GILAT SATELLITE NETWORKS LTD

Their core work

Gilat Satellite Networks is a commercial Israeli satellite communications company that designs, manufactures, and deploys VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) broadband satellite systems and network infrastructure globally. In H2020, they contributed two distinct capabilities: leading the development of an embedded electronically steerable antenna for in-flight satellite connectivity under the Clean Sky aviation programme, and participating in research on integrating satellite links into 5G terrestrial network architectures. Their value in consortia is that of an industry product owner — they bring real satellite hardware, operational networks, and systems integration experience rather than lab-only research. They are one of the few companies that can take EU research outputs and translate them into deployable commercial satellite products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 participation began with a highly specific aerospace hardware challenge — building a low-profile, electronically steerable satellite antenna that can be embedded into aircraft fuselage — under the prestigious Clean Sky programme. The second project pivoted toward network-level architecture, examining how satellite capacity slots into 5G systems rather than focusing on a single hardware component. This shift from antenna-level aerospace hardware toward broader telecom network integration suggests Gilat is expanding its positioning from a satellite hardware supplier into a satellite network architecture partner — relevant as LEO constellations and 5G convergence dominate the sector in the mid-2020s.

Gilat is moving from aviation-specific antenna hardware toward satellite-terrestrial network integration, positioning itself for the LEO-5G convergence wave — making them a relevant partner for future 6G, non-terrestrial network (NTN), or connected mobility consortia.

How they like to work

Gilat operates both as a consortium leader and as an industry partner, with one project in each role — unusual for a non-European company with limited H2020 presence. Their coordinator role on E2S2A2 under the demanding Clean Sky JTI demonstrates they can manage a multi-partner aerospace research project, not just contribute a component. With 17 unique partners across 11 countries from just two projects, they engage in medium-to-large consortia and appear comfortable working across international, multi-disciplinary teams.

Gilat has built a network of 17 unique consortium partners spanning 11 countries through just two projects — an unusually high ratio that reflects the large, multi-partner structure typical of Clean Sky and 5G flagship projects. Their network likely includes major European aerospace integrators, telecom operators, and antenna specialists.

What sets them apart

Gilat is one of very few Israeli commercial satellite operators to take a coordinator role in H2020, and they did so within the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative — one of the most demanding and industrially rigorous EU programmes. This means they bring not just research interest but commercial satellite product lines, which is rare among H2020 participants in the antenna and connectivity space. For a consortium needing an industry anchor that can commit to taking a research output toward a real deployable product, Gilat is a credible choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• E2S2A2
  Coordinator role on a Clean Sky JTI project — the most industrially rigorous EU aviation programme — developing a genuinely novel embedded electronically steerable antenna for aircraft, combining satellite communications, antenna engineering, and composite materials in a single deliverable.
• SaT5G
  Positioned Gilat within the satellite-5G convergence research community at exactly the moment this topic became central to EU connectivity policy, signalling strategic foresight beyond their core aviation antenna work.