We asked our Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) which emerging sectors are driving the most demand for advanced positioning and timing solutions right now?
<p>Find their responses below.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Paul McBurney, <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/onenav/" target="_blank" data-type="post_tag" data-id="40673" rel="noreferrer noopener">oneNav</a></strong></h5> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="216" height="216" src="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/paul-mcburney-216.jpg" alt="Paul McBurney" class="wp-image-114203" style="width:148px;height:auto" srcset="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/paul-mcburney-216.jpg 216w, https://www.gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/paul-mcburney-216-210x210.jpg 210w, https://www.gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/paul-mcburney-216-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" /></figure> <p>“The <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/defense-2/" target="_blank" data-type="post_tag" data-id="829" rel="noreferrer noopener">defense</a> sector needs an off-the-shelf GNSS module that is small, light and low power, yet also highly resilient — such as a military-grade location system — to satisfy the insatiable growth in drones. While this segment is about a tenth of the total commercial vehicle market, it is significant compared to the emerging autonomous driving segment, where the need for resilience is still trying to figure out the cost-benefit of mitigating intentional interference.”</p> <h5 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Jules McNeff, <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/overlook-systems-technologies/" target="_blank" data-type="post_tag" data-id="9193" rel="noreferrer noopener">Overlook Systems Technologies</a></strong></h5> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="200" height="269" src="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jules-McNeff-200px.jpg" alt="Photo: Jules McNeff" class="wp-image-113161" style="aspect-ratio:0.7435294117647059;width:142px;height:auto" srcset="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jules-McNeff-200px.jpg 200w, https://www.gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jules-McNeff-200px-156x210.jpg 156w, https://www.gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jules-McNeff-200px-74x100.jpg 74w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></figure> <p>“If I had to pick newly emergent sectors with the highest need for precise and continuous PNT, I would say the autonomous system operations sector and portion of the <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank" data-type="post_tag" data-id="5537" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) sector. AI cannot provide spatially or temporally ‘intelligent’ support if it does not have access to precise positioning and timing information from outside itself. PNT sources do not depend on AI, but ‘autonomous’ AI must have reliable PNT.</p> <h5 class="wp-block-heading">MigueL Amor, <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/septentrio/">Septentrio</a></h5> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="200" height="248" src="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Miguel-Amor-Hexagon-EAB-W.jpg" alt="Miguel Armor" class="wp-image-68920" style="aspect-ratio:0.8065317713880015;width:143px;height:auto" srcset="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Miguel-Amor-Hexagon-EAB-W.jpg 200w, https://www.gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Miguel-Amor-Hexagon-EAB-W-169x210.jpg 169w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></figure> <p>“The primary driver is the broad adoption of <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/autonomy/" data-type="post_tag" data-id="6656" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">autonomy</a> and automation across industries such as construction, logistics, agriculture, infrastructure, defense, or even entertainment. Amplifying this demand is the proliferation of smaller and lighter UAVs, drones and robots. Where a single manned platform once required one navigation system, a drone swarm may require hundreds or thousands of units. It is the combination of these two forces, adopting autonomy and automation and multiplying platforms, that is driving demand growth.”</p> <h5 class="wp-block-heading">Mitch Narins, <a href="https://www.gpsworld.com/tag/strategic-synergies/" target="_blank" data-type="post_tag" data-id="6106" rel="noreferrer noopener">Strategic Synergies</a></h5> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="216" height="288" src="http://coordinates.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/C4E964FC-D5F2-4265-8DC0-76F17A46DCAE_4_5005_c.jpe" alt="Mitch Narins" class="wp-image-89411" style="width:144px;height:auto"/></figure> <p>For many, the meaning of advanced positioning and timing solutions equates to solutions that provide higher accuracy and precision. For me, achieving an advanced PNT solution must require equal focus on the other PNT metrics — availability, integrity, continuity and coverage. Given the tumultuous state of the world these days, there is an emerging demand for solutions that enable resilient PNT in the defense sector, the commercial aviation and maritime sectors, in telecommunications and in power</p> <p></p> <p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.gpsworld.com/march-april-2026-gps-world-eab-pnt-qa/">GPS World EAB Q&A: Which emerging sectors are driving the most demand for advanced PNT?</a> first appeared on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.gpsworld.com">GPS World</a>.</p></p>