John Pottle, Director of the prestigious Royal Institute of Navigation will be presenting at Exeter Science Park on Wednesday 21 February from 5.30pm.

Where is GPS leading us?

World leading navigation experts will visit Exeter to present the latest insights on GPS technology – a utility that has become such an intrinsic part of everyday life that the UK government calculates that disruption could cost the British economy £1billion a day. 

John Pottle is the Director of the prestigious Royal Institute of Navigation, founded in 1947 to further the development of land, sea and air navigation technology. He will be joined by Guy Buesnel, Positioning, Navigation and Timing Security Technologist with Spirent Communications Plc – best known for its portfolio of GPS simulators - for a STEMM Cell presentation at Exeter Science Park on Wednesday 21st February 2018 at 5.30pm.

Mr Pottle said: “We’ll answer some of the big questions surrounding GPS and discuss its vulnerabilities including the need to invest in GPS technology to augment and protect it against threats such as cyber-attacks, spoofing, and jamming.”

Spoofing is a form of cyber warfare where a GPS system is hacked and sent false data, while GPS jamming involves devices that are used to block communications networks. This is prevalent among employees whose bosses are using trackers.  

Mr Pottle who is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology explained: “It seems we are rapidly moving away from the days of autonomous GPS and, to receive accurate positioning, navigation and timing information, it is now necessary to draw together signals from multiple satellite constellations with a rich cocktail of sensors.

“Experts in our sector believe that undue reliance has been placed on a system that has inherent vulnerabilities and we hope that our talk will illuminate the very real implications for individuals, companies, and even countries, for getting things right in relation to today’s issues.”

Dr Sally Basker, CEO of Exeter Science Park, said: “John is a leader in navigation technology and we are promised a fascinating perspective on a piece of technology that has become a fundamental part of our everyday lives.”

Tickets are £10 with a donation going to the Devon Community Foundation. For more information and to book tickets for John Pottle’s presentation on February 21st 2018 at the STEMM Cell @ Exeter Science Park, please visit Eventbrite.

Date: 20 February 2018