AVIS project successfully completes its first test run

GMV has carried out the first test run for AVIS (Automated Vessels on European Inland Waterways), a project that seeks to redefine vessel navigation on inland waterways by analyzing how the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Earth observation can contribute to automated river navigation. The demonstration was carried out on the Guadalquivir River, one of the four test run sites, and was successful, with no deviations or interruptions.

The project, backed by the European Commission and led by GMV, harnesses the full potential of space technology and explores the capabilities of Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus to improve efficiency, digitalization, and environmental performance in the field of safety and security. The main goal of the initiative is to maximize the potential of inland waterways, one of the cleanest modes of transport in Europe.

To achieve this goal, projects such as AVIS are working to make vessels smarter, safer, and more automated, offering tools that bring river vessels closer to a future where they can navigate confidently alongside traditional traffic and under uniform European standards.

As such, AVIS seeks to study how Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus can contribute to the creation of a navigation ecosystem that allows vessels to accurately determine their position, continuously assess river conditions thanks to Earth observation information, predict risks, and share routes, among other breakthroughs.

AVIS is designing and implementing a research prototype while collecting data for scientific analysis to assess the feasibility of such an ecosystem. This prototype will be installed on vessels sailing in Spain, Romania, Germany, and Hungary for testing, and the Guadalquivir River pilot in Spain was recently completed successfully. Notable results include the high integrity provided by the prototype thanks to the calculated protection levels; the alerts generated by Copernicus in river areas, confirmed by the authorities; and the proper functioning of other navigation aid alerts, increasing safety in inland river navigation.

This achievement reflects the various applications of European space technology in real-world environments and under operational conditions, as in the case of rivers. Following the success of the tests on the Guadalquivir, three additional projects on the Danube and Rhine are planned for 2026.