All you need is a BeiDou terminal device the size of a name card, and you have access to immediate localization and SOS services; put a BeiDou chip on a truck carrying dangerous items like explosives, and its accurate location can be tracked with real-time monitoring. At the recent China Satellite Navigation Conference (CSNC 2015) in Xi'an,BeiDou terminal products were an eye-opener.

With the upgrading of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, BeiDou is now developing rapidly.

Based on the goals of the Mid-term and Long-term Development Plan of National Navigation Satellite Industry, China's navigation satellite industry will be worth over 400 billion yuan by 2020.

The sales volume of domestic satellite navigation products in 2012 was 4 billion yuan, and rose to 10 billion yuan in 2013 with a growth rate of 150 percent. In terms of terminals, the shipment volume rose from 2.3 billion sets in 2012 to 10.7 billion in 2013. The shipment volume of domestic BeiDou chips was 10 billion.

At the same time, BeiDou has also been developing its market abroad. Just before the conference, China and Russia agreed on the harmonization of equipment standards for the Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system and China's BeiDou system. This is the first time that BeiDou has established cooperation with another "member" of the navigation system community under a government guarantee.

In November 2014, BeiDou became the third global satellite navigation system recognized by the International Maritime Organization, and 20 technical standards of BeiDou have passed the examination of International Mobile Communications Standardization Organization.

China Satellite Navigation Association will cooperate with China City Gas Association to promote the application of satellite navigation systems in the gas industry. By the end of September this year, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei are expected to have a fully operational BeiDou system in their gas pipe network.

According to the goals in Mid-term and Long-term Development Plan of National Navigation Satellite Industry, in the next 7 years, China's satellite navigation industry will have a 22 percent compound growth rate, and BeiDou and its products - forecast to achieve a 67 percent compound growth rate – will be making a significant contribution. 

This article is edited and translated from 《北斗产业化依然在路上 全球四大导航系统合作升级》，source: People's Daily Online, author: Peng Kefeng