UK based Sci-Tech Systems (Essex) has won the 2008 European Satellite Navigation Competition (formerly the Galileo Masters Competition). Sci-Tech beat nearly 300 other submissions from across Europe to win the title of “Galileo Master”.

The winners Peter Hall, Christine Edwards, David Lewin and Roger Noble, a team of experienced sailing and business enthusiasts from a major sailing centre in East Anglia, received their award from Ann Sta Head of the Galileo Programme Division in the UK’s Department for Transport and one of the UK’s expert panel of Judges, at a prestigious ceremony at the Residenz Munchen in Munich, attended by more than 400 international guests last night.

Sci-Tech’s Peter Hall, a keen yachtsman himself said: “I am enormously proud to have won the coveted award of Galileo Master.  It’s not only a great morale booster, but will help us transform the concept into a business reality.  HBIC has given me tremendous support in defining our business model and in securing intellectual property rights.  HBIC’s promotion of the Galileo Masters Competition in the UK has encouraged people like me to come up with many new ideas and potential business opportunities.”

Sci-Tech Systems’ winning idea is to use the Galileo satellite systems to help save lives through a quicker and a more effective method of locating people who have fallen over board ships.  It provides real time monitoring of the casualty’s positions, thus enabling an immediate and more efficient local rescue. It is compatible with existing maritime navigational systems in both private and commercial situations.

In addition to the European Satellite Navigation prize of Galileo Master, Sci-Tech Systems was also the winners of the GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) Special Interest Prize and the UK SatNav Challenge.

The UK SatNav Challenge, part of the overall European Satellite Navigation Competition is managed by Hertfordshire Business Incubation Centre (HBIC).  HBIC was the first Enterprise Hub to be established for the East of England and ESA’s UK Space Incubator.  The UK SatNav Challenge was sponsored and supported by Aston Science Park, HBIC’s collaborative partner, as well as the East of England Development Agency, South East England Development Agency, Astrium Ltd, Thales, British National Space Centre, the Department for Transport, Location & Timing KTN, the University of Nottingham and Scott & York Intellectual Property.

Philip Lines, Chief Executive of HBIC, and Director of Finance at Aston Science Park, added: “I would like to congratulate Peter and his team on being the first triple winners in the competition.  I am sure this will provide Sci-Tech with a springboard for future business success and we look forward to helping them achieve this.  I am delighted by the interest we have seen in this year’s competition and the new, exciting and innovative ideas coming forward.  The positive feedback we have received from our key industry sponsors and the companies entering the competition highlights the importance of technology and innovation for UK business which proves that the UK SatNav Challenge has been a huge success.”

Bill Collins, Business Development Manager at HBIC, who manages the UK SatNav Challenge said: “This is a regional project that has been acknowledged by many EU members and countries as far afield as, Taiwan and Australia to be a potential life saver on a global scale.  We, together with our collaborative partners, will be working closely with Sci-Tech and other entrants over the coming months to help develop their business ideas, as well as looking forward to launching and managing next year’s competition.  This will be the fifth year HBIC has managed the UK Challenge and in 2009 it means the International Evaluation will be hosted by HBIC. We would like to encourage all of our leading industries to come forward to support and sponsor this significant UK Challenge and demonstrate once more the UK’s ability to manage such a prestigious event and maximise the potential to the benefit of all.”

Henk Koopmans from The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) said: “EEDA is pleased to have supported the Galileo Masters UK Challenge for the fourth year running. This European contest provides a fantastic showcase for the most creative satellite navigation technologies to come out of the UK. It also complements EEDA and SEEDA’s regional programmes of driving forward innovation in science, technology and research across the East of England and the Greater South East Region”.