This year will be remembered as a significant step forward for Europe and space. This year we will witness important satellite launches for the Galileo and Copernicus programmes, a new European space strategy, and an operational European global satellite navigation system (GNSS) with Galileo on track to declare initial services.
But how can we use our space assets to tackle challenges in areas such as energy, healthcare, mobility and the environment? How can European businesses and entrepreneurs harness the power of space technology to build the innovative applications and services needed to address these challenges?
Providing answers to these questions and more will be the focus of the 2016 European space solutions event, from 30 May until 3 June in The Hague, The Netherlands. Europe's space infrastructure is being put in place, the stage is set and EU investment in space technology is starting to pay off.
The ultimate objective, of course, is to effectively translate EU satellite signals and data into valuable and reliable services for European citizens; services that will be tools for growth, enablers for business and agents of societal progress.
Now we need the inspiration, the innovation, the vision and the visionaries to capitalise on these tools - and that's what European space solutions aims to help seed up, inspire, enable and facilitate.
According to the latest European GNSS agency market report, in 2014 there were 3.6 billion global GNSS devices in use around the world. By 2019, this is forecasted to increase to over seven billion.
In addition, the global core GNSS downstream market is forecasted to increase by 8.3 per cent annually between 2013 and 2019. In other words, this downstream market is expected to grow, on average, much faster than the forecasted global GDP during the same period.
Further, downstream industry is characterised by a few very large companies and a plethora of SMEs, with European companies accounting for a quarter of the global GNSS market.
A significant share of this market involves GNSS applications and services, addressing issues relating to everything from climate change and the environment to smart mobility, healthcare and agriculture - to name only a few.
More importantly, this market presents a huge opportunity for European businesses, SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Take, for example, location based services (LBS). Today, everything from smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, digital cameras, portable computers and fitness gear depend on GNSS positioning for navigation, mapping and determining consumer preferences.
In the area of healthcare, these tracking devices and wearables support navigation and overall mobility for impaired and elderly patients. Known as 'social LBS', these applications improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by reducing the constraints and barriers of everyday life.
Another area where LBS is expected to have a large impact is with smart mobility applications. Space and satellite navigation are key enablers for the delivery of the next generation of mobility.
For example, satellites help provide turn-by-turn information to drivers, cyclists and even pedestrians. They can also be used in fleet management on-board units and road traffic monitoring services.
With growing cities and increased public transport, it is clear that GNSS services will become more and more important - presenting a huge opportunity for European businesses, SMEs and entrepreneurs.
European GNSS is also positioned to play a large role in the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). With some 50 billion connected 'smart objects' set to be on the market by 2020, GNSS - including Galileo and EGNOS - will play a vital enabling role, actually controlling such 'things' as UAVs and connected cars.
By allowing for the development of new applications, in addition to helping to improve existing applications, European GNSS will provide new avenues of economic opportunity to EU countries, businesses and citizens.
Given that all of these sectors and related applications demand an ever-increasing level of accuracy and robustness, all will benefit from Galileo.
For example, Galileo will provide IoT devices with more reliable positioning data. Galileo satellites will improve signal availability, therefore enhancing continuity of service for LBS in urban and challenging environments.
And by contributing to multi-constellation solutions and working in tandem with non-GNSS navigation technologies, Galileo will help satisfy the need for higher accuracy and faster 'time to first fix' required for new applications.
These issues and more will be explored at this year's European space solutions event, where policymakers will join business leaders to discuss how Europe's satellite navigation and Earth observation information can and are creating opportunities and providing solutions.
The event will feature high-level panel discussions on space solutions for the European economy, new perspectives in space, space and the energy union, space and the digital economy and security.
We will also be looking at space solutions for business, where business leaders will join EU policymakers to discuss how today's satellite navigation and Earth observation programmes are opening new avenues for business efficiency and growth.
There will also be six user-driven topic sessions, to offer information and insight on how Europe's space programmes can benefit the agriculture and food, smart mobility, climate change and the environment, health and safety, energy and water management sectors.
A range of focused side events will take place, including the United Nations international committee on global navigation satellite systems (ICG), GNSS in Asia and the Galileo public regulated services (PRS).
An exhibition will showcase over 50 innovative space applications, technology solutions and pioneering research from across Europe. There will also be demonstrations, opportunities for one-on-one business meetings and networking, and more.
To help your European business better understand - and access - the lucrative market of European GNSS, please join the European Commission, GSA and an array of thought leaders from both the public and private sectors during the 2016 European space solutions conference. I look forward to seeing you in The Hague.