We Visited for You

GNSS 2003 - the European Navigation Conference ran from 22nd-25th April 2003 in Graz, Austria. The overall feedback from 470 participants from 36 nations and 25 exhibiting companies was positive and the organisers too noted the smooth and well-co-ordinated progress of this major European navigation event. The many non-European participants show that these GNSS conferences are gaining in importance for researchers, policy makers, manufacturers, users and service providers all over the world.

GNSS 2003 was the seventh conference in the GNSS series held under the auspices of the European Group of Institutes of Navigation (EUGIN). The conference, hosted by the Austrian Institute of Navigation (OVN) and organised by TeleConsult Austria (www. teleconsult-austria.at), focused on the present status, as well as on future developments in navigation systems, with special emphasis on Galileo. Thus GNSS 2003 was a showcase both for the state-of-the-art and, more importantly, for innovations in the field of terrestrial and satellite navigation.

Round Table Discussion
The programme started with an introduction to navigation given by last year’s winner of the GNSS Best Presentation Award, Dr Christian Tiberius from Delft University of Technology. The subsequent official opening session included excellent keynote speeches by Prof. Vidal Ashkenazi (Nottingham Scientific Ltd.) and Prof. David Last (University of Wales). The plenary session comprised welcome addresses by representatives of the European Group of Institutes of Navigation (EUGIN), the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) and the Austrian Institute of
Navigation (OVN). This session further included an interesting round table discussion about the present status and future developments of the US GPS, the Russian GLONASS, the European Galileo, the Japanese MSAS/QZSS and the Chinese BEIDOU.

Flashlight Sessions
The scientific programme was scheduled in parallel sessions, each comprising four oral presentations. In addition, flashlight sessions were held, each consisting of twelve short presentations of five minutes each, in which researchers could briefly introduce their scientific work. Although flashlight sessions represent a quite new and, to some extent daring, initiative they turned out to be effective. All presenters stayed within time, whilst generating interest within the audience. The scientific programme finished with a plenary closing session. One of the highlights was the presentation of the GNSS Best Presentation Award to Wouter J. Pelgrum (The Netherlands).

Social Activities
Participants had a number of opportunities to meet each other and to establish new (business) contacts, not only during coffee and lunch breaks but also at the Ice Breaker Party, the reception of the Governor of Styria, and the Styrian Night, which took place in a traditional Austrian brewery. Accompanying persons and participants who wished to take a ‘day off’ could take part in guided tours through the old town of Graz, visit the famous stud, Piber, and the thermal baths, Blumau, and travel to the South-Styrian Weinstrasse.

Final Remarks
The conference was a real success. Europe is on the way to establishing a series of trend-setting GNSS conferences of good and world-wide reputation! For further information on and ordering of digital GNSS 2003 proceedings on CD, please visit www. gnss2003.com, or contact office@ gnss2003.com.