GMV leads GERMINAL, the European project driving the next generation of navigation communication solutions.
GMV strengthens its role as a European leader in navigation and communications by heading the GERMINAL project, an initiative co-financed by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). Running from June 2024 to June 2026, GERMINAL aims to design and test two groundbreaking solutions in the field of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT): a Universal Hybrid User Terminal (UHUT) and a highly optimized IoT software receiver.
GMV’s technical leadership and consortium coordination.
As the project leader, GMV heads a consortium that also includes IMDEA and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The company is coordinating all activities between consortium members and EUSPA, leveraging its proven expertise in satellite navigation and in hybridizing signals (GNSS, 5G, LEO-PNT, and LEO-SOP), as well as in developing low-power IoT devices.
On the technical side, GMV is responsible for the core developments: the physical design of the UHUT, the GNSS and LEO-PNT sections, sensor fusion algorithms, and most of the software. GMV also leads the complete development of the IoT software receiver.
Most of GERMINAL’s activities are taking place in Spain, consolidating the country’s role as a hub of technological innovation within the European space program. The project also benefits from synergies with other LEO-PNT developments already underway at GMV, contributing to Europe’s efforts to build more robust, resilient, and future-ready navigation and communication systems.
On September 11, Freddy A. Pinto-Benel (GNSS signal processing engineer) delivered a presentation at the ION GNSS conference in Baltimore, USA, on behalf of GMV, showcasing the GERMINAL project. The talk, titled “Unified Navigation and Communication Hybrid Terminal,” outlined how emerging Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) sources such as 5G Terrestrial Networks, Non-Terrestrial Networks, and LEO-PNT, when combined with existing systems like GNSS and LEO Signals of Opportunity, can deliver continuous, reliable, and resilient navigation. The proposed hybrid terminal integrates these technologies to enable advanced navigation solutions across challenging environments, providing enhanced robustness, availability and accuracy, paving the way for innovative services. The presentation was recognized as the best in its session.
GMV is a privately owned technology business group founded in 1984 and trading on a worldwide scale in the following sectors: Space, Aeronautics, Defense and Security,
Cybersecurity, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Automotive, Healthcare, Telecommunications and IT for government authorities and major corporations. In 2024, the company posted a total income of over €454 million. With more than 3,500 employees, it currently has subsidiaries in Spain, the USA, Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malaysia, and Colombia, with 75% of its revenue derived from international projects on five continents. The company’s growth strategy is based on continuous innovation, allowing it to reinvest over 10% of its profits in its own R&D. GMV holds CMMI Level 5, the most prestigious model in the world for evaluating organizational processes, as well as numerous international patents. Currently, GMV is the leading independent provider of ground control systems for commercial satellite operators worldwide and is a leader in Europe and a global reference in the ground segment of global satellite navigation systems (EGNOS, Galileo, and SouthPAN). The company is also the main provider of command and control systems for the Spanish Army and a global reference in telematics systems for public transportation. In the ICT sector, it is a leading provider of advanced cybersecurity solutions and services, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.
