Launching working environment safety systems based on UWB connectivity aimed at the 4.0 INDUSTRY

Project Information

SAFETY 4.0

Grant agreement ID: 781305

DOI

10.3030/781305

Project closed

EC signature date 14 July 2017

Start date 1 August 2017

End date 30 November 2017

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

CLAITEC SOLUTIONS SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SAFETY 4.0 (Launching working environment safety systems based on UWB connectivity aimed at the 4.0 INDUSTRY)

Reporting period: 2017-08-01 to 2017-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

According to the International Labour Organisation – ILO , more than 2.3 million worker dies from a work-related accident every year. The economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4% of global GDP.
The 4.0 Industry is an environment where there are more and more vehicles without drivers, robots and machines it is necessary that people can share the place in a safe and healthy way. Therefore, the 4.0 Industry needs more security, which can be provided by our innovative approach.
Today, the main technological challenge our customers face is to design a protection and positioning system that is precise, reliable, adaptable, low-cost and low intrusive. CLAITEC is driven to answer these needs, overcoming technical limitations that RFID systems has After 3 years of development, we characterised our own IR-Ultra-Wide Band technology including distance calculation algorithms to use as the basis of the products in development.
Our location system aims to warn/intervene drivers of vehicles when a risk situation occur (pedestrian run over, vehicle collision). The broadband of coverage ranges from 0.2 to 30 meters with an accuracy of 10cm.
Willingness-to-pay is driven by two main factors: The cost of an accident / Legal obligations.
We seized the opportunity offered by the SME instrument Phase1 to perform an in-depth market study on the early adopters (logistics, construction, recycling, agriculture, manufacturing, and mining) followed by a geographical market analysis. At CLAITEC we have identified process constraints for the prototype industrialisation. The feasibility study carried addressed a financial plan, foreseeing the all costs and investments associated with commercialising the product and its expected revenues forecasted at 5-years. The study included the assessment of legal aspects such as i) product certification according to European/Foreign legislation, and ii) patenting strategy consolidation. All these activities converged into a detailed business plan that first, confirmed our hypotheses about business potential, and that most importantly paved the way towards the commercialization of SAFETY 4.0.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main results can be categorized in four pillars:
Technical Feasibility: we studied the hardware and electronics upgrading needed to work with UWB. This analysis defined the product development and production cost associated. The risks involved in the technological areas have been fully assessed and measures have been defined to minimize the potential risks derived from the use of cutting-edge technologies.
Market Assessment: To fully confirm that there will be a product fit of SAFETY 4.0 we have surveyed our existing customers and beyond. We have carried an in-depth assessment of the market, acknowledge that there are several side-solutions, but at the same time confirming that SAFETY 4.0 have competitive advantages that suppose an privileged position, leading willingness-to-pay. Industry 4.0 infrastructure allows innovative economic cycles. New factories offers both opportunities and challenges to trigger products or services production or manipulation. SAFETY 4.0 will help to boost its implementation in a secure H2M interaction inside facilities.
Business Plan: First, we will base our business model products sales (control units and tags), and services (commissioning, maintenance) considering pricing strategies that ensures market acceptance and commercial impact.
Market potential has been monetized. Strategical markets have been defined. Product growth has been related to sales forecast. Market segments were also defined and analyzed (segmentation considered, i) application, ii) sector, iii) company size, and iv) geographically). Sales strategy for every market segment has been defined.
Risk Assessment, regulations and IPR: There is several regulations/certifications that affects SAFETY 4.0 (some of them already fulfilled, the rest identified). Legal protection has been defined in two dimensions; a) hardware configuration, that includes patents and b) other areas where the protection measures will preserve the company assets, like Trademark or representation.
All the above information has led to the preparation of a complete Feasibility Study.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The SAFETY 4.0 concept submitted in the Phase 1 proposal was revised with the aim to evaluate its commercial feasibility. The technical and market feasibility have been fully assessed during Phase 1 and the outcomes of this assessment have endorsed the decision to go ahead with the products industrialisation.
In a short period of time, our customers can expect an increase security and reduction of accidents in every time more technified facilities into a competitive cost. After discussing extensively with potential customers, we validated that our products are innovative and have a market opportunity. We have raised interest not only within SMEs, but also Big players (e.g. Bosch).
For CLAITEC, SAFETY 4.0 can be the spring to transform our company from an industrial services provider serving a determined geographical area into a R&D company selling its products to the major world markets. The experience in industrial security is one of the key elements of our project success. The projected growth in turnover, staff and margin will make the company evolve and focus in tailor-made innovations that require a bigger company.
For society and the demand point of view, enjoying safer working spaces without increasing its price is an objective by itself. This is especially important when the potential accident can produce serious injuries to employees (that represents a social and economic threat).

Pedestrian Alert System (PAS)