IRGAL project, which has been co-funded by the European Union, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Piedmont Region within the DOCUP 2000-2006 Mis. 3.4 programme, aims at increasing the competitive edge of the Piedmont ICT district in the crucial areas of Time and Receivers that can be regarded as the core of satellite navigation. Specifically, research is focused on the areas of atomic clocks, optical links for time transfer, GNSS SW receiver and HW RF components with the objective of developing innovative technologies and finalizing them up to pre-competitive prototypes.

The project also supports a number of Galileo related ongoing initiatives in the Piedmont Region, primarily the implementation of the Precise Timing Facility (PTF), a key element of the Galileo ground infrastructure, and fosters the creation of both national and international alliances to feed the virtuous circle of innovation.

photo: ESA/J.Huart

To this purpose, a Temporary Association of Enterprises (ATS) has been established between Consorzio Torino Time (CTT), Project Leader, the Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB), a prominent research center that operates in partnership with the Politecnico of Torino, and Icarus Scpa. CTT, in turn, acts on its own and on behalf of its shareholders: Finpiemonte, Fondazione Torino Wireless, INRiM the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, the Politecnico of Torino, Alenia SIA, ALTEC, SEPA and Thales Alenia Space Italia.

The IRGAL project kick-off meeting was held on December 2006 and its closure is scheduled for the 30th  of September 2008.

ISMB – NavSAS lab	Politecnico of Torino	INRiM - One of the labs