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As the digitization process of enterprises advances, the need to protect sensitive information and data is also becoming more pressing. In fact, digital transformation is not just about mere technological advancement: it is also about constant attention to the development of effective strategies to safeguard smart networks from potential cyber-attacks. In this sense, cybersecurity assumes primary importance and must be among the priorities of a company that really wants to call itself innovative and open to the future. 

Cybersecurity and Industry 4.0, what are the risks? 

Speaking of 2022 cybersecurity-themed trends, Gartner calculated that by 2025, 45 percent of companies will have been victims of supply chain cyber-attacks. However, companies that adopt mesh architecture will be able to reduce the impact of individual attacks by up to 90%

In this context, it is more critical than ever for companies to have frameworks that identify hacker attacks, protect technology systems, and detect and neutralize threats. An Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT) system, in addition to optimizing the production process by making it more efficient, should also include strict security controls. The basic principles of cybersecurity (the so-called "CIA" criteria, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) are as valid as ever in an Industry 4.0 context in which, according to Niccolò De Carlo, CEO of Sensoworks, the best approach to create an effective and functional protection system is definitely a holistic one. In fact, attention to data collection, storage, and use must be part of a broader and more comprehensive cybersecurity perspective. 

Cybersecurity in the context of Industry 4.0: Sensoworks' contribution

In light of an industrial scenario so fertile with digital opportunities and innovations, Sensoworks stands as a partner able to offer targeted solutions to enable companies to preside over the digital transition and, at the same time, ensure that their data is always adequately protected. 

Indeed, security protocols and technologies are fundamental to Sensoworks: in addition to collecting, monitoring, and interpreting data from sensors connected to machinery and infrastructure, the platform is easily configured to best preserve sensitive information. 

In addition, the entire production process is protected through blockchain technology, a shared structure that cannot be modified within which data is entered that, once entered, will not be tweaked or deleted— a guarantee of the correct information that is essential to ensure all-around cybersecurity.  

Cybersecurity for Sensoworks: a concrete example of integrated water systems

We have seen how developing effective strategies to protect data and networks from potential cyber breaches is now imperative. At the same time, however, as Sensoworks CEO De Carlo reminds us, it is also necessary to study effective strategies for the physical security of the infrastructure.

An example of an architecture that involves both physical and technological structure might be an integrated water system. Here, through cyber-infrastructures such as smart water networks, IoT, data-science techniques, augmented intelligence, and, indeed, blockchain, it is possible to make more informed decisions in real-time precisely because of sensors and instrumentation that are in charge of securely collecting and transmitting data. 

Thus, one can see how knowledge and data security act to support business decisions, while also giving greater awareness of water consumption and value.

"We are reaching 3.5 billion connected devices globally. Our use of most of these devices to date plays a strategic role for our country," De Carlo points out.

"Let's think for a moment about road infrastructure, power generation infrastructure. They are increasingly connected and need to be preserved from any kind of risk. Thanks to technologies like Sensoworks', it is possible to identify if a device, a sensor, a device is not working properly or if it has been intentionally tampered with."

Stay tuned to our social channels so you don't miss any upcoming updates. 

Contact Eleonora Stragliotto, Head of Sales, to learn more about how the Sensoworks platform protects sensitive information and data.

On the one hand, networked medical devices are revolutionising the way patients engage with healthcare. On the other hand, these devices are exposing millions of patients and healthcare providers to safety and security risks.

While in the past the healthcare industry focused largely on patient privacy, it is important to note that security is not the same as privacy. Privacy focuses more on access control, while security is about protecting the systems and sensitive data from intruders.

Many healthcare records and devices in use today are vulnerable, and the number of networked medical devices is rapidly growing. As more connected devices come to the market, the following security risks must be addressed.

Numerous industry working groups have convened to discuss and create standards, guidelines, and best practices for securing networked medical devices across the healthcare industry. This work is essential and will move the industry in the right direction, but there are security decisions that can be made today to protect devices and the sensitive data they transmit. Certain security approaches, such as encryption and authentication, will be part of whatever standard emerges from the working groups.

Secure IoT medical devices should contain costs for both industry professionals and patients. Today, we have much more data for medical research and patient monitoring to implement more effective risk prevention plans - in this context, better device safety means better healthcare.

Sensoworks IIoT Platform allows you to acquire data from any medical device - whether it is a “wearable” device such as a glucometer, or a diagnostic device such as an X-ray or ultrasound system. The purpose is to monitor both the operating status of the device and to analyse any tampering with it from a security point of view.

The platform, therefore, allows you to monitor in real time the operating status of the devices and the occurrence of any security problems due to tampering or attacks (cyber security), by notifying the control centre of the onset of these phenomena.

An innovation-focused company

Sensing the future is our way to help our customers achieve impressive results.

We are a highly innovative company that exploits the most advanced technologies to monitor, predict and control complex data from different sources in real-time.

Website: https://test2.hueval.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sensoworks

The four mosquito-borne dengue virus serotypes (DENV1–DENV4) cause a high burden of disease throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Nevertheless, their precise epidemiological history in Africa - including when and where they originated and were distributed during the 20th century - remains unclear, stressing the need for One Health focused research.

The Sensoworks IIoT Platform (Intelligent Internet of Things) analyses a set of clinical data from a biochemical sensor (patch) for continuous patient monitoring.

The method is similar to Continuous Glucose Monitoring, which provides - at very short intervals -the values ​​detected in the subcutaneous interstitial fluid, recording the variation of the parameters.

The biological element interacts with the substrate to be analysed and, thanks to the transduction system (sensor), it converts the biochemical response into an electrical signal.

Leveraging wireless radio frequency technology, the continuous monitoring system is equipped with a small and light sensor connected to a transmitter, which sends the data detected by the sensor to the patient's smartphone on regular intervals during the 24 hours.

The smartphone sends data to the Sensoworks IIoT Platform in real-time, communicating the detected parameters. These parameters will be displayed and analysed by a health worker, in order to monitor the possible evolution of the infection.

In the hypothesis of a patient who develops the disease in the days following the return from a tropical country, the Sensoworks IIoT Platform will allow the healthcare professional to identify the patient for tracking purposes (contact tracing).

The Sensoworks IIoT Platform, therefore, acts as a centralised tool for the management of the eventual evolution of the disease, for all patients under observation to whom the biochemical sensor has been applied, effectively constituting a real centre for the management and tracking of a possible epidemic.

An innovation-focused company

Sensing the future is our way to help our customers achieve impressive results.

We are a highly innovative company that exploits the most advanced technologies to monitor, predict and control complex data from different sources in real-time.

Website: https://test2.hueval.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sensoworks

Deliberato lo stato di emergenza: nei nostri capoluoghi ogni anno vanno sprecati 42 metri cubi di acqua per ogni chilometro di rete.

L’EMERGENZA IDRICA AVANZA: CON IL MONITORAGGIO DINAMICO SI RIDURREBBERO PERDITE E SPRECHI, ECCO IL WHITE PAPER DI SENSOWORKS

Il Consiglio dei Ministri ha deliberato lo stato di emergenza, fino al 31 dicembre 2022, in relazione alla situazione di deficit idrico in atto in Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Piemonte e Veneto: ma il problema riguarda tutto il nostro Paese dove ogni anno —nei capoluoghi di provincia e nelle città metropolitane— vanno sprecati 42 metri cubi di acqua per ogni chilometro di rete.
Siccità e carenza di piogge, ma anche e soprattutto sprechi ed inefficienze nella gestione della distribuzione dell’acqua potabile nel nostro Paese. Secondo gli analisti di Sensoworks (www.sensoworks.com), la startup italiana specializzata in monitoraggio infrastrutturale supportata da piattaforme multilivello, ogni anno nei nostri capoluoghi di provincia e nelle nostre città metropolitane vanno persi 42 metri cubi al giorno per chilometro di rete.
Insomma nella nostra rete —che conta 95 gestori differenti e che si sviluppa su oltre 57 mila chilometri— oltre il 36% dell’acqua immessa in rete va persa. Una percentuale che, secondo l’Istat, raddoppia o quasi a Chieti (dove a “scomparire” è il 71,1% dell’acqua) ma anche a Latina (70,1%), Belluno (68,1%) e Siracusa (67,6%).
Senza contare che quest’anno —poi— ad aggravare le cose ci si è messo anche il problema della siccità. Ed è infatti da novembre dell’anno scorso che si registrano precipitazioni di molto inferiori alla media, con un record assoluto a Nord-Ovest dove i deficit idrici da gennaio ad oggi sono fino anche del 70%.
Nel primo semestre di quest’anno nella pianura lombarda —ad esempio— si sono registrati accumuli complessivi variabili dai 130 ai 160 millimetri, a fronte di una media abituale che oscillava dai 400 ai 600 millimetri, a seconda delle zone. Ci troviamo così a luglio 2022 con i laghi e i fiumi in grande secca ed in taluni casi del tutto prosciugati, con il Po ai minimi storici e l’acqua del mare che —per scarsità di flusso— invade il Delta verso l’entroterra.
Tanto è che il Consiglio dei Ministri ha deliberato lo stato di emergenza, fino al 31 dicembre 2022, in relazione alla situazione di deficit idrico in atto in Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Piemonte e Veneto.
E poi ancora vi è il problema della sicurezza e della gestione delle reti idriche (fisiche e cyber), il ruolo dei Big Data e dello IoT nell’ottimizzazione delle risorse e nella gestione degli sprechi, l’analisi predittiva e via dicendo. Tematiche tutte affrontate nel Whitepaper di Sensoworks “L’infrastruttura Idrica 4.0 - Numeri e applicazioni per la nuova rivoluzione digitale” (clicca qui per scaricarlo).
«Il punto è che oltre il 60% della rete idrica italiana ha più di 30 anni di vita ed il 25% ha addirittura una vetustà di oltre 50 anni» spiega Niccolò De Carlo, CEO e co-fondatore di Sensoworksstartup nata 2 anni fa per creare soluzioni innovative per il monitoraggio dinamico delle infrastrutture e dei nascenti servizi di smart city.
Si dovrebbe pensare ad un ammodernamento, ma il tasso nazionale di rinnovo è pari a circa 4 metri di condotta per ogni chilometro di rete. «Quindi per sostituire tutta la rete si ci impiegherebbe 250 anni con una spesa pari a 5 miliardi di euro l’anno» sostengono gli analisti di Sensoworks.
Ma quello che invece è realisticamente possibile fare e senza costi eccessivi è il monitoraggio dinamico della rete e delle strutture ad essa collegate, in maniera da poter agire di volta in volta solo dove si rende veramente necessario, intervenendo ancora prima che si concretizzi una perdita (manutenzione predittiva).
Per la manutenzione degli acquedotti, attraverso appositi algoritmi Sensoworks è infatti in grado di individuare i punti dove è più probabile che la rete si possa rompere e di prevenire questi incidenti attraverso una manutenzione programmata, utilizzando quelle stesse tecnologie Sensoworks che al momento sono state implementate per il monitoraggio di alcune tra le infrastrutture più strategiche del nostro Paese —tra le quali autostrade, tunnel ed edifici— e di altri Stati dove l’azienda è già operativa.
Le competenze di Sensoworks spaziano dal monitoraggio di infrastrutture civili —includendo anche sistemi avanzati in ambito idrico e fognario— allIndustry 4.0, fino ad arrivare alle soluzioni legate ai servizi cittadini in ambito di smart city: waste management, mobilità sostenibile e smart parking, con un particolare impegno rivolto anche alla transizione ecologica ed allo sviluppo economico sostenibile.
«La spinta del PNRR verso percorsi di transizione ecologica ci consentirà di accelerare anche in ambito idrico sugli aspetti “green” delle smart city, dando spazio a nuovi servizi condivisi ed a modelli di consumo sempre più etici e circolari» conclude Niccolò De Carlo, CEO e co-fondatore di Sensoworks.

Il Waste Management assume sempre più un fattore critico delle moderne Smart City, sempre più popolate e sempre più connesse.

Sensoworks, ha progettato una soluzione ad hoc per il waste management che di fatto è sempre più l’elemento cardine delle moderne Smart City al fine di renderle più vivibili e più sostenibili. Scopriamo nel dettaglio la soluzione multi-sensore capace di accrescere la consapevolezza dei cittadini e, nel contempo, di monitorare i contenitori dell’immondizia, il loro stato e la loro manutenzione e la gestione delle flotte dei camion adibiti allo smaltimento.

Pochi mesi fa abbiamo effettuato un’analisi delle opportunità e criticità del PNRR riguardo al settore del WASTE MANAGEMENT: un comparto con un giro d’affari di 14 miliardi di euro all’anno (0,8% del PIL) e 95 mila occupati, fondamentale all’interno di qualsiasi progetto Smart City.

“Più che un problema di risorse, infatti, in Italia abbiamo un problema di procedure”, sottolineava il nostro CEO Niccolò De Carlo, aggiungendo che “dall’affidamento dei lavori alla loro ultimazione occorrono mediamente 6 anni e se poi si computano anche le fase di programmazione e la fase decisionale, la durata complessiva si allunga ulteriormente”.

Un tempo di implementazione decisamente troppo lungo, rispetto al quale attendiamo ancora un’adeguata risposta regolamentativa.

Nel mentre Sensoworks ha sviluppato la sua soluzione innovativa per il waste management che unisce le peculiarità della sua piattaforma proprietaria, appositamente tarata e ridisegnata ad hoc, a un multi-sensore da inserire nei contenitori dell’immondizia e nei mezzi di raccolta che, mediante misuratori di peso, di pH, di gas ed altri sensori, includendo anche un accelerometro, è in grado di misurare e comunicare in tempo reale la percentuale di riempimento, il peso raccolto, la temperatura, il cambiamento di inclinazione, l’eventuale scoppio di un incendio, un impatto a causa di un’ipotetica collisione.

Scopriamo insieme nel dettaglio la proposta di Sensowork per il Waste Management: quali problematiche affronta, come li risolve e quali sono i benefici rivoluzionari che apporta al sistema di gestione dei rifiuti.

Il waste management si scontra quotidianamente con almeno cinque tipologie di problemi:

  1. Ritiri non programmati sulla base delle necessità effettive;
  2. Inefficienza dei percorsi di ritiro;
  3. Contenitori non sempre funzionanti e operativi;
  4. Manutenzione dei bidoni non automatica;
  5. Calcolo delle necessità locali non basate su dati reali ed aggiornati al periodo (es. estate/inverno) o ai trend (fiera annuale/weekend).

Attualmente esistono, in linea di massima, quattro tipologie di soluzioni:

  1. Aumento degli strumenti di conferimento nelle zone più a rischio;
  2. Manutenzione straordinaria di mezzi e strumenti a seconda delle priorità del momento;
  3. Mappa delle attività sulla base di necessità raccolte nel tempo;
  4. Calcolo di percorsi per area/quartiere, sino ad esaurimento della zona.

Ma questo tipo di soluzioni spesso non apportano benefici concreti. È qui che interviene Sensoworks.

La soluzione multi-sensore, attualmente in fase di prototipazione finale, implementa in primis  il concetto di “gamification” nello smaltimento del rifiuto, stimolando concretamente la consapevolezza dei cittadini.

Offre poi una serie di soluzioni iper tecnologiche al gestore:

  1. Reminder dedicati ai passaggi straordinari
  2. Reward immediata al conferimento e alla segnalazione di eventuali problemi;
  3. Sensori all’interno dei bidoni (applicabili immediatamente senza sostituzione dei bidoni stessi);
  4. Sensori sui camion di ritiro (applicabili sul parco attivo, anche in presenza di diverse tipologie e generazioni di mezzi)
  5. Intelligenza artificiale per il calcolo delle necessità;
  6. Calcolo dei percorsi ottimali;

Segnalazione dei passaggi da compiere e dei bidoni da svuotare tramite sensoristica.

Una rivoluzione a tutti gli effetti, seguita da una serie di benefici concreti:

  1. Riduzione dei costi per la gestione del rifiuto cittadino (personale, mezzi, carburante e strumenti di raccolta);
  2. Riduzione dei tempi del processo (l’attività viene svolta immediatamente e solo nei punti che effettivamente ne necessitano);
  3. Aumento efficienza della differenziata (numero e qualità dei bidoni decisa in base a dati reali);
  4. Miglioramento della qualità del servizio (monitoraggio in tempo reale di malfunzionamenti, danneggiamenti, etc).

La soluzione di Sensoworks per il Waste Management è operativa in partnership con una delle principali multiutility italiane attiva nella gestione e sviluppo di reti e servizi relativi all’acqua, all’energia ed all’ambiente. 

Rimanete sintonizzati sui nostri canali social per non perdere i prossimi aggiornamenti. Contattate la nostra Eleonora – Head of Sales – per ricevere la brochure “Smart City: strategie e servizi per la città del futuro” e saperne di più su come iniziare ad integrare e monitorare i tuoi servizi di smart city.

Waste Management increasingly assumes a critical factor of modern Smart Cities, increasingly population and increasingly connected objects.

Sensoworks has designed an ad hoc solution for waste management that in fact is increasingly the key element of modern Smart Cities in order to make them more livable and more sustainable. Let's discover in detail the multi-sensor solution capable of increasing the awareness of citizens and, at the same time, monitoring garbage containers, their status and maintenance and the management of fleets of trucks used for disposal.

A few months ago, we carried out an extensive analysis of the opportunities and criticalities of the PNRR with regard to the WASTE MANAGEMENT sector: a sector with a turnover of EUR 14 billion per year (0.8% of GDP) and 95,000 employees, which is fundamental to any Smart City project.

"More than a problem of resources, in fact, in Italy we have a problem of procedures," stressed our CEO Niccolò De Carlo, adding that "from the awarding of the works to their completion it takes an average of six years, and if we also include the planning and decision-making phases, the overall duration is even longer. This is far too long an implementation time, for which we are still waiting for an adequate regulatory response".

In the meantime, Sensoworks has developed its own innovative solution for waste management, which combines the features of its proprietary platform, specially calibrated and redesigned ad hoc, with a multi-sensor to be inserted in the rubbish containers and collection vehicles that, by means of weight, pH, gas and other sensors, including an accelerometer, is able to measure and communicate in real time the percentage of filling, the weight collected, the temperature, the change in inclination, the possible outbreak of a fire, an impact due to a hypothetical collision.

Let's find out more about Sensowork's Waste Management proposal: what issues it addresses, how it solves them and the revolutionary benefits it brings to the waste management system.

Waste management comes up against at least five types of problems on a daily basis:

  1. Unscheduled collections based on actual needs;
  2. Inefficiency of collection routes;
  3. Bins not always functioning and operational;
  4. Non-automatic bin maintenance;
  5. Calculation of local needs not based on real data and updated to the period (e.g. summer/winter) or trends (annual/weekend fair).

Currently there are in principle four types of solutions:

  1. Increase of conferring tools in the areas most at risk;
  2. Extraordinary maintenance of means and tools according to the priorities of the moment;
  3. Map of activities based on needs gathered over time;
  4. Calculation of routes by area/neighbourhood, until the area is exhausted.

But these types of solutions often do not bring concrete benefits. This is where Sensoworks comes in.

The multi-sensor solution, currently in the final prototyping phase, primarily implements the concept of 'gamification' in waste disposal, concretely stimulating public awareness. It then offers a series of hyper-technological solutions to the manager:

  1. Dedicated reminders for extraordinary passages
  2. Instant rewards on delivery and reporting any problems;
  3. Sensors inside the bins (applicable immediately without replacing the bins themselves);
  4. Sensors on collection trucks (applicable to the active fleet, even with different types and generations of trucks)
  5. Artificial intelligence for calculating needs;
  6. Calculation of optimal routes;
  7. Sensor-based signalling of steps to be taken and bins to be emptied.

A revolution in all respects, followed by a series of concrete benefits:

Sensoworks' Waste Management solution will soon be operational in partnership with one of Italy's leading multi-utility companies active in the management and development of water, energy and environmental networks and services. Stay tuned to our social channels to keep up to date!

Is a transition to a circular economy model in the use of water resources possible? We absolutely believe so, let's see how.

In the previous two articles on the subject of "water" we defined the assets to be measured and on which to act to ensure a future in which the water supply is sufficient for the world's population and we have come to discover how Sensoworks can revolutionize the management of plants from many points of view and, above all, in a sustainable way.

A sustainable turnaround in the management of the global water system is in fact not only possible but, on closer inspection, we believe it is mandatory. 

Water scarcity, together with climate change, is already a serious problem for many countries around the world. A one-degree increase in the earth's temperature corresponds, in fact, to a 20% reduction in the availability of water resources. This means that, in the absence of decisive measures, global water availability could be 40% lower than it is today in less than 10 years.

There is an urgent need to develop appropriate measures to facilitate the transition from the currently prevailing linear economy model to a circular economy model that promotes the efficient use of resources, particularly water. Not just the irrigation re-use of water, but the sustainable recovery of the material and energy resources contained in waste water, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the energy consumption of purification plants.

Managing water resources in a circular way requires action at different stages of the cycle:

In order to reuse wastewater wisely, attention must be paid to two fundamental aspects: 

Finally, the treatment processes and the disposal and reuse methods envisaged for sewage sludge are also of fundamental importance, and should be defined in relation to its characteristics and the territorial scope of reference. Phosphorus, for example, is a critical raw material for Europe because of its almost total dependence on imports from non-European countries and the very low rate of recycling from end-of-life products.

HOW TO DO IT? A DIGITAL REVOLUTION IS NEEDED NOW 

The water service has been undergoing a digital transformation in recent years. However, the adoption of digital technologies is still at an early stage and, in order to fully express the large potential benefits that can be derived, it should be supported with concrete actions on several fronts: regulatory, normative and financial. The union between digitalisation and the Integrated Water Service is destined to become increasingly stronger.

SENSOWORKS IN SUPPORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Digital technologies are transforming many aspects of the world in which we live, from industries to cities and everyday life. Digital transformation is one of the great forms of disruption, global evolutionary trends that are set to change the way we do things, revolutionise the way we do things.

To change the way things are done, to revolutionise industries, including integrated water services. The concept of 'Industry 4.0' as a 'strategic approach to the integration of advanced Internet-based control systems that enable people and machines to connect anytime, anywhere, with anyone and anything in a single complex system' was first introduced in Germany in 2011 and was referred to by the German Water Partnership (GWP) for the integrated water service as 'Water 4.0'. 

ICT (innovation and communication technologies) are a key element to improve water management, allowing the development of intelligent monitoring, management and measurement systems, decision-supporting knowledge and also greater awareness of water consumption and value.

In the area of internal processes and infrastructures, the use of digital technologies revolves around the use of data to optimise decision-making processes, make service management more efficient and improve quality. This is made possible by so-called 'cyber infrastructures', i.e. systems for collecting data - sensors and instruments - and for storing, processing and visualising them (smart water networks, IoT, data-science techniques, augmented intelligence, blockchain) that allow more informed decisions to be made in real time.

There, we have just explained what the Sensoworks platform does.

Immediate knowledge of your network and plant system through detailed measurements, continuous monitoring of the processes and infrastructure involved, automation of processes and remote intervention. 

Sensoworks offers a unique and innovative aid in the prevention of service interruptions and the detection of water losses. An effective knowledge of the physical conditions and functioning of networks and systems also makes it possible to direct investment expenditure towards real priorities, accurately plan interventions even in the medium to long term, and optimise maintenance based on knowledge of the state of the networks rather than on their useful life. 

WATER 4.0: POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MONOPOLY SERVICE

Given the monopoly nature of the water service, the relationship with the user becomes a fundamental strategic asset for the purpose of transmitting the role and effects of its work on the reference territory.

Digitisation of relations with the user offers a unique opportunity to create greater involvement, made up of transparent and immediate communication, simplifying end-to-end administrative procedures.

Notices of disruptions, interruptions and scheduled restoration, as well as information on open worksites and work in progress can be communicated in real time, as can the outcomes of unpredictable events. Online services and personal web user areas can facilitate supply management through user self-managed procedures, sending self-readings and complaints, activating practices and services such as the web bill or booking appointments, as well as making users more aware of their consumption and the quality of tap water (organoleptic properties and healthiness), reassuring them that they are consuming an environmentally preferable resource.

A WIN-WIN SOLUTION

In one fell swoop this privileged relationship has beneficial effects on the internal organisation of the Water Company, simplifying administrative and user management processes, and on the other it allows a more conscious use of public water, saving the entire society with respect to the lesser use of bottled water with its lower impact on the environment.

If you are interested in a complete overview on the concept of WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 4.0 you can contact Eleonora, our Head of Sales!

Why is it important for the cities of the future to integrate objects, technologies, and resources? Why should the cities of the future pursue a smart development model that is sustainable, efficient, and innovative (for more information on the smart city paradigm, read this article)?

By 2050, according to the United Nations report, 70% of the global population will live in cities. The latter must be able to accommodate such urban growth, ensuring a high quality of life for citizens and pursuing objectives of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

It follows the need to encourage the design of smart cities, which will allow:

How? And what are the parameters that allow us to monitor the evolution of a city's smartness?

The layered model of smart cities

The consulting company EY has proposed a model for reading smart cities that is articulated and developed on four interconnected levels, namely:

  1. The level of infrastructures and networks:

The first layer represents the foundations on which all the services and activities of a smart city are based, i.e. networks (such as wi-fi, broadband, and 5G), infrastructures and technological equipment.

  1. The level of sensors and IoT:

The second refers to sensor networks and IoT devices essential for the collection and analysis of the infinite amount of data generated and shared, concerning:

This level is the most interesting for the world of IP systems and the role that the latter can play within this evolution.

  1. The level of the Service Delivery Platforms:

It is the one relating to the delivery platforms of these services. Platforms that - operating as real operational centers - process and enhance the data generated by the other layers to support the public administration in defining strategies, aimed at improving existing services and/or creating new ones.

  1. The level of applications and services:

Finally, the fourth concerns the set of value-added strategies and services offered and delivered to citizens through the application of digital devices (web, mobile, app, viewers).

These four levels together generate the integrated system for the construction of a smart city. The challenge, today, for those who have to design and - at the same time - govern these new paradigms of cities, is precisely to make these levels interconnected, while working on a single basic infrastructure and a single delivery platform for all services.

Within this context, how does Sensoworks act?

Sensoworks applications

Sensoworks has developed an IoT platform that allows you to integrate the first level of infrastructures with the second level of IoT sensors and devices to collect and process the detected data, through the automated and continuous monitoring of operational processes.

The platform can be divided into two areas:

But what are the expected basic functionalities and functional advantages offered by this platform? 

Contact Eleonora, our Head of Sales, to download and consult the brochure “Smart City: strategies and services for the city of the future” and to learn more about how to start with your own smart city services.

The role of big data and IoT in resource optimisation, waste management, predictive analytics and consumer satisfaction.

In the previous article, we looked at the four assets that need to be benchmarked and acted upon to ensure a future where there is sufficient water supply for the world's population and, after identifying water loss from systems as the priority problem, we introduced the Sensoworks solution.

It is now time to give a brief overview of the role of technology in improving the efficiency of the water supply chain, and then to discover how Sensoworks is changing and optimising the way infrastructure is managed.

As discussed in the previous article, obsolete infrastructure and inefficient water systems require massive investment in technology to improve service.

The Valore Acqua Community has identified four pillars for the efficiency of the water sector:

  1. Minimise the use of fresh drinking water for activities and sectors that might use non-potable water;
  2. Increase recycling and reuse of water and wastewater;
  3. reduce the production of wastewater and waste from the extended water supply chain;
  4. improve monitoring systems to control consumption by adopting energy efficiency policies.

The first three points, which are essential, are macro-choices at industrial level on which any wise administration must converge in the very short term, without ifs or buts. The fourth point, with the same urgency factor, is one in which the Sensoworks solution finds ample practical scope for intervention, let's see how.

IT + OT = IOT

The management of water networks scattered throughout the territory is complex. Many of the components of the networks' physical system are not easily accessible, such as pressure or flow sensors. The convergence of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operation Technology) is therefore vital.

But convergence between IT and OT alone is not enough, which is why enabling technologies such as mobility, connectivity and IoT come into play.

Hydraulic modelling solutions and their digitisation, for example, enable accurate simulation of performance at key points in the network. Virtual sensor techniques allow flows and pressures to be calculated where real sensors cannot be inserted.

In order to make water networks resilient, efficient and sustainable, it is essential that management, monitoring and control are also automated remotely. 

The aim is to respond in real time to water demands and to ensure the safety of the systems and the water itself, moving to a service based on predictive rather than reactive systems: to make things efficient you need data, to manage it, analyse it and return it in a comprehensible way you need software and digital services.

How Sensoworks monitors leaks

Water leaks from pressurised water pipes are very sensitive: as well as causing economic damage through wasted water, they risk causing far more serious and dangerous consequences, including seepage, landslides, flooding or ground subsidence. 

Operators and multi-utilities have therefore decided to focus on predictive maintenance. The aim is to identify the points on the infrastructure where network failure is most likely: in this way it is possible to intervene with the replacement of the pipeline at risk before the damage occurs, also thanks to the use of artificial intelligence algorithms.

But what does Sensoworks actually do in its application to water infrastructure?

Identifies network sections most likely to break. Analyses the water piping with priority management of the most critical assets, resulting in reduced water losses and increased management efficiency.

Develops a network model with AI algorithms, fed by real time data from the field, to optimise network pressure and to reduce losses and energy consumption for pumping.

Prioritise maintenance operations and plan operators and routes according to the associated risk using geo-routing algorithms.

Creates smart alarms and integrates smart meters to increase efficiency and timeliness of intervention, being able to intervene in advance of a potential fault or meter drift.

Sensoworks intervenes through revamping and digitisation of assets for the adoption of European regulations, such as the Water Safety Plan and new provisions coming from ARERA (e.g. decree n.76 July 2020).

Sensoworks therefore provides the most advanced technologies to monitor, predict and control complex data from multiple sources in real time, even in water!

Ça va sans dire: there is no civilisation since the beginning of time that has not chased after fresh water and tried to control, manage and purify it as a primary commodity necessary for life.

All the great cities were founded on the banks of great rivers or diverted their course to their own advantage with dams and technical infrastructures, often of fine workmanship, given the importance that the commodity had and still has today.  

Dams, aqueducts, reservoirs, purifiers: the higher the quality of these infrastructures, the better the quality of the water available and, consequently, the lives of citizens. Centuries ago, the availability of a resource such as water, which was considered "infinite" and always available, was not an issue. Today, however, we are at a turning point, and man's next actions with regard to the commodity of commodities will be fundamental for future supply.

Fresh water is, in fact, an extremely valuable commodity, if we take on board the economic assumption that the value of a commodity is determined by its scarcity, and today this is becoming increasingly scarce.

More than two billion people currently live in water-stressed areas and some 3.4 billion people - 45% of the world's population - lack access to safely managed sanitation. Not only that, the global water deficit will reach 40% by 2030. 

How can we intervene? There are four assets that need to be benchmarked and acted upon to ensure a future of sufficient water supply for the world's population:

  1. Water demand and use
  2. Water availability and water stress
  3. Water quality
  4. Values of the global benefits of water infrastructure

1. Water demand and use: some numbers and variables

Global freshwater use has increased six-fold in the last 100 years and continues to grow at a rate of about 1% per year since the 1980s (AQUASTAT, s.d.), mainly in most emerging economies, as well as in low- and middle-income countries (Ritchie and Roser, 2018). What are the main factors influencing the current growth in water demand?

Added to this is agriculture, which includes activities such as irrigation, livestock water abstraction and aquaculture, responsible for 69% of global water withdrawals. This ratio can reach 95% in some developing countries (FAO, 2011a). Industry (including electricity and energy generation), on the other hand, is responsible for 19%, while municipalities are responsible for the remaining 12%. 

However, most authors agree that water use for agriculture will face increasing competition in terms of demand from industry and energy sectors, but also from municipal and domestic uses, mainly as a function of industrial development and improved coverage of water and sanitation services in developing countries and emerging economies (OECD, 2012; Burek et al., 2016; IEA, 2016).

2. Water availability and water stress

Water stress affects many parts of the world and is defined as a temporary or prolonged condition of lack of water, usually lacking at ground level. It is often a seasonal or annual phenomenon and it is estimated that around four billion people live in areas experiencing severe physical water scarcity for at least one month per year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2016). 

According to the World Resources Institute (WRI) report, which measured water demand and availability in 167 states, the water emergency will be one of the most serious problems affecting our planet, not only in poor areas but also in more developed countries. 

By 2040 as many as 33 countries will have to deal with "extreme" water stress: about 14 of these are in the Middle East alone, with serious risks of political instability, but the scarcity of water resources, the researchers point out, will also be felt in other parts of the world, including some Italian and Balkan areas.

3. Water quality: a question of data

Due to a lack of monitoring and reporting capacity, especially in many of the least developed countries, data on global water quality remain scarce. 

However, water quality has deteriorated due to pollution in almost all major rivers in Africa, Latin America and Asia and, globally, it is estimated that 80% of all industrial and urban wastewater is released into the environment without any prior treatment, with harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. As is already known, less developed countries correspond to a higher percentage ratio and severely deficient wastewater treatment facilities (WWAP, 2017). Poor management of agricultural runoff is also considered to be one of the most widespread water quality-related issues globally (OECD, 2017a).

4. Values of the global benefits of hydraulic infrastructures

The quality of water for society is determined by the quality and 'health' of the water infrastructure used to capture, store or transport it. To confirm the opening of this article, socio-economic development is in fact rather limited in those countries that do not have sufficient infrastructure to manage water.

There is also a large segment of the population (about 1.6 billion people) that has physical availability of water but faces "economic" water scarcity: the water is there but the infrastructure to access it is lacking (Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, 2007). It is therefore estimated that by 2030, investment in water supply and sanitation infrastructure will need to be around USD 900-1.5 trillion per year, about 20% of the total requirement for all types of infrastructure investment (OECD, 2017b). About 70 per cent of total infrastructure investment will be in the global South, with a large share in increasingly developing urban areas (GCEC, 2016). In developed countries, large investments will be needed for renovation and upgrading.

This is the situation, so what to do?

The solution lies in the transition to a model of a circulatory economy in the use of water resources. The solution lies in the transition to a carbon-neutral model of water use and the implementation of sustainable and predictive technology solutions for monitoring system leakage, the Achilles heel of water infrastructure.

Sensoworks provides a dedicated solution for water leaks from so-called primary pipelines, i.e. those public pipelines that bring water to neighbourhoods and deliver it to homes.

The platform identifies the leak by means of a series of sensors located on the outside of the pipes (the non-watertight part), which pick up vibrations and sounds and are able to identify the different statuses of the pipe, signalling anomalies and allowing immediate intervention. It also collects real time data which, aggregated and processed, provides a predictive data set that is fundamental for planning the right maintenance and avoiding costly last minute interventions that do not resolve problems in the long term.

We will talk about this in the next article on the Sensoworks blog. In the meantime, if you want a complete overview of the concept of WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 4.0 you can download our Whitepaper by clicking here!

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