Competing with China is about software – and software is about trust.

We read the other day that China’s 14th Five Year Plan for National Informatization flags a “new sensory infrastructure for Internet of Things (IoT) data communication.”

The idea is to combine the use of AI with decision making capability enabled by sensor data.

China’s planners even coined two new words for this process: “Intelligentization”, to go with “informatization”. The plan highlights the intelligentization of infrastructure in public safety, transportation, urban management, and environmental protection, among other sectors.

With this as a country strategy, it is no wonder China has recently emerged as a dominant player in the sensor market, offering low-cost, high quality sensors for large-scale deployments.

In the face of formidable hardware competition, what is the European stance? What is our experience at Sensative here in Lund, Sweden?

It’s a story of two Europes adding up to a competitive advantage. Western Europe excels in design expertise, and Eastern Europe offers a cost-effective and highly skilled manufacturing base.

(For reference, although our Swedish-designed sensors use base materials from China, our smart components are European. Our sensors are manufactured in Poland, making our cost base competitive with China.)

However hardware alone is not enough to compete with China. You have to think about software.

For sure, China is capable of great software. They are leaders in many data-intensive industries.

However software is a geopolitical issue.

Almost all industrial hardware has embedded software. Even if only an MCU, there is a software library on that firmware. Since most hardware is connected, there is almost always some kind of cloud support and update process.

(In Sensative’s case there’s a surprising amount of software on the sensor itself, from power management over a battery’s 10 year life, to data collection, to radio communication. And in our case there is a huge stack in our Yggio platform that analyses sensor data.)

Software requires continuous refinement and improvement. The original developers will always be communicating with and updating embedded software.

That’s why software is a big geopolitical trust problem.

Given this challenge, Western companies in categories where there is competition from China should market hardware solutions that are a fusion with software.

Hardware-software fusion fosters trust that can withstand Chinese competition.

For example, Apple and Tesla are examples of such a “trust fusion” that is a viable alternative to China Inc. Even though significant manufacturing takes place in China, the design, development and management of their software takes place in the West.

(At Sensative, we impishly believe we are the third option on this list of providers standing up to China, alongside Apple and Tesla! Our software is a big deal in building trust.)

European software is distinguished by stringent EU regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and six other major data acts (Network and Information Security Directive, Cybersecurity Act, Data Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, and the proposed ePrivacy Regulation).

Meeting these standards is a significant investment, but it distinguishes those who invest in certifying compliance with a powerful “trust” proposition in the global market.

So, where does that leave us?

In summary, while China poses a significant challenge in manufacturing, European companies have a unique advantage.

First, we can be cost-competitive in the context of high quality leveraging the different competencies across Europe.

More importantly, by emphasising the seamless integration of software and hardware, especially for those adhering strictly to European regulations, we offer a level of trust that resonates globally.

This is our key message at Sensative: European-made and certified sensors, combined with integrated software, create a trustworthy solution for IoT projects worldwide. Our tightly integrated hardware and software embody a trust proposition that can compete effectively on the global stage.

We hope this is useful.

November 29, 2024

IoT Sensative Smart City buzz Yggio

Här startar arbetet med en europeisk trafikdataplattform

Digital Cities & Citizens – Sedan sommaren 2023 pågår det stora Horizonprojektet Elaborator där 38 partners från hela Europa arbetar tillsammans för att utforma inkluderande, säker, prisvärd och hållbar mobilitet i städer. I arbetet deltar Lund som en av tolv städer, och lundabolaget Sensatives IoT-plattform Yggio blir huvudplattform för att hantera städernas trafikdata. Sensatives Peter Bårmann har en central roll i projektet: han är med i den grupp som ska se till att städernas data samlas in, transformeras till ett bestämt format, lagras, samt tillgängliggörs i en gemensam plattform, så att städerna har möjlighet att dela data och erfarenheter.

Source: Här startar arbetet med en europeisk trafikdataplattform

The Horizon project Elaborator, launched in the summer of 2023, aims to design inclusive, safe, affordable, and sustainable mobility in European cities. The project has 38 European partners working together to achieve this objective. Lund is one of the twelve cities participating in the project. Sensative, a company based in Lund, is playing a crucial role through its IoT platform Yggio. Yggio has been chosen as the primary platform for managing the traffic data of the cities. Peter Bårmann, a member of Sensative, is part of the team responsible for collecting, transforming, storing, and sharing the data and experiences of the cities in a common platform.

(article in Swedish)

November 28, 2023

IoT Sensative Smart Building buzz Smart City buzz Yggio

Smart cities and buildings help mitigate the climate challenge – Beijer Electronics

Smart cities connect buildings, properties, users, and infrastructure to become sustainable, user-friendly environments. Smart buildings need to be flexible and adapt as requirements are constantly changing. Property technology and digital solutions must work seamlessly together to make properties both comfortable and sustainable.

In this article, we present an overview of the collaboration between Sensative and Beijer Electronics and our collaborative solutions for smart cities and buildings.

Source: Smart cities and buildings help mitigate the climate challenge – Beijer Electronics

November 1, 2022

IoT Smart Building buzz Smart City buzz Strips & sensor buzz

California Has a Drought Problem. This Tech can Reverse It – dot.LA

With 45% of the state still in exceptional drought, the solution to California’s water crisis may lie in emerging technology that could help to better reuse and conserve water. Here are six of the most promising new water conservation technologies to watch.

Strips Drip is highlighted as a solution to conserve water by its ability to sense water leaks.

October 10, 2022

IoT Smart Building buzz Strips & sensor buzz

Webinar: Building Optimized Working Conditions on June 14th

Understanding how the office space is being used is key to optimizing office space and providing great tenant experience

Source: Webinar: Building Optimized Working Conditions – Actility

Don’t miss!

Interested in optimizing office space?

Listen in as we present our proven pre-packaged IoT solution for office space utilization. It is about knowing, in real-time.

May 31, 2022

IoT Smart City buzz Yggio

Smart Cities World – Internet of Things – Vendor lock-in and lack of interoperability still holding smart cities back

ABI Research analysis found that smart city standards are key to unlocking the full potential but the standards ecosystem is still a diverse network and can be confusing.

Talking about it is one thing, actually doing something about it is another. Meet Sensative Yggio Digitalization infrastructure Management System – the open standards-based bridge between any technology – IoT, IT, or OT – and vendor in the IoT and Smart City space.

May 6, 2022

IoT Security Smart City buzz Yggio

Armaturer med integrerad styrning ska skapa trygghet

Smart belysning kan spara energi utan att ge avkall på tryggheten. Det menar Victor Ivarsson, belysningsexpert på Ateljé Lyktan och ansvarig för projektet med smarta armaturer i Veberöd.

Lyktstolpar som tänds upp för en trafikant eller gående när behovet finns och sedan släcks är mer än bara en framtidsvision. I Veberöd pågår ett test där man med smarta armaturer på lyktstolpar ska kunna minska elförbrukning och samtidigt öka säkerheten för invånarna i byn.

Säkerheten måste vara prioriterad så att inte obehöriga kan hacka sig in i systemet.

Den energibesparande effekten beräknas bli 45–75 procent. Investeringskostnaden för tekniken ska kunna räknas hem inom tre år.

Läs mer om ett spännande samarbetsprojekt där Sensative bidrar med Yggio DiMS.

March 25, 2022

Security Smart Building buzz

Blurring the Lines Between Physical Security & Smart Building Technology

As commercial buildings slowly return to action we see increasing demand for physical security products & services.
“The security industry is having to connect with a wider sphere of functionalities, not just security, and to develop tailored vertical markets offerings in order to deliver, together with their strategic partners, IoT solutions that work on standard open platforms,” the new report explains. “If the physical security industry does not meet this challenge, then an identity crisis will drastically reduce its prospects for future growth. This does not mean that product manufacturers have to install systems, but they will need to develop new partnerships, and interfaces with those responsible for delivering more comprehensive BIoT solutions with control and reporting functionality for multiple building systems. This shift will change the routes to market for a significant proportion of the physical security business.”

This is very true and already happening. Just take a look at our cooperations with Axis Communication and Precise Biometrics, where IoT and security become integral parts in the Building Management Systems.

January 12, 2022

Smart Building buzz Yggio

Smart Buildings Industry Must Solve Its Own Complexity with Standards

We need to establish open and universal standards for connectivity between all devices, or some kind of data translation layer between all systems and devices. We need a system that would allow anyone to buy almost any product and have it work with their building system —a building could then embrace its uniqueness by creating a collection of smart tech to suit its individual needs. Only then can we begin to reach for the potential of smart buildings; when each building is free to use whatever combination of tech they see fit, when costs reduce to a rate that suits most buildings, and when design and setup time is vastly reduced.

We couldn’t agree more. This layer is already available on the market; Sensative’s Yggio Digitalization infrastructure Management System.

December 8, 2021

Smart City buzz

Lund toppar global lista som den smartaste och mest framtidssäkra staden i världen – Svensk Fastighetsutveckling

Lund toppar listan som den smartaste och mest framtidssäkra staden i världen med en befolkning mellan 50 000 och 600 000 människor, följt av Stavanger och Esbo.

Otroligt roligt att allt hårt arbete som Lund lagt ned i bland annat Future by Lund och Lund Open Sensoring City ger resultat! Och väldigt roligt för oss på Sensative då vi varit djupt involverade i dessa projekt 🙂

October 15, 2021

Smart City buzz

The First Edition of the FIWARE4Cities Booklet is Out! – FIWARE

The FIWARE4Cities booklet is a footprint of how FIWARE has been helping cities worldwide to get their smart city projects off the ground.

In this booklet, you will find cities from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK, and Uruguay that have already found the right partner to accompany them on their digital vision. Among them, you find Sensative Yggio powered cities.

September 22, 2021

Smart Building buzz

Öppna plattformar ska öka innovationsförmågan och höja konkurrenskraften inom fastighetsautomation | RISE

Öppna plattformar för fastighetsautomation kan bidra till en jämställd marknad för hållbara systeminnovationer, smart styrning samt lägre och mer flexibel energianvändning i fastigheter. Ett samarbetsprojekt med 24 fastighetsaktörer, systemleverantörer och tjänsteutvecklare tar klivet mot öppna plattformar och datamodeller inom fastighetsautomation.

Ytterligare ett spännande projekt som koordineras av RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) med stöd från Vinnova, med Sensative och ett antal andra projektdeltagare.

Projektdeltagarnas vision är att öppna plattformar för fastighetsautomation ska bidra till en jämställd marknad för hållbara systeminnovationer, smart styrning, lägre energianvändning och mer flexibilitet i energianvändningen i fastigheter. Projektet ska möjliggöra nya typer av digitala tjänster som kan användas i många olika miljöer. Avsikten är att möjliggöra installation av
datadrivna tjänster i fastigheter lika enkelt som man installerar en mobilapp på telefonen – och sättet att komma dit är via öppna och ”standardiserade” plattformar och datamodeller.

Samhället står inför utmaningen att minska resursanvändningen kopplad till våra fastigheter. Bebyggelsen utgör ca 40 % av energianvändningen i Sverige och Europa. Det finns potential att reducera byggnaders energianvändning med ca 30 % enbart genom driftsoptimering. Vidare, för att nå klimatmålen krävs också en omställning till förnyelsebar energi och energieffektiva systemlösningar. Samtidigt sker en elektrifiering av industri och fordonsflotta. Med ökad andel förnybar energi i kombination med elbilsladdning hemma och på jobbet så kommer behovet av flexibilitetstjänster i bostads- och lokalsektorn att öka dramatiskt, vilket skapar ökad efterfrågan på energitjänster i fastighetssektorn.
Fastighetsbranschen behöver utvecklas och ställa om till energi- och kostnadseffektiv driftsoptimering i samklang med de allt större möjligheterna med prissänkta sensorer och allt snabbare datahantering.