Commission Directorate General for Defense Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), the Commission’s department responsible for the EU Space Programme, participated at the EcoMotion Week 2023 in Tel Aviv (Israel), a leading forum to discuss and highlight solutions in the sector of green and smart mobility. Against this backdrop, the Commission facilitated the achievement of several Partnership Agreements between EU and Israeli entities, and more are in the making. Ensuring the success of the twin green and digital transition relies heavily on establishing sustainable transportation systems. The Commission recognizes the importance of collaboration with like-minded global partners in accomplishing this crucial task, and Israel, renowned for its vibrant innovation ecosystem in the mobility sector, holds great potential for enhanced cooperation in this domain.

Attending the EcoMotion Week 2023 offered the EU space ecosystem the possibility to showcase its excellence across the board: the EU Space Programme is leading the way in Earth Observation and satellite navigation with the flagship components Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo, while innovative EU NewSpace companies rely on this infrastructure to develop new smart applications in the mobility and transport sector. At EcoMotion Week 2023 the European Commission organised a workshop on EU Space data applications for green, safe and smart mobility solutions complemented by a semi-private B2B area that facilitated exchanges between EUspace companies and Israeli stakeholders.

The workshop kicked off with a keynote address by the EU Delegation to Israel, which provided background context on EU-Israel relations and explored the untapped potential for future cooperation. The following interventions by the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) of the European Commission and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) provided the audience with a comprehensive overview of the EU Space Programme and its components and the wide spectrum of space-borne applications in the transport & mobility market. Another perspective on space applications in mobility was provided by a series of local experts diving into the needs of the Israeli market. The last session featured the representatives of six EU space companies, who had the opportunity to pitch their innovative products.

The multi-dimensional applications of satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing

Since their establishment, the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (EGNSS) Galileo and EGNOS have been enabling a wide range of novel applications in the mobility sector, helping road users, public administrations and transport companies save time, enjoy safer and more comfortable transportation networks and provide better services. The most noteworthy applications include:
 

• Navigation. This is the most common application of GNSS. Galileo provides stronger and wider signals compared to GPS. This translates into more precise Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) and In-Vehicle Systems (IVS), leading users to conduct more time-efficient trips with higher accuracy. Galileo’s stronger signals allow the receivers to acquire real-time satellite information also in dense urban areas. EGNOS is currently the preferred technology in the field of precision farming thanks to the ultra-precise positioning corrections provided to new generations of tractors.
   
• Fleet Management. Keeping track of the status and location of assets is of vital importance to transport operators. Thanks to Galileo and EGNOS, EU NewSpace companies are developing innovative solutions to efficiently manage transport fleets (trucks, cars, wagons, ships). These services support predictive maintenance, the tracking of dangerous goods, or real-time status check of assets in remote and hardly accessible areas. Car-sharing and bike-sharing companies also benefit from satellite signals to monitor the status of their vehicles.       
   
• Liability- and payment-critical applications. Space infrastructure is revolutionising the world of insurance. With Copernicus satellite imagery, insurance companies and their customers can access reliable information to evaluate damages to properties and implement fact-based premium calculations. Galileo and EGNOS have also a role to play in what is called insurance telematics; the high quality signals provided by the EGNSS infrastructure allow insurers and subscribers to adopt more flexible insurance solutions such as Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) contracts. But flexibility does not concern only the world of insurance: Galileo and EGNOS also enable electronic toll collection systems that give way to more flexible Road User Charging (RUC) options, whereby motorists are charged depending on different criteria such as travelled distance, vehicle types or emission levels. Such systems are being implemented throughout the EU: between 2020 and 2021, Bulgaria, Czechia and Poland adopted electronic toll collection systems in parts of their national networks.
   
• Safety-critical applications. Safety is paramount in any transportation network, and EU space capabilities have shown multiple benefits in this regard. Galileo and EGNOS feature the necessary technology to guide Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and provide situational awareness to autonomous vehicles, guaranteeing reliable and faster Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communications. With a proven track record of reduced time to first fix, the Galileo-enabled localisation of a vehicle embarking on a journey surpass the capabilities of devices using only GPS signals.  

A success story: fostering business cooperation on space globally

The Business-to-Business area represented an ideal setting for EU companies and local stakeholders to meet and discuss how to best adapt innovative satellite-powered solutions to the Israeli mobility context. Thanks to its Global Action on Space project, the European Commission brought to Tel Aviv a diverse group of EU space companies: Bitrezus, Stellar Technologies, Hiotee, Volvero, Aistech Space and Remos Space.

The products were as diverse as the companies themselves, ranging from new car-sharing solutions and software for satellite ground operations to services leveraging on Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices or blockchain technology.

The participation at EcoMotion Week 2023 successfully stimulated cross-country engagement: thanks to the matchmaking efforts fostered within the EU Global Action on Space initiative, the event played host to the signing of two Partnership Agreements between Volvero and Remos Space and two respective counterparts. Hopefully, the Agreements represent only a first step towards a long-lasting international cooperation contributing to a more digital and sustainable future.

The event showcased how private businesses bring added value to the space and mobility ecosystems through innovative applications tailored to the needs of end-users using EU space capabilities. Such type of projects not only contribute to forging stronger relations between the EU and its partners around the world but most importantly help achieve the twin green and digital transitions objectives the EU is spearheading.

The business coaching service of the EU Global Action on Space supports any company or organisation using, or seeking to use, EU space capabilities in finding potential partners in over 90 countries worldwide. The service is provided through a wide range of internationalisation activities, from personalised consulting and networking events to matchmaking and pitching opportunities, all provided for free to eligible companies and organisations.

→ Check your eligibility on this page.

→ Stay tuned for more matchmaking/pitching opportunities around the world by checking our events page

→ Explore our space market report on the European Neighbourhood

→ Learn more about EU-Israel relations