2025 Hays Award

Presented to: Francisco Javier Benedicto Ruiz

Citation: For visionary leadership and sustained contributions that enabled EGNOS, Galileo, and the definition of
next-generation navigation, securing Europe’s global leadership in satellite navigation

Francisco-Javier Benedicto Ruiz has been the architect of Europe’s satellite navigation success. He joined ESA in 1985 after early work in academia and industry. In 1995, he became Head of the EGNOS project, transforming it from concept into Europe’s first operational satellitebased augmentation system. EGNOS now provides certified aviation services and improves GNSS reliability and accuracy for millions of users. Building on this success, in 2000, Mr. Benedicto Ruiz was appointed Galileo Project Manager.

Over more than two decades, in close collaboration with the European Union and its 27 member states, he oversaw the Galileo program’s progression from the GIOVE technology demonstrators and in-orbit validation to today’s operational constellation. He guided the deployment of more than 30 satellites, over 20 ground sites deployed worldwide, and Europe’s navigation control and security centers, while navigating complex industrial procurement, governance, and institutional challenges. These qualities illustrate his outstanding leadership and influence in shaping global navigation capabilities.

As ESA Director of Navigation since 2022, Mr. Benedicto Ruiz has assumed responsibility for Europe’s entire suite of navigation programs. He has safeguarded the continuity of Galileo and EGNOS while initiating work on Galileo’s second generation, designed for greater precision, resilience, and flexibility. In parallel, he conceived and launched the FutureNAV program, ESA’s forward-looking initiative to prepare the next generation of PNT. FutureNAV supports in-orbit demonstrators such as LEO-PNT and GENESIS, while exploring disruptive technologies-optical links, quantum time transfer, and AI-based navigation-that could significantly enhance resilience and performance in future systems.

Mr. Benedicto Ruiz has authored more than 100 scientific publications, holds several ESA patents, and has been honored internationally, including Senatore of the Accademia Internazionale Medicea of Florence and a Doctor Honoris Causa from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in 2022. Mr. Benedicto Ruiz received his MS in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in 1981.