Urban life depends on a secure supply of water, generally supplied by pipe-bound infrastructure. These systems are highly vulnerable to external threats as they are not capable of being protected physically with locks and fences due to their widespread geographic footprint and many access points. Risks occur from terrorism as well as from hazardous events and adverse effects of climate change. Furthermore, some threats, as unconventional attacks, cannot be foreseen, and reducing all possible risks to a minimum level is often neither possible nor cost effective. This has widened protection scenarios towards an increased resilience in order to reassure service continuity in the aftermath of destructive events especially in cases, when these cannot be predicted. Thus, a “smart” approach for pipes and valves infrastructure is needed in order to react to different critical situations.
3S offers operators of pipe-bound networks cost-effective and secure products for “smart pipeline networks” to get required information out of the underground grid and to enable them to withstand threats in order to protect and control the critical infrastructure. The innovative actuators of 3S are offering the unique opportunity of efficient retrofitting of buried valves, as their mobile communications, energy and space saving technology requires no expensive construction effort or specific infrastructure for upgrading existing valves. Thus, they are suitable tools to efficiently operate smart and secure networks.
To successfully commercialise the technological advantages of its technology, 3S conducted a feasibility study in phase 1 of the project, comprising i) a market analysis including analyses of market structures, customer needs, market conditions in different countries, and ii) strategy approaches derived from this analysis including, cost structures and pricing strategies, distribution strategy, economy of scale and production strategies.
The studies confirmed the feasibility of the project and its promising business potential. Furthermore, it shaped 3S’ strategic approach for commercialisation that should be realised through a large scale pilot demonstrations during Phase 2 of ACT4INFRA.
