Oberpfaffenhofen Control Centre inaugurated

Tiefensee: Galileo is coming

"Galileo is coming. As of today, this is clear for everyone to see in Oberpfaffenhofen." These were the words of the Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee, speaking at a ceremony marking the handover of the control centre to the German Aerospace Centre.

Mr Tiefensee stated: "This new control centre will create up to 100 new jobs in Germany, and this is just the start!"

The European Commission has estimated that Galileo will create around 150,000 jobs throughout Europe. Some three billion satellite navigation receivers will be in operation by 2020. In 2005, the global market for satellite-based products and services was worth a total of 60 billion euros, and it is expected that this figure will rise to 400 billion euros by 2025.

The Minister went on to say: "Galileo will continue to result in a high level of investment in Germany and to create a large number of jobs. It is now imperative that small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, develop innovative Galileo applications to ensure that they enjoy a share of this market."

Starting in 2009, thirty satellites will be progressively put into space and monitored and controlled from the control centre in Oberpfaffenhofen. The overall system is due to commence operation in 2013. The tendering process for the deployment of Galileo has been underway since July.

Mr Tiefensee concluded by saying: "The German aerospace industry is very well placed to compete on the European market, and it therefore has a good chance of receiving an appropriate share of the contracts awarded."