The European Commission was looking for your creative take on what the name of its new space-based secure connectivity system could be. The competition, held under the patronage of EU Commissioners Thierry Breton and Mariya Gabriel (watch their video messages below), invited students from the EU and African Union countries to suggest a name that captures the political ambitions of this new initiative, its objectives and its technological innovation. The selected name will be the corporate and political trademark of the new space-based connectivity system.
The competition closed on 31 August. As the 690 proposals are being evaluated, stay tuned for the results !
"This constellation will be yours, ours;it will belong to all of us Europeans as it will offer high-speed Internet access to every corner of the European Union. It will put an end to the “white zones” and will allow European citizens, companies and researchers, to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by digital technology and connectivity.
It will also be a technology-setter, integrating the latest advances in terms of security: Secured transmissions and secured communications notably with quantum technologies. Finally, as this is particularly important to me, this constellation will also be a way to bring Europe closer to its neighbours and long-time partners. And above all, the entire African continent."
Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal market and Space
"We really want to emphasize on the young innovative minds for this name competition, especially in the context of the ongoing European Year of Youth.
This competition is of great importance for us, as it will put a name to the newest component of the European Space programme. This new system will be a real technology-setter, bringing key benefits of this Digital Decade to our citizens, business and researchers. …. We count on your fresh ideas and your out-of-the-box thinking to find a suitable name for this fantastic new initiative."
Maryia Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Rules of the competition
You can participate individually, or as a team of up to 3 members.
Proposals should be submitted no later than 31 August 2022 through the dedicated online form. Keep your explanations short and to the point. You have a maximum of 500 characters to describe the rationale behind your proposal and demonstrate that your name is the winning one!
Feel free to use any of the three official working languages of the European Commission (German, English or French).
An expert panel from the European Commission and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) will evaluate the applications.
The winning proposal will be announced later in the year by the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton. The winner(s) will be invited to the closing event of the European Year of Youth, taking place at the European Parliament in Brussels in December 2022, as well as to an immersive day within the EU institutions.
- June 7Opening of the Competition
- August 31 (23:59 CET)Deadline to Submit applications
- End of 2022Announcement of the winner(s) by the European Commission
- reflect the specificities of the secure connectivity initiative outlined below;
- be understandable by European citizens regardless of their mother tongue;
- be free of right and not linked to any existing copyright;
- Additional points will be awarded to proposals which successfully reflect the African dimension of the initiative.
- be citizens of at least one EU Member State, an EEA/EFTA Member State, an EU Candidate country or an African Union (AU) Member State;
- be enrolled in a higher education institutions based in EU/EEA/EFTA, EU Candidate country or African Union Member State for the 2021/2022 school year;
- allow the European Union to have all intellectual property rights on the proposed name.
- Only applications fulfilling all of the above criteria will be considered;
- each student/team may submit multiple applications, each with a single name proposal;
- once submitted, an application cannot be modified nor deleted to be replaced by a new one.
About the new space-based secure connectivity system
Alongside Copernicus and Galileo, the new secure connectivity system will be the third pillar of the Union’s presence in space, a state-of-the-art space-based system providing high-speed and secure communication services across Europe, Africa and beyond.
This innovative space-based system will have several uses and benefits.
First of all, it aims to provide reliable, cost-effective and ultra-secure connectivity for governmental and commercial communication. This way, it will better protect various stakeholders - businesses, public authorities and the general public - against cyber- and hybrid threats.
Then, the system will ensure the protection of critical infrastructures, such as energy grids or telecommunication networks. We can all realise these days how important it is to be able to have autonomous and reliable communication means.
It will be of use in maritime and airspace surveillance, crisis management or telemedicine. Finally, this innovative system will provide digital connectivity everywhere in the EU, the continent of Africa and the Arctic region – a digital Union in practice.
In a nutshell, this new project ticks all the boxes but only misses a name to tell the whole story!
Useful links and resources
Check the legislative proposal for a Regulation establishing the Union secure connectivity programme published on 15 February 2022.
EU initiates a satellite-based connectivity system and boosts action on management of space traffic for a more digital and resilient Europe.
Discover the priorities of the EU Space programme, its components and the services they provide.