The Emitech Group announces the acquisition of Guide-GNSS, an independent COFRAC-accredited testing laboratory specialising in the performance validation of satellite navigation systems (GNSS). This strategic move marks the Emitech Group's entry into a rapidly growing field and complements its expertise in functional, regulatory and environmental testing.
Unique expertise in GNSS metrology
Founded in 2010, Guide-GNSS is now a recognised European player in the evaluation, validation and certification of GNSS positioning systems. It is ISO 17025 accredited with flexible level 3 scopes [1]– a rare case in Europe. – The Toulouse laboratory uses precise, tailored and proven methods to conduct tests in real-life situations or on test benches with real or simulated GNSS signals. These positioning systems play an increasingly essential role in critical functions, particularly in sectors such as automotive, rail, aeronautics, maritime and agriculture.
Guide-GNSS's services cover:
- GNSS performance testing (accuracy, integrity, resilience to GNSS attacks),
- The design of customised test scenarios and the modelling of synthetic environments for digital simulation.
- Consulting in GNSS engineering and advanced metrology.
Guide-GNSS is also co-author of the EN 16803 series of standards, demonstrating its role as a technical reference in its field.
A strategic contribution to the Emitech Group
The merger with Guide-GNSS brings the Emitech Group unique skills and high value-added services, complementing its existing offering (EMC, radio, electrical safety, environment, etc.).
This integration will enable:
- An extension of the offering to critical applications:
- Geolocation technologies are now at the heart of innovations in embedded systems for autonomous vehicles, drones, trains and agricultural machinery. With Guide-GNSS, Emitech is becoming a key player in assessing the accuracy, reliability and resilience of these systems under realistic operating conditions.
Enhanced support for the aeronautics and defence sectors:
GNSS applications are strategic for aeronautics (precision approaches, ADS-B, EGNOS, embedded GNSS systems) and defence (location in degraded environments, resilience to jamming and spoofing threats).
Guide-GNSS has unique expertise in testing the performance of these systems, including simulating complex environments and measuring the impact of radio frequency attacks (jammers/spoofers). The Emitech Group can thus assist equipment manufacturers and armed forces in qualifying critical solutions incorporating GNSS, in addition to its EMC, environmental and mechanical testing.
These capabilities meet the growing needs of dual-use (civilian and military) applications, where positioning reliability is crucial for operational safety.
The ability to offer integrated multi-physical testing:
The Emitech Group already has extensive testing infrastructure for embedded equipment (EMC anechoic chambers, vibration and climate test benches, etc.). Thanks to the integration of GNSS guidance resources (GNSS signal digitisation and replay systems, constellation simulators), the Emitech Group will be able to carry out test campaigns combining physical tests (vibration, EMC, shock) and GNSS performance validation.
This integrated approach is particularly relevant for the aerospace and defence sectors, where the robustness of a system (avionics, drones, military vehicles) depends on the interaction of multiple factors (mechanical and radio frequency environment, positioning quality, radio link security, etc.).
Opportunities in R&D and innovation:
The combination of Emitech and Guide-GNSS's R&D expertise opens up new prospects, particularly for the innovative development of primary navigation solutions (high precision, enhanced reliability, sensor hybridisation, protection against radio cyber attacks).
- At a time when manufacturers are seeking to optimise their processes and reduce development cycles by combining physical testing and simulation, digital twins and test virtualisation are coming to the fore. Boosted by AI (Artificial Intelligence), the models developed by GUIDE GNSS make it possible to realistically reproduce the GNSS environment and its constraints, while EMITECH experts know how to model the vibratory environments, temperatures and EMC interference experienced. The combination of these skills makes it possible to create representative virtual environments for testing positioning reliability in different operational configurations.
This joint work will support the strategic projects of manufacturers and public authorities in the fields of smart mobility and defence.
A rapidly expanding GNSS market
According to analyses by the EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programme), GNSS technologies are set to play a central role in the mobility of tomorrow. The growing adoption of automation (ADAS, autonomous driving), stricter regulatory requirements (ITS, ISO 26262) and new agricultural and industrial applications are driving the emergence of operational positioning solutions.
With this acquisition, the Emitech Group is positioning itself as a key player in this transformation, capable of assessing not only compliance but also the actual performance of equipment with critical geolocation functions.
For more information, please contact Xavier Leblan (x.leblan@emitech-group.com / xavier.leblan@guide-gnss.com).
In the photo: in the centre, Xavier LEBLAN, Head of Development, and Giuseppe ROTONDO, Technical Director, accompanied by their Data Scientists, Alex GAUTIER and Gabin PROST
[1] COFRAC Testing Accreditation No. 1-6924 – scopes available at www.cofrac.fr
