Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GICA (Geolocalisation of Individuals in Critical Areas)
Reporting period: 2017-04-01 to 2017-09-30
If an accident or an attack occurs on a sensitive industrial site, the ability to quickly locate people is key to save lives. The existing solutions (identification badges, paper logbooks, GPS etc.) are not appropriate to answer users’ needs in this specific context. IDRE used its expertise in indoor and outdoor geolocalisation to develop an innovative solution based on LoRa-RF protocol, tags (smart electronic devices), gateways (telecommunication part), computation algorithms, a storage database and a visualization interface. The solution is enough accurate, easy to deploy and operate, scalable, low-cost, respectful of the private life and guarantees data protection, thus ideal to meet the requirements of the users (workers, security managers, decision-makers). The markets identified are composed by Seveso sites in Europe (more than 10 000 sites) and more widely by every single critical industrial sites in Europe and in the world. The project will contribute to reduce the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures regarding natural or industrial risks, terrorism and malicious behavior, one of the major objective listed by the European Union.
Before reaching the worldwide market, based on its products and first commercial contacts, IIDRE needs to collect key information. The Phase 1 will allow to improve the knowledge of customers, to better assess the competitive environment, to refine the offer, to protect the business innovation project, to improve the commercialisation strategy, to prepare the scaling-up phase and to update the business plan. In the Phase 2, the objectives will be to proceed to the ATEX certification of the tags that will be deployed within the industrial sites, to undertake demonstrations with major worldwide stakeholders (such as MICHELIN or TOTAL), to set-up the manufacturing plan and to refine the market replication strategy.
Before reaching the worldwide market, based on its products and first commercial contacts, IIDRE needs to collect key information. The Phase 1 will allow to improve the knowledge of customers, to better assess the competitive environment, to refine the offer, to protect the business innovation project, to improve the commercialisation strategy, to prepare the scaling-up phase and to update the business plan. In the Phase 2, the objectives will be to proceed to the ATEX certification of the tags that will be deployed within the industrial sites, to undertake demonstrations with major worldwide stakeholders (such as MICHELIN or TOTAL), to set-up the manufacturing plan and to refine the market replication strategy.
The action began in April and ended in October. During 6 months, IIDRE undertook this feasibility study, with the aim to gather the necessary conditions for the success of the GICA project. The feasibility study was designed to meet six specific objectives:
- To deepen the knowledge of end-users and customers to improve the initial business offer on the identified segments: requirements in terms of ergonomics, battery life, acceptance price, functionalities and so on… to develop.
- To better assess the business environment (competitors, alternative technologies, specific regulations, key stakeholders) and define IIDRE’s positioning.
- To protect the business innovation project: to identify the main risks related to a successful introduction on the market and the best IP strategy for the targeted markets.
- To prepare the scaling-up phase: to define processes to reach market maturity, notably to assess manufacturing opportunities by undertaking a benchmark on potential subcontractors able to manufacture the infrastructure which will be deployed on sites (anchors, tags and gateways).
- To update the commercialisation strategy: to define a set of communication tools and dissemination channels to involve the major stakeholders and access to the customers.
- To adapt the business plan: translation of the market potential into turnover, profit, employment, market share; identification of financial and human requirements for undertaking market demonstrations, accessing the market, and setting up the scaling-up.
- To deepen the knowledge of end-users and customers to improve the initial business offer on the identified segments: requirements in terms of ergonomics, battery life, acceptance price, functionalities and so on… to develop.
- To better assess the business environment (competitors, alternative technologies, specific regulations, key stakeholders) and define IIDRE’s positioning.
- To protect the business innovation project: to identify the main risks related to a successful introduction on the market and the best IP strategy for the targeted markets.
- To prepare the scaling-up phase: to define processes to reach market maturity, notably to assess manufacturing opportunities by undertaking a benchmark on potential subcontractors able to manufacture the infrastructure which will be deployed on sites (anchors, tags and gateways).
- To update the commercialisation strategy: to define a set of communication tools and dissemination channels to involve the major stakeholders and access to the customers.
- To adapt the business plan: translation of the market potential into turnover, profit, employment, market share; identification of financial and human requirements for undertaking market demonstrations, accessing the market, and setting up the scaling-up.
Since 2014, IIDRE’s management team decided to exploit all the communication technologies (ZigBee, RFID, UWB, BLE, LoRa) used in the field of the Internet of Things to create a wider range of hardware products dedicated to geolocalisation. The company also developed software modules to increase the interest of its products. The technical skills of its engineers (in electronics, embedded systems, algorithms, software…) were used to realise the technical roadmap. The ultimate goal was to be free to operate its own complete solutions, without any external licences or distribution constraints, targeting different sectors: the industry, the security and the transport and logistics.
Contacts in the industry and in the security, first interviews of potential customers, market trends (growth of the localisation applications in security, increase of the industrialisation rate, frequent accidents of malicious acts) confirmed that a market was existing within the industry and the security. IIDRE has developed the relevant products to seize such an opportunity. Now, IIDRE needs to reach a larger scale to become the leader of geolocalisation solutions in specific or degraded environments. This is the aim of the GICA project which is fully in line with IIDRE’s development strategy.
As of today, 5 employees compose IIDRE’s staff while the company will generate a turnover of €180k in 2016 (mainly Proof of Concept realised for customers in the industry, security, logistics and transports). GICA will have a significant impact for the company since it will considerably accelerate its growth. The following table presents the expected growth potential by 2023 in terms of turnover generated by GICA, number of new employees hired and operational margin directly resulting from GICA.
Contacts in the industry and in the security, first interviews of potential customers, market trends (growth of the localisation applications in security, increase of the industrialisation rate, frequent accidents of malicious acts) confirmed that a market was existing within the industry and the security. IIDRE has developed the relevant products to seize such an opportunity. Now, IIDRE needs to reach a larger scale to become the leader of geolocalisation solutions in specific or degraded environments. This is the aim of the GICA project which is fully in line with IIDRE’s development strategy.
As of today, 5 employees compose IIDRE’s staff while the company will generate a turnover of €180k in 2016 (mainly Proof of Concept realised for customers in the industry, security, logistics and transports). GICA will have a significant impact for the company since it will considerably accelerate its growth. The following table presents the expected growth potential by 2023 in terms of turnover generated by GICA, number of new employees hired and operational margin directly resulting from GICA.