14th International Navigation Forum: Space for People

The central event of the year in the commercial use of satellite navigation technologies, primarily the Russian GLONASS navigation system, took place today at Expocentre Fairgrounds as part of Russian Week of High Technologies 2021. 

This year the 14th International Navigation Forum was dedicated to discussion of the Sfera programme being developed by Roscosmos. Alexander Gurko, President of GLONASS Union, moderated the plenary session of the forum. 

Yuri Urlichich, First Deputy General Director for Orbital Constellation Development and Advanced Projects at the Roscosmos State Corporation, said that "in terms of its content and functionality, Sfera is superior to all space systems previously created in our country. For the first time in the history of Russian and maybe even world cosmonautics there will be an opportunity to combine communication, data transmission, navigation and Earth remote sensing services and make these services available to everyone by means of synergy". 

The developers believe that the way not only Russian cosmonautics, but the entire economy will follow depends to a large extent on the form Sfera will take. The programme will allow our country to take the lead in the world in communications, navigation, meteorology, satellite Internet, TV and radio broadcasting, remote sensing and new services related to positioning and data transmission, such as the Internet of Things, as well as ensuring that new launch vehicles are in demand in the Russian launch services market.

The plenary session was attended by Konstantin Smaznov, Deputy Director of the Radio-Electronic Industry Department of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dmitry Bakanov, Director of the Digital Development Department of the Russian Ministry of Transport, Dmitry Sevostyanov, Director General of Gazprom Space Systems. 

At the 14th International Navigation Forum, key participants of the navigation and related technologies market presented their developments and solutions based on GLONASS/GPS for the areas of retail, transport logistics, insurance telematics, industry, construction, agriculture and geodesy. A large part of the forum programme focused on the application of GNSS technologies for unmanned and connected vehicles.

The forum participants discussed state policy in the interests of breakthrough development of navigation satellite systems, commercialisation of satellite technologies for transport, formation of new markets of innovative products in navigation sphere and many other issues. Experts from government and non-profit associations reviewed and analysed technological and market trends in the navigation industry in Russia and worldwide, with a special focus on unmanned transport. 

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO