The 4th International ERA-GLONASS Congress is held in Moscow

The 4th International ERA-GLONASS Congress – "Modern technologies for road safety and convenience" – took place in Moscow on 8 October 2014. The event was organized by the GLONASS Union, Russian National Navigation Services Provider and the exclusive general contractor for the implementation of the ERA-GLONASS National Automated Accident Emergency Response System. More than 500 representatives from Russia, European Union, and BRICS countries took part in the Congress.

Congress participants were welcomed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Science and High Technologies Vladimir Kononov. He noted that the Federal Law "On National Automated Accident Emergency Response System ERA-GLONASS" was adopted by the State Duma on 23 October 2013 and will come into force on 1 January 2014. "Rarely in our country are information systems implemented through legislative means; this illustrates the considerable priority that the Government assigns to the ERA-GLONASS Project," emphasized Mr. Kononov.

During the welcoming address to the Congress guests and participants, Director of the Development Programs Department of the Russian Ministry of Transport Alexey Semenov confirmed that the ERA-GLONASS System will commence full operation in January 2015 as planned. "Nationwide infrastructure, built in the process of implementing the national ERA-GLONASS Project, can become the basis and act as a catalyst for development of navigation information systems and services at home and abroad," he added.

A report on the state of System implementation and project development strategy was presented by the GLONASS Union Vice-president Ludmila Yurasova. Five years ago this October, Presidential Commission for Modernization and Technological Development of the Russian Economy approved the creation of the ERA-GLONASS System. Extensive efforts to build infrastructure, develop regulatory and legal framework, and work with equipment manufacturers, automakers, and authorities were undertaken during this time. Now, eighty-four days before the full operational launch, the System has passed all the tests and is operating in 83 Russian regions.

Within the scope of the Congress, five roundtable and panel discussions were held on the issues of developing in-vehicle services, cross-functional navigation communication equipment, ERA-GLONASS regulations, and international aspects of project development.

The ERA-GLONASS Congress is held every year with the aim to inform the professional community on the progress of building the National Accident Emergency Response System, optimizing its interoperation with the 1-1-2 System and the emergency services, harmonization of the Russian GLONASS and European eCall systems, progress by automakers and equipment manufacturers in meeting the requirements for the ERA-GLONASS System, and System capabilities which can be used for upgrading the transportation system and developing navigation information services markets.

ERA-GLONASS Accident Emergency Response System will come into use from the beginning of 2015. The primary goal of the System is to reduce the emergency services' response time to traffic accidents and other emergencies on Russian roads.