Our Piql System is based on technology breakthroughs in converting photosensitive film into a digital, migration-free storage medium from which data can be guaranteed retrieved in the future, but never hacked, manipulated, or deleted. It solves the needs of both end-clients with a focus on guaranteed data authenticity and integrity, and end-clients focusing on keeping data for centuries.
The most commonly used storage technologies were developed primarily to provide cost-efficient storage of short-lived data, and innovations focus on increased data capacity and cost reductions. Securing long-term access to valuable data has proven to be more complicated, due to frequent obsolescence of the storage media, software, hardware, and file formats. Consequently, data migration to newer technological platforms every 3-5 years is common. Migration-based preservation strategies (using magnetic tapes, optical discs, and hard disc drives) are costly, involve a risk of data loss, and do not address the core of the problem; the need for data security and future-proof access. Alternative cloud storage services face high risks related to data security and privacy, as data is stolen, manipulated, and misused (e.g. Hacking/data breach incidents cost UK firms alone €1bn in 2016 , while Norway was hit by more than 22,000 cyber-attacks per Norwegian authorities.). Finally, analogue microfilm storage offers long lifetime expectancy, is migration-free, but the workflow for reproducing/retrieving the data is time-consuming and highly dependent on manual labour (i.e. expensive).
Piql directly addresses the EU objectives to increase data security and develop new tools for managing the ever-increasing amount of data - while reducing end-users’ data storage costs and their CO2 footprint. Our objective is to implement the Piql System and Service across multiple sectors, accelerate an ICT disruptive innovation and create growth and impact for our stakeholders. The amount of digital data is doubling every 2-years. This poses two major concerns, related to data security of sensitive data and related to how we can ensure future access to data with long-term value. If measured over a long period of time, storage savings can amount to 70–80% compared with conventional data storage, which often does not provide adequate and guaranteed data authenticity and integrity. Our data storage solution is environmentally friendly, with an emissions-free data vault, the Arctic World Archive. The climate condition inside the mountain is ideal for storing our piqlFilm, which can be safely stored without electricity for hundreds of years.
Piql-GO’s goal is to upscale, pilot, and commercialise our disruptive and patented Piql System for ultra-secure storage and long-term preservation of digital and analogue data.
• Technology maturation to optimise the functionalities of Piql subsystems and integrate them into an improved, final prototype to be piloted in real-life settings. Our goal is to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of our technology from its current TRL7 to TRL8.
• Piloting and validation objectives to demonstrate the Piql System’s technical and economic performance, functionality, and user benefits through a large-scale piloting in real-life settings
• Commercialisation readiness objectives enabling us to successfully bring the Piql System and Service to the market, and reach sales traction post-project completion.
