Responding to an open competitive Invitation to Tender (ITT) requires the submission of a Full Proposal. The submission of the Full Proposal initiates the evaluation process according to ESA regulations and procedures.
Patrick McLoughlin, UK Secretary of State for Transport, has announced, during a speech at RailLive 2014, the largest outdoor rail event in the UK, that two prizes of €50,000 have been awarded in the Space for Rail competition. Launched in October 2013, the competition was initiated and co-funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK rail industry’s Enabling Innovation Team (EIT) with support of the Satellite Applications Catapult and the UK Technology Strategy Board. Prizes will be used to fund two feasibility studies as part of ESA’s Integrated Applications Promotion (IAP) programme.
The rail industry faces a challenge to be able to technically deliver a railway with more capacity and customer satisfaction but for less cost and carbon. To support this, the FutureRailway team is working with a range of partners to help de-risk business solutions and technologies by helping move them from research through prototype to demonstration and eventual implementation.
The Space for Rail prize competition sought outline proposals to develop services for the UK rail industry involving two or more satellite-based systems, such as communications, navigation and/or remote sensing, which would be integrated with conventional non-space systems. The aim is to develop solutions that either meet rail industry current challenges and needs which cannot otherwise be fulfilled, or improve upon existing solutions.
The two winners are:
1. University of Birmingham (UK) with Avanti Communications Ltd (UK) – Identification of Physical Railway Line Blockages in Support of Inspection and Recovery Operations
The proposed activity concerns the development of a service concept that provides cost effective, 24/7 identification of physical line blockages due to poor weather conditions. The study seeks to address two main challenges: a) Reliable use of satellite navigation signals and earth located antennae to detect objects or infrastructure failures serious enough to block a railway line. b) Providing reliable communications and accompanying processes to enable robust decision making and effective targeting of resources for necessary response actions when line blockages are detected.
2. VTOL Technologies Ltd. (UK) – Railway Inspection Supported by Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)
The proposed integrated solution targets an RPAS aerial inspection capability specifically designed to meet the requirements of the UK rail industry, with inspection operations and inspection routes approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. In support of this, the study will investigate whether the deployment of RPAS within the UK rail industry is technically feasible and could deliver substantial cost and process benefits for railway inspection and maintenance operations.
Following coordination between FutureRailway, the UK Technology Strategy Board and ESA’s IAP programme, the two winners of the UK Space for Rail Prize have been invited to submit full proposals for feasibility studies to ESA. The activities, co-funded by ESA and FutureRailway, are anticipated to commence towards the end of 2014. Upon successful completion, the winners could use this as a stepping stone to the initiation of a larger-scale demonstration project.
The Space for Rail competition complements a portfolio of on-going activities by the ESA IAP programme in the rail sector. For more information, see: http://artes-apps.esa.int/projects/theme/transport-logistics
The objective of the Feasibility Study is to determine the technical feasibility and economic viability of an integrated satellite navigation and satellite communication solution complementing the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
Please provide the following information in order to receive regular updates regarding the upcoming ITT.
By registering this expression of interest, you accept that ESA may contact you regarding your possible involvement in this upcoming ITT.
No one needs to be reminded that natural hazards abound. As we well know, areas with unstable geology, for example, are prone to rock falls and landslides, with potentially severe human and economic consequences. Whereas the effects of landslides and subsidence upon communities in mountainous and coastal areas is well known, less well recognised is the danger of unstable terrain to the transport infrastructure across wide areas of Europe.
A half-day ARTES workshop was organised in Espoo, Finland on May 8th . The event focused on ARTES 3-4 and 5 programmes and was the first of its kind in Finland, bringing the Finnish telecommunication community together in order to explore and discuss the potentials for doing business with ESA. The main industry from this field was present, and the networking was lively and fruitful.
The workshop was hosted by VTT and co-organised from the Ambassador Platform Finland and Tekes (national delegation). Close to 30 delegates attended the workshop, of which 4 came from ESA. The participants came from the industry; only VTT represented the research community.
After the opening speech, ESA delegates gave 5 presentations on Satcom Market, Partnership Opportunities, ARTES Products and Applications and Newcomers Initiative. These were followed by two presentations about the experience of working with ESA.
The workshop was followed by one-to-one meetings in the afternoon. The meetings were organised in two parallel sessions between ESA delegates and Finnish industry. All 9 companies signed up for the meetings and most of them for both sessions. The company feedback regarded these one-to-one meetings as top priority.
The event initiated various user ideas and project proposals. These will be followed-up by further discussions. The ARTES 3-4 SATCOM-APPS Newcomers Initiative will also be given extra attention and promotion to attract newcomers from Finnish SMEs.
The presentations from the workshop are available for download at: Dropbox (zipped file, 16.85 MB).
SpaceForMed is a joint undertaking between ESA and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Its objective is to support economic growth in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean regions by exploring the possibilities offered by space-based services in key economic sectors.
As part of the activities to be performed, ESA and EIB are pleased to announce the launch of two open competitive tenders to explore possible services in the areas of transport and Logistics as well as water management. These opportunities are announced in EMITS since 14/04/2014 and they will be opened for a period of eight (8) weeks.
The tenders are open to all ESA Member States, EU Member States and target countries of EIB’s FEMIP Trust Fund (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Gaza / West Bank, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon), and the SoW will be made available on an exceptional basis through the following links, upon registration:
Identification of Opportunities to Develop Space-based Services for Transport and Logistics in FEMIP Countries
Identification of Opportunities to Develop Space-based Services for Water Management in FEMIP Countries
Please be aware that the rest of the tender documentation as well as any questions on the tender will be made public only though EMITS.
The incorporation of satellite communication services in railway signalling systems is now one step closer thanks to the successful test of a demonstration system on a regional railway on the island of Sardinia (Italy). It was undertaken as part of the 3InSat (Train Integrated Safety Satellite System) project, co-funded within the framework of the European Space Agency’s ARTES 20 programme.
