GSA, incubator cooperation brings European projects to Czechia

CTK

Cooperation between the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) and the European Space Agency's business incubation centres (ESA BIC) in Czechia enables Czech firms to participate in the EU's Horizon 2020 science programme, government commissioner Karel Dobes has said.

The GSA, which is based in Prague, yields some Kc200m per year for the Czech economy, and employs 200 people from 21 countries, the agency said.

Thanks to firms' involvement in the ESA BIC incubators in Prague and Brno, new technologies are introduced to the Czech industry, said government commissioner for cooperation with the GSA Karel Dobes at a press conference held at the GSA's Prague headquarters today.

Brno-based Frentech Aerospace has produced mechanisms for developing solar panels that were used on 75 satellites, Dobes said, citing the firm as one of the examples.

The GPS, Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems play a vital role in agriculture, for example, said Dobes.

One of the Czech companies participating in the ESA BIC incubator, Big Terra, is currently using the Sentinel 1 satellite to supply information about the state of vegetation and agricultural crops in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Czechia has had a head start in the space industry on its neighbouring countries, Dobes said. This was, among others, thanks to the GSA being based in Prague, he added.

The GSA was established as an EU agency in 2004 and has been headquartered in Prague since 2012. It is in charge of operating the European Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems.

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