Strategic Investment in Resilient INS/PNT Navigation Systems in the EU
Proposed EU PNT ecosystem integrating conventional GNSS (Galileo) with emerging alternative PNT sources, including terrestrial timing networks and on-board sensors, to enhance overall resilience.
Executive Summary
The European Union is accelerating strategic investment in resilient navigation technologies to reduce dependence on U.S. GPS and harden both military and civilian systems against electronic warfare and infrastructure failure. With military operations increasingly exposed to GNSS jamming and spoofing—as seen in Ukraine—Europe is prioritizing alternative PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) capabilities such as high-grade inertial systems, quantum sensors, and multi-sensor fusion. These technologies enable drones, autonomous vehicles, and critical infrastructure to operate in degraded environments without satellite signals. Backed by EU and NATO policy frameworks on strategic autonomy and dual-use innovation, resilient PNT is evolving into a high-value, protected technology domain with growing demand across defense, logistics, transport, telecom, and space sectors. Key industrial actors—from primes like Safran and Leonardo to startups like Lendurai and Flare Bright—are rapidly capturing market share with GNSS-independent solutions.
This domain presents a timely and scalable opportunity for private capital. The European Defence Fund, InvestEU Defence Equity Facility, and national innovation programs are de-risking early-stage development and opening access to public procurement, while dual-use commercial adoption is expanding in sectors such as autonomous mobility and smart infrastructure. The PNT market is shifting from niche to mainstream as regulators prepare resilience mandates for GNSS-contingent systems and European institutions fund sovereign timing and navigation backbones. Strategic investors can target proven SMEs with institutional clients, high-margin hardware, or scalable software layers, and benefit from exit optionality through M&A with primes or future industrial listings. As Europe reconfigures its defence and digital foundations, resilient PNT is emerging as a cornerstone—and a capital-efficient lever for long-term strategic returns.