Kongsberg Seatex AS has joined the future of European maritime navigation by signing an agreement with the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU), which originates from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union (EU). GJU is responsible for the development and implementation of Galileo - Europe's state-of-the-art global navigation system.
Kongsberg will lead the Maritime Galileo (MARGAL) consortium, which will address future use and standardisation of Galileo Maritime services based on early use of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).
Industrial premise provider "KONGSBERG will take the role of an industrial premise provider in future maritime Galileo services, " says Mr. Gard Ueland, VP R&D at Kongsberg Seatex. "By leading this work KONGSBERG can have a major role in advancing the future of maritime navigation and will have a golden opportunity to deploy and tailor future product offerings with Galileo in mind."
As part of MARGAL, KONGSBERG is jointly responsible for addressing challenges related to port and harbour approach, navigation, precise navigation, monitoring, calamity abatement and inland waterways monitoring. Within this remit Kongsberg will address functionality, security, surveillance and safety with key elements involving accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability.
A major challenge faced by MARGAL is to provide identical basic solutions to both harbours/ports and inland waterways in order to provide a harmonised seamless service for both sectors. MARGAL is now moving into the design and demonstration phase with testing equipment placed along the Danube as well as in several UK ports.
"The award of the MARGAL contract is another statement in acknowledging Norway as a leading competence nation in maritime satellite navigation," concludes Bjørn A. Fossum, President of Kongsberg Seatex AS.
For further information, please contact: Gard Ueland, VP R&D, phone: 47 73 54 55 00, e-mail: eller Bjørn A. Fossum, phone: 47 73 54 55 00, e-mail: