Precise time synchronisation is one of the cornerstones of modern digital infrastructure. The operation of power grids, telecommunications networks, financial systems and data centres depends on it. As the risks associated with the jamming and tampering of satellite signals increase, so too does the importance of technologies designed to protect the time sources used by critical infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, the European CLEPSYDRA project is being developed by a consortium led by Thales Alenia Space, the manufacturer of the Galileo system’s satellites, and the Polish company ELPROMA. The aim of the project is to develop a new generation of certified time receivers based on the European satellite navigation system, Galileo. The project is supported by the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA).
The solution is designed to ensure not only high synchronisation accuracy, but also resistance to radio interference and attempts to spoof satellite signals. The project utilises, amongst other things, Galileo OSNMA signal authentication technologies, time integrity monitoring mechanisms, and systems to protect against jamming and spoofing.
According to the partners’ announcement, one of the project’s outcomes will be a device known as the ‘Time Firewall’, combining the functions of a GNSS receiver and an advanced time server for NTP and PTP networks. The solution is designed to enable the detection of threats, maintain synchronisation during incidents, and verify the accuracy of time in environments with heightened security requirements.
The importance of such technologies is growing, particularly in the energy sector. The development of smart grids requires highly accurate synchronisation of devices operating in real time. Even minor time errors can affect the stability of energy management systems and network automation processes.
The project also forms part of a broader trend towards building European technological autonomy. CLEPSYDRA is based on solutions developed within the Galileo ecosystem, which aims to provide states and operators of critical infrastructure with greater independence from navigation systems developed outside Europe.
For Poland, the project is also significant from the perspective of national expertise in the field of time synchronisation. ELPROMA has been participating in European projects related to time and frequency technologies for many years, and its solutions are used, amongst others, by European institutions and organisations responsible for infrastructure security.
