The Olympic Games are the world’s ultimate sporting contest, but it’s not only the athletes who are at the top of their game in Paris this year. Swiss tech company Insiders are piloting their Infinity technology in the sailing event, a product developed under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme with the potential to revolutionise the way we watch endurance sport.

Whilst fans of team and mechanical sports such as football and motor racing are accustomed to increasingly sophisticated viewing experiences and second screen app options, replicating this across outdoor endurance sports is more challenging. Infinity uses Global Navigation Satellite Service (GNSS) with Real-time kinematic (RTK) technology to provide positioning information to within cm accuracy, implementing existing RTK base station and cellular antenna infrastructure and a dedicated server to interpret the data in real-time. Long Term Evolution Machine (LTE-M) technology ensures global connectivity, even in remote areas with poor network coverage.

The Infinity system provides athletes with cutting-edge tracking units which transmit data live to the Insiders server. It is then processed in real-time and seamlessly shared on screen, giving viewers live updates and insights into the athlete’s performance to enhance the traditional screening provision.  No longer the preserve of the arena and track supporters, fans of endurance sports can also now immerse themselves in the action, experiencing the thrill of their favourite sports competitions in real-time with unrivalled accuracy.
 

Davide Coppola, Head of Space Applications Initiatives Systems at ESA, said “This is one of the projects that came through our Space for Olympic Games funding call and it is especially exciting to see the results in action at such an important competition.”

With successful pilots testing the integration and validation of dedicated APIs, as well as the anti-rust and waterproof robustness of the devices, completed earlier this year, Insiders have already sold a number of units to a range of clients, with more in the pipeline. Whilst the focus is on the sailing at the Olympics, the system is also designed for other outdoor sports such as cycling, trail running and triathlons and has the potential to transform the way competitive endurance sports competitions are broadcast and viewed.

"The Infinity project required twelve months of R&D and significant investment, bringing together our ecosystem and demonstrating our capabilities" says Julien Moix, CEO of Insiders. "Our ambition has always been to add extra value to the sport by providing highly accurate data. We are proud to offer our technology in service of the Olympic Games, the sailing community, and their international fans." 

UK tech company Secure Innovation has launched its Remote Planet platform, a new service which uses space technology to provide remote management and monitoring of high value assets and infrastructure. The service, developed under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, offers customisable round-the-clock protection solutions for cash, logistics, critical assets and valuable assets in even the most remote locations, and is capable of safeguarding people in high-risk locations.

Managing high value assets securely and efficiently is increasingly challenging for businesses, especially those operating in hard-to-reach areas. Remote Planet offers a single, easy-to-use platform with custom reporting tools for businesses. As part of the project with ESA, the system was tested across three continents and successfully demonstrated a dual-directional command and monitoring capability able to offer exceptional uptime for customers using the service.



The geo-location settings are a key feature of the new service. Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) provide a location fix down to just 5 metres for accurate visibility. By harnessing a range of space technology and, crucially, the judicious use of data via a global Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) communication network to ensure seamless coverage when GNSS services are unreliable, Remote Planet is able to offer worldwide connectivity. The platform switches seamlessly to and from 4G when connectivity is threatened, resulting in ultra-high uptime levels. 

As well as providing geo-location settings, the real time service means that protection settings can be changed according to time, location or status. It allows businesses to react quickly to changing landscapes, and the system also has the capacity to interpret sensor readings and send messages automatically, anticipating unforeseen events which might cause harm.

By developing the software for the new system alongside its proprietary hardware, Secure Innovation Group has been able to develop a smart system that can be quickly and efficiently adapted and refined according to user requirements, without waiting for third party development rollouts and whilst still remaining compatible with mainstream systems. After sales support is a crucial element of the Remote Planet offering, with connectivity and IoT technology sitting alongside the hardware.

Marco Sartori, ESA Technical Officer on the Remote Planet project said “This has been a really interesting project, focusing on developing not only the software but also evolving the proprietary hardware, enabling a full service agile platform with the capacity and flexibility to react quickly to customer requirements.” 

The Remote Planet optimised service helps save businesses time by reducing the need for unnecessary site visits which have an impact on the environment, and its enhanced security features mean that it is also cost effective. Now operating in 15 countries across five continents, the platform already protects and monitors thousands of assets daily, valued at over £100 billion. Secure Innovation, based in Cornwall (in the far southwest of the UK) has, through the collaboration with ESA, reinforced its position as a major employer in the area, and is now equipped to expand further.  

“As a leading technology business, already securing cash and valuable assets in over 40 countries, Remote Planet has enabled Secure Innovation Group to bring flexible space-based IOT connectivity directly to assets over a wide range of industries across the globe” said Anthony McAndrew, Director of Connectivity at Secure Innovation.  “The collaboration with ESA has been a fantastic experience, and it has enabled us to grow our business reach to existing customers in the secure logistics market, as well as adjacent markets.  It’s exciting to consider the sheer range of solutions we can now provide to a myriad of customers anywhere on the planet through the Remote Planet platform.”

The European Space Agency and Ferrari have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) aimed at harnessing space technologies to drive innovation, enhance performance and promote sustainability.

The luxury sports car market is playing a role in the transformation of the overall automotive sector, influenced by technological advancements, changing clients’ preferences and ongoing regulatory changes. This new collaboration will focus on supporting new space applications in the key areas of route optimisation, logistics, supply chain sustainability and safety. By sharing knowledge and leveraging their collective resources and expertise, ESA plans to facilitate innovation across the luxury sports car sector in collaboration with Ferrari.

Ernesto Lasalandra, Ferrari’s Chief Research & Development Officer, said, “We are extremely pleased to work together with the European Space Agency on this initiative to explore potential new developments for sports car applications. By leveraging innovative applications and data-driven insights, we can find solutions that can inform future technology.”

The collaboration announcement comes ahead of ESA’s ‘Space for the Sports Car Sector – Efficiency, Safety And Sustainability’ funding opportunity which opens on 28 June 2024 which Ferrari is supporting. Successful proposals which address the various use cases of interest developed together with Ferrari have the potential to have the Italian company as a pilot test user.

Davide Coppola, Head of Space Applications Initiatives Section at ESA, said “This is a very exciting new collaboration with the potential to really drive innovation and sustainability at the top end of the luxury automotive market. By combining expertise from across the space and sports car sectors we are confident that we can facilitate pioneering technologies which will benefit the entire sector and beyond.”

For companies interested in finding out more about this funding opportunity, a webinar call by ESA and Ferrari will take place on 26 June at 14:00 CEST. Registration details are available here.

Maria Zaretskaya, Business Development & Partnerships Officer at ESA, said “We’re looking forward to working together with Ferrari to enable the development of innovative space-based applications and services for the sports car sector which will unlock significant business opportunities for European Industry’’.

About Ferrari
Ferrari is among the world’s leading luxury brands focused on the design, engineering, production and sale of the world’s most recognizable luxury performance sports cars. Ferrari brand symbolizes exclusivity, innovation, state-of-the-art sporting performance and Italian design. Its history and the image enjoyed by its cars are closely associated with its Formula 1 racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, the most successful team in Formula 1 history. From the inaugural year of Formula 1 in 1950 through the present, Scuderia Ferrari has won 245 Grand Prix races, 16 Constructors’ World titles and 15 Drivers’ World titles. Ferrari designs, engineers and produces its cars in Maranello, Italy, and sells them in over 60 markets worldwide

Sign up for the Webinar

Date    17 September 2024

Venue  Belfast Harbour 

            Harbour Office, Corporation Square, 

            Belfast BT1 3AL, United Kingdom

Cost     No charge for registered participants

Summary

The Belfast Harbour is hosting a one-day workshop on behalf of The European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA). The event will examine needs and priorities of the port sector around the themes of decarbonisation and sustainability and explore possible roles for current and emerging space data and services in supporting the green transition of port ecosystems.

Workshop Overview

The workshop will examine industry requirements for decarbonisation in known priority areas including onshore power, green shipping corridors and uptake of renewable energy solutions. 
Efficiency gains achievable through digitalisation of port operations will be examined including monitoring the impact of decarbonisation on port air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality. 
Emerging solutions enabled by space data and services will be presented and their potential for commercial exploitation by the port industry will be explored.

Event Programme

08.30 – 09.45   Registration and Refreshments

09.45 – 10.15   Welcome and Introductions

• Belfast Harbour - Kyle Flanigan, Infrastructure & Capacity Planning Lead
• Belfast City Council - Debbie Caldwell, Climate Commissioner
• UK Space Agency - Chris White-Horne, Deputy CEO for Programme Delivery
• European Space Agency - Géraldine Naja, Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness

10.15 – 11.45   Port Ecosystems, Current Status and Future Directions

Session Chair - Kyle Flanigan, Belfast Harbour

• Port Industry Challenges - Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy & External Affairs, British Ports Association Download the presentation
• Green Shipping Corridors - Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director of Maritime and Ports, Connected Places Catapult Download the presentation
• Onshore Power - Marlene Mitchell, Commercial Manager, Port of Aberdeen Download the presentation
• Environmental Sustainability - Alan Wells, Founder, Redshift Associates  Download the presentation

11.45 – 11.55   Break

11.55 – 13.10   Delivery Pathways and Funding Opportunities

Session Chair - Rickbir Bahia, UK Space Agency

• Port Decarbonisation Innovation Network - James Lovett, Innovation Lead, Future Maritime Technologies, Innovate UK Download the presentation
• European Space Agency - Rita Rinaldo, Head of Applications, Projects and Studies Division Download the presentation
• UKSA Space Applications for Port and Maritime - Chris Hall, Space Applications Delivery Lead, UK Space Agency Download the presentation
• Northern Ireland Perspectives - Robert Hill, Director of the Northern Ireland Space Office and NI Space Cluster Manager Download the presentation

13.10 – 14.00   Lunch, Network and Platform Demonstrations

• CACHE Net-Zero Platform - Geospatial Insight
• Digital Port Platform - Sinay
• Darwin Shuttle - Darwin Group
• SeaNext - Seafar

14.00 – 14.55   Panel 1.  Emerging Technologies - Industry Use Cases

Session Chair - Alan Wells, Redshift Associates

• Port IT Services 5G Connectivity - Laura O'Neil, Digital Transformation Manager, Belfast Harbour Download the presentation
• Autonomous road vehicles in ports – Paul Rizos, Business Analyst, Darwin Innovation Group Download the presentation
• Marine Sustainability - Quillon Harpham, Technical Director, Floods and Water Management, HR Wallingford Download the presentation
• Marine and Maritime AIS Data Fusion Analytics, KX Systems NI - Robert Hill, Director of the Northern Ireland Space Office and NI Space Cluster Manager 

15.00 – 16.00   Panel 2.  Current and Emerging Solutions

Session Chair - Roberta Mugellesi Dow, European Space Agency

• CACHE Net Zero port services - David Fox, Geospatial Insight Download the presentation
• Digital port platform - Thierry Ducellier, Sinay Download the presentation
• APACE Net Zero -  Steve Godman, BP International Download the presentation
• Remote monitoring and control of semi-autonomous vessels – Ghazaleh Kia, Seafar NV Download the presentation

16.00 - 16.15   Summary and Wrap Up Session

European Space Agency, UK Space Agency, Redshift Associates

Who should attend?

This exciting event will interest port operators, users, and stakeholders with ambitions towards decarbonisation and Net Zero port operations; service providers offering relevant transferable technologies from the space and other sectors, and representatives from the SME sector looking for markets for their early stage (TRL 4-6 use cases) capabilities.  

• Optimisation and energy efficiency technologies applied to the port sector.
• Vessel efficiency focused on data, software or autonomy.
• Autonomous vessels and port vehicles including subsystems such as control systems and sensors.
• New measures driving port decarbonisation including sensors and robotic systems.
• Port operations optimisation and digitisation.
• Digital tools such as for port emissions monitoring.
• Opportunities to introduce new technologies into the maritime sector

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