Imagine dozens of drones buzzing around the same patch of sky — delivery drones, inspection drones, mapping drones — and nobody crashing into each other. Right now, that's really hard because GPS alone isn't accurate or secure enough. GAUSS used Europe's own Galileo satellite system to give every drone a much more precise and tamper-proof position fix, plus encrypted communications with ground control. They ran real flight tests — over land and at sea — with 4 drones of different types all sharing the same airspace safely.
Commercial drone operations are held back by a fundamental problem: current GPS-based positioning is not accurate or secure enough to safely fly multiple drones in the same airspace. Drones can be spoofed, jammed, or simply lose precision — which is a dealbreaker for regulators, insurers, and operators scaling beyond single-drone flights. Without reliable multi-drone coordination, the entire urban air mobility and drone delivery market stays stuck in small-scale trials.
GAUSS built a UTM system using Galileo-EGNOS satellite positioning with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities, encrypted air-ground communications, and an ADS-B solution for drone tracking. The system was validated in 2 field trial campaigns (inland and sea), coordinating 4 drones of different types, with results documented in two trials reports covering events, outcomes, and lessons learned.
If you are a drone logistics operator dealing with the challenge of flying multiple drones simultaneously in the same airspace — this project developed a Galileo-EGNOS based UTM coordination system validated with 4 drones in 2 field trials that enables safe multi-drone operations with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing positioning.
If you are an infrastructure inspection company worried about GPS spoofing or signal jamming when flying drones near sensitive sites — this project built multi-frequency, multi-constellation positioning with encrypted air-ground communications. The system was tested in both inland and maritime environments across 2 trial campaigns.
If you are a UTM service provider needing to safely coordinate growing drone traffic in very low-level airspace — this project delivered a Galileo-EGNOS based ADS-B solution and trajectory negotiation system tested with both fixed-wing and rotary-wing drones across EASA operational categories. The consortium of 9 partners from 5 countries validated the system in 2 field trials.
The project data does not include specific pricing or licensing costs. As an Innovation Action with 9 consortium partners including 5 industry players, commercialization terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator Everis Aeroespacial y Defensa (now NTT DATA). Integration costs will depend on your existing drone fleet and ground infrastructure.
The field trials validated coordination of 4 RPAS of different types (fixed and rotary wing) in shared airspace. The system architecture was designed to increase the number of platforms sharing the same airspace through precise Galileo-EGNOS positioning. Scaling beyond the trial size would require further validation.
The project was coordinated by Everis Aeroespacial y Defensa (a large Spanish aerospace company, now part of NTT DATA) with 9 partners across 5 countries. IP rights are typically shared among consortium members under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. Licensing discussions would need to go through the consortium.
GAUSS explicitly tested across EASA operational categories, which aligns with the EU drone regulation framework. The system supports safe trajectory definition and execution including emergency scenarios when safety or security is compromised. However, the project ended in 2021 and regulatory requirements may have evolved since.
The system was validated in 2 field trial campaigns (inland and maritime) with 4 coordinated drones. This puts it at a piloted stage. Based on available project data, the ADS-B solution, encrypted communications, and trajectory management components were demonstrated in realistic operational conditions but would need further industrialization for full commercial deployment.
GAUSS was designed around multi-frequency and multi-constellation GNSS receivers and includes ADS-B solutions and encrypted air-ground communications. The system worked with both fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms. Integration with existing fleet management systems would depend on your current architecture and the specific GAUSS components you need.
The GAUSS consortium brings together 9 partners from 5 countries (Spain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, UK) with a strong industry lean — 56% of the partners are companies, including 2 SMEs. The coordinator, Everis Aeroespacial y Defensa (now part of NTT DATA), is a major Spanish aerospace and defense firm with commercialization muscle. With 3 universities and 1 research organization providing the science backbone, this is a consortium built for technology transfer rather than pure research. For a business looking to adopt this technology, the presence of large industry partners suggests the results are closer to market-ready components than academic papers.
Everis Aeroespacial y Defensa SL (Spain) — now part of NTT DATA group. Contact their aerospace and defense division for technology licensing inquiries.
Want an introduction to the GAUSS team to discuss how their drone traffic management technology fits your operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right technical contact.
