Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AquaGen (Water quality biomonitoring combining AI and environmental genomics)
Período documentado: 2019-12-01 hasta 2020-03-31
Human well-being and the health of aquatic ecosystems are inseparable as the former relies on the latter. The evaluation of ecological status of aquatic bodies subjected to anthropogenic pressures represents a major challenge for corrective and protection actions in several key sectors of European economy. The AquaGen project has been designed to provide stakeholders with an innovative cutting-edge tool to characterise rapidly and at a low cost the biological quality of waterbodies using DNA extracted from water samples.
Biological monitoring is an essential component of water quality evaluation under Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategic Framework Directive, as well as several other EU documents. Traditional methods used for evaluation of biological quality of any given aquatic ecosystem are neither easy nor cheap. The actual procedure is laborious, expensive and painstakingly slow. The process takes months and requires involvement of rare specialists in the field. Moreover, the generated data are often difficult to be translated into informed decisions regarding preservation/restauration measures to be implemented. Therefore, improving capabilities and capacities for biological monitoring is of highest societal importance to preserve water quality and to ensure sustainable development of economic activities.
The overall objectives of the AquaGen project is to develop a web-based platform that combines environmental genomics and machine learning technologies to predict the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, the AquaGen platform will be designed to analyse environmental DNA data on aquatic biodiversity and use these data to infer biotic indices for environmental impact assessment. The aim of the phase 1 of this project, which is the object of this report, was to conduct a feasibility study to determine the commercial viability of AquaGen platform.
Biological monitoring is an essential component of water quality evaluation under Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategic Framework Directive, as well as several other EU documents. Traditional methods used for evaluation of biological quality of any given aquatic ecosystem are neither easy nor cheap. The actual procedure is laborious, expensive and painstakingly slow. The process takes months and requires involvement of rare specialists in the field. Moreover, the generated data are often difficult to be translated into informed decisions regarding preservation/restauration measures to be implemented. Therefore, improving capabilities and capacities for biological monitoring is of highest societal importance to preserve water quality and to ensure sustainable development of economic activities.
The overall objectives of the AquaGen project is to develop a web-based platform that combines environmental genomics and machine learning technologies to predict the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. More specifically, the AquaGen platform will be designed to analyse environmental DNA data on aquatic biodiversity and use these data to infer biotic indices for environmental impact assessment. The aim of the phase 1 of this project, which is the object of this report, was to conduct a feasibility study to determine the commercial viability of AquaGen platform.
The project started with the two days coaching workshop, held in Geneva, in December 2019. During the workshop, ID-Gene team and invited guests, including a representative of Innosuisse, examined the objectives of the projects and elaborated marketing strategy to ensure that the services are developed to maximize market opportunity and position. The workshop was followed by several coaching skype sessions focused on definition of market sectors, customer profiling, and pricing strategy. Based on discussions during the seminar and coaching sessions, ID-Gene conducted a series of discussions with existing and prospective clients to assess to which extent do the features/services of the AquaGen platform represent an advantage for their business. In particular, the software-as-service revenue model chosen for the AquaGen platform has been tested through designing a business model canvas and by determining which customer market segments were more likely to adopt the project. The outcome of these discussions has been to narrow down the market segments and concentrate on service to large industrial companies. In parallel to the direct contacts with the customers, AquaGen project has been presented to large audience at international events such as World Biodiversity Forum, Davos, Switzerland (February 2020).
The important part of the Phase 1 project was also to establish technical feasibility of AquaGen platform. This involved estimating the costs for building the platform, defining the timeline and selection of potential service providers. The later process took several weeks and involved direct discussion with over 20 IT companies in Switzerland and France. It resulted in writing the Terms of Reference specifications for AquaGen platform and selection of three IT & Design companies that demonstrated their projects during meetings in February and March 2020. The feasibility report was drafted in the second part of March 2020. The pandemic measures in Switzerland prevented holding the second coaching session in Geneva planned in April 2020.
The report contains also the assessment of two important aspects of AquaGen project, namely its dependence on current environmental regulations and risk management. The in-depth analysis of the main instruments of European environmental policy (WFD, MSFD) showed that the implementation in AquaGen platform of some particular sectors, such as freshwater monitoring, has to follow the calendar of regulatory changes, in particular the WFD cycles. Legal and regulatory risks have been included in the detailed risk management template, together with commercial, operational and other risks. The table identifying all risks, estimating their likelihood and impact, and describing the mitigation measures to be taken, has been provided at the end of the report.
The important part of the Phase 1 project was also to establish technical feasibility of AquaGen platform. This involved estimating the costs for building the platform, defining the timeline and selection of potential service providers. The later process took several weeks and involved direct discussion with over 20 IT companies in Switzerland and France. It resulted in writing the Terms of Reference specifications for AquaGen platform and selection of three IT & Design companies that demonstrated their projects during meetings in February and March 2020. The feasibility report was drafted in the second part of March 2020. The pandemic measures in Switzerland prevented holding the second coaching session in Geneva planned in April 2020.
The report contains also the assessment of two important aspects of AquaGen project, namely its dependence on current environmental regulations and risk management. The in-depth analysis of the main instruments of European environmental policy (WFD, MSFD) showed that the implementation in AquaGen platform of some particular sectors, such as freshwater monitoring, has to follow the calendar of regulatory changes, in particular the WFD cycles. Legal and regulatory risks have been included in the detailed risk management template, together with commercial, operational and other risks. The table identifying all risks, estimating their likelihood and impact, and describing the mitigation measures to be taken, has been provided at the end of the report.
The AquaGen feasibility study confirmed the validity of the project from the technological point of view. It showed that building the AquaGen platform is not only possible, but it will not be excessively expensive. However, based on the results of this Phase 1 study, the real challenges of the project consist in creating a market and convincing various categories of customers to use the AquaGen platform. It has been foreseen that the opening of the ecogenomic market is an ongoing process and we can expect that the regulatory barriers which impede the replacement of classical biomonitoring by eDNA methods will disappear progressively.
The development of AquaGen platform is very timely because there is an increasing demand for new innovative environmental impact assessment tools. The pioneering character of the platform will ensure a privileged position on the market of the company that built it. However, it will also provide a standard for all similar products that will be developed in the future by the competitors. Knowing the huge societal interests in environmental changes and sustainable development of industrial activities, it is very likely that the digital tools for ecodiagnostics, such as AquaGen platform, will become the essential elements of environmental biomonitoring in Europe and elsewhere.
The development of AquaGen platform is very timely because there is an increasing demand for new innovative environmental impact assessment tools. The pioneering character of the platform will ensure a privileged position on the market of the company that built it. However, it will also provide a standard for all similar products that will be developed in the future by the competitors. Knowing the huge societal interests in environmental changes and sustainable development of industrial activities, it is very likely that the digital tools for ecodiagnostics, such as AquaGen platform, will become the essential elements of environmental biomonitoring in Europe and elsewhere.