Source: Exploring the industrial metaverse, Deloitte 2023

Others are also investing in digital twins, 3D modelling, and 3D scanning, all serving as building blocks for the immersive 3D environments of the industrial metaverse.

The industrial metaverse (IMV) is set to greatly enhance manufacturing engineering, training, safety, and production. ABI Research forecasts spending on industrial metaverse solutions and services to grow at 22.8% to reach US$6.3 billion by 2030 as immersive and collaborative capabilities come to the forefront of industry 4.0 software development efforts.

IMV solutions use immersive technologies and digital twin initiatives, integrating data virtualization, Artificial Intelligence (AI) simulation, business operations systems, and external data sources to enable connectivity between digital twins and other systems.

“Top IMV use cases for 2024 will be in training, collaboration, and production planning, with a strong emphasis on solutions that drive positive business outcomes in a short timeframe,” explains Ryan Martin, senior research director for Industrial & Manufacturing at ABI Research. “Large deployments that are costly or take a long time to demonstrate value will be avoided in favour of smaller projects that drive incremental results that scale.”

Examples include Norwegian clean battery producer FREYR equipping its gigafactories in Norway and in the U.S., Siemens Industrial Operations X, AWS IoT TwinMaker, and NVIDIA Omniverse are creating immersive metaverse experiences.

Danone is using Matterport Pro3 cameras to capture 3D imagery of its facilities so authorized users can virtually visit and explore the production site using a computer or mobile device. Burckhardt Compression uses PTC’s spatial computing services for remote assistance and automated report-generation scenarios involving a supertanker in the middle of the ocean. Other notable providers include AVEVA, Dassault Systèmes, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Nokia.

Martin opines that the dream to enable full factory metaverse experiences is far from realized, but the work has begun. He concludes that initial implementations will start with a portion of a factory or production line, likely on an as-needed basis. The broader environment is well-suited to partnerships that ease points of integration and enable marketplaces in the long run.

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Through collaborating with infrastructure engineering software company, Bentley, SAMI created a complete digital model for a RMB 3.9-billion, 750 000 square meters aluminium factory of Shanxi Chinalco China Resources Co., Ltd.

Digital Twins technology, according to an article by AL Circle “creates a virtual replica of physical equipment, processes, or systems… such as smelting furnaces, conveyor systems, and other machinery in the aluminium industry.”

Sensors and physical records of design specifications are paired with the digital twin for the collection of real-time data from the actual equipment. 

Digital twins can generate real-time insights and recommendations that can improve data interaction, access to information, decision-making, operational efficiency, and equipment monitoring. 

It can also aid in resolution planning, workflow management, visualisation, simulation, projecting future changes, and cost-efficiency. 

Resolving challenges

Before venturing into a digital twin application project of electrolytic aluminium engineering, SAMI encountered challenges in their workflows. 

Fangbo Liu, the Project Operation director of the Digital Engineering BIM Centre of Sami, says one of their biggest challenges is learning to make use of 3D software in a short period.  

“How can we quickly establish a huge plant and a big factory? How do we get this data during the modelling stage? How do we put these into the model?”

He explains that the construction phase in China is usually very short; they knew they needed to use digital technology to improve their efficiency and quality. 

Liu also recalls being challenged with improving their Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and efficiency. He says they needed “to reduce cost, reduce the burden onto the environment, and reduce energy consumption” pushing them to explore new technologies.

Practical benefits

Liu recalls resolving design and quality issues SAMI encountered through the digital twin method. He says the technology ensured accuracy, especially when some of their devices had collision problems with factory devices.  

“With this digital twin technology, our engineering output can precisely know how much materials we need, how much reinforcement, how much steel, how much pipes, etc. It is very precise. This is a great benefit for the construction of a factory.” 

He adds that the technology enables them to monitor their construction progress. 

“For construction, I will work on the model and simulate it. It makes my construction more efficient and effective.”

Through Bentley Open Applications, SAMI developed a virtual reality (VR)-based simulation and training system. Liu says it helps them integrate VR technology in training their employees to enhance onsite and inspection safety.

Liu says the technology also allowed them to build a digital management system. 

“I can select a device or facility and know who produced that facility, who installed it, the problems during installation, the current status, and the relevant related materials needed.”

Reaping the rewards

Reports show that Shanxi saved six million yuan, or a reduction of 10% in its management costs through digital twin tech. A 40% reduction in the company’s non-predictive equipment failures and more than 15% improvement in efficiency saving 200 working days, compared with the traditional three-dimensional plant design, were also logged.

Further, the project led to a decrease in fluoride emissions by 5% and, headcount reduced by 10%, saving RMB 1 million in annual labour costs. 

Since starting the project’s 3D design in 2017, it took 5 years for it to reach the final implementation of the digital twin plant operation and maintenance application in 2022. Half a decade of efforts won SAMI an award in the Bentley Systems 2023 Going Digital Awards in the Process and Power Generation category for its outstanding contributions to infrastructure design, construction, and operations. 

Next steps

In line with China's recent promotion of the digitalisation of factories, Liu says it is a ripe time to explore digital technologies to enhance management efficiency. He looks forward to a future where SAMI will not only be known for deploying technology in design and construction but also expand in the field of O&M.

“In the past, we were never involved in O&M. Now that we have this technology, we can provide digitised O&M services to our customers,” he says.  Liu says in the future, SAMI desires to continue to advocate for digitised deliverables, strengthen its technology deployment, and expand its market overseas. 

The post A peek into the aluminium industry’s first plant-wide digital twin appeared first on FutureIoT.

The latest Nozomi Networks Labs OT & IoT Security Report revealed that “network scans” topped the list of network anomalies and attack alerts, followed closely by “TCP flood” attacks which involve sending large amounts of traffic to systems aiming to cause damage by bringing those systems down or making them inaccessible.

“TCP flood” and “anomalous packets” alert types exhibited significant increases in both total alerts and averages per customer in the last six months, increasing more than 2x and 6x respectively. 

"These trends should serve as a warning that attackers are adopting more sophisticated methods to directly target critical infrastructure, and could be indicative of rising global hostilities,” said Chris Grove, director of cybersecurity strategy at Nozomi Networks.

He posited that the significant uptick in anomalies could mean that the threat actors are getting past the first line of defence while penetrating deeper than many would have initially believed, which would require a high level of sophistication. “The defenders have gotten better at protecting against the basics, but these alerts tell us that the attackers are quickly evolving to bypass them,” he added.

Alerts on access control and authorization threats jumped 123% over the previous reporting period. In this category “multiple unsuccessful logins” and “brute force attack” alerts increased 71% and 14% respectively.

This trend highlights the continued challenges in unauthorized access attempts, showing that identity and access management in OT and other challenges associated with user passwords persist.

The top critical threat activity seen in real-world environments over the last six months:

1.            Network Anomalies and Attacks – 38% of all alerts

2.            Authentication and Password Issues – 19% of all alerts

3.            Access Control and Authorization Problems – 10% of all alerts

4.            Operational Technology (OT) Specific Threats – 7% of all alerts

5.            Suspicious or Unexpected Network Behaviour – 6% of all alerts

ICS vulnerabilities

With this spike in network anomalies top of mind, Nozomi Networks Labs has detailed the industries that should be on highest alert, based on analysis of all ICS security advisories released by CISA over the past six months.

Manufacturing topped the list with the number of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) in that sector rising to 621, an alarming 230% increase over the previous reporting period. Manufacturing, energy and water/wastewater remained the most vulnerable industries for a

third consecutive reporting period – though the total number of vulnerabilities reported in the

The energy sector dropped 46% and Water/Wastewater vulnerabilities dropped 16%. Commercial Facilities and Communications moved into the top five, replacing Food & Agriculture and Chemicals (which both dropped out of the top 10).

Healthcare & Public Health, Government Facilities, Transportation Systems and Emergency Services all made the top 10.

In the second half of 2023:

• CISA released 196 new ICS advisories covering 885 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) – up 38% over the previous six-month period
• 74 vendors were impacted – up 19%
• Out-of-Bounds Read and Out-of-Bounds Write vulnerabilities remained in the top CWEs for the second consecutive reporting period – both are susceptible to several different attacks including buffer overflow attacks

Data from IoT Honeypots

Findings reveal that malicious IoT botnets remain active this year, and botnets continue to use default credentials in attempts to access IoT devices. From July through December 2023, it was revealed that:

• An average of 712 unique attacks daily (a 12% decline in the daily average compared to the previous reporting period) – the highest attack day hit 1,860 on October 6.
• Top attacker IP addresses were associated with China, the United States, South Korea, India and Brazil.
• Brute-force attempts remain a popular technique to gain system access – default credentials remain one of the main ways threat actors gain access to IoT. Remote Code Execution (RCE) also remains a popular technique – frequently used in targeted attacks, as well as in the propagation of various types of malicious software.

The post Beware of network anomalies and attacks appeared first on FutureIoT.

Dedicated structural engineering software helps structural engineers perform their duties like Bentley’s Structural Analysis and Design software (STAAD), which “helps structural engineers perform 3D structural analysis and design for steel and concrete structures”.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd  (Hyundai E&C) won Bentley Systems’ 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards in the Structural Engineering domain by using STAAD and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate shelter and pipe rack designs. 

“The result was an error-prone resistant, integrated solution of 3D modelling with intelligent digital workflows that provided accurate design information and accelerated front-end engineering design by at least 30%. A database of 1,680 scenarios was created, generating 27 million prediction models, that can automatically convert design information into a 3D model for real-time synchronisation of maintenance prediction and improvement work of buildings in similar projects in the future, ” reports The Structural Engineer.  

Deciding to use STAAD

According to Dongwon Kim, the general manager of Hyundai E&C South Korea, they decided to use STAAD to carry out modelling automation. 

“The modelling program has to provide Application Programming Interface (API) because we can use that API to customise. It provides countless APIs. That is the core factor why we leverage STAAD very well,” he explains. 

Kim claims that without the software, it will be impossible to carry out structural designs. 

“Without STAAD, you have to come up with other modelling programs. Using STAAD without automation, working on modelling may take three days. If you use automation, you can complete your job within a day and save time by 30% to 60%,” the Hyundai E&C executive adds. 

STAAD, automation, AI

Kim says using STAAD and automation has worked miracles for them but they are still looking for ways to step up the game. 

“To further ourselves to the level of AI, we had to take one step ahead by accumulating good data,” he explains. 

He adds that enhancing the prediction accuracy of AI requires an excellent database. 

“Maybe, for now, our AI is not perfect yet, but accumulating a good database will enhance prediction accuracy. Even if it does not reach a 100% level, as long as that prediction is better or higher than humans, it is better.” 

Benefits of STAAD

Kim says the main advantage of STAAD is its various functions. 

“There is a variety of APIs available from modelling to analysis, geometry modelling loading, input setting, boundary condition, design parameter, and analysis,” he lists.

Bentley notes that STAAD “can design, analyse, and document structural projects – anywhere in the world, with any material. It also offers a flexible solution to cover all structural engineering needs from the foundation up. STAAD is a comprehensive structural finite element analysis and design application that allows users to analyse any structure exposed to static, dynamic, wind, earthquake, thermal, and moving loads. 

Kim adds that STAAD supports various coding languages. According to Bentley Communities, C, C++, VB, VBA, FORTRAN, Java, and Delphi “can tap into STAAD’s database and seamlessly link input and output data to third-party applications.”

“The developers who can converse in different languages can use its programming benefits,” Kim says. 

The future of STAAD and automation 

In the future, Kim hopes to collaborate more with Bentley to discuss plans and innovations at Hyundai E&C. 

“We want to extend automation into a variety of structures. We need to collaborate to make our designs and how we can automate. We have to develop a lot of ideas. We can work on them to be better.”

The post Standing with STAAD: Revolutionising structural design appeared first on FutureIoT.

As a result, cyberattacks targeting manufacturing sites in industries such as semiconductors and automobiles have increased, leading to production disruptions and highlighting the growing need for more robust security measures in factories.

Mitsubishi Electric and TXOne Networks have signed a long-term cooperation agreement covering technology development and marketing, aiming at expanding the operational-technology (OT) security businesses of both companies.

The collaboration aims to create innovative new value in OT security by combining Mitsubishi Electric's assessment, maintenance and operation services as well as control equipment and systems with TXOne's OT security products.

The new OT security solutions are expected to improve manufacturing productivity, efficiency and safety as well as security levels throughout the supply chains of various industries.

"We look forward to creating new value in OT security by combining OT technology and expertise for manufacturing, infrastructure and building automation with security technology for information systems," said Kunihiko Kaga, Mitsubishi Electric's representative executive officer and industry and mobility business area owner.

"With the continued evolution of DX and the increasing sophistication and complexity of cyberattacks, OT security measures must extend from the information communication layer to the control communication layer and deeper into the network layer.” Kunihiko Kaga

“We are confident that our synergy with TXOne's OT network segmentation and defence technologies will enable us to contribute to greater safety and security in OT environments and the world beyond," he continued.

Dr. Terence Liu, CEO of TXOne Networks, concurs adding that the collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric and TXOne Networks creates a unique value with our deep-rooted expertise in both IT and OT, forming comprehensive and holistic security services to safeguard manufacturing assets against the ever-evolving cyber risks at once."

The post Cooperation to expand security solutions for OT and ICS appeared first on FutureIoT.

However, these devices often lack proper security controls and are insufficiently tested for vulnerabilities. Sophisticated cyber adversaries increasingly attempt to exploit these devices, as evidenced by a growing number of CISA ICS advisories identifying significant threats to many life- and safety-critical devices.

The EMB3D Threat Model, a collaborative effort by MITRE, Red Balloon Security, and Narf Industries, provides a common understanding of the threats posed to embedded devices and the security mechanisms required to mitigate them.

“Together, we are committed to enhancing the cyber posture of critical infrastructure sectors that rely on Operational Technology (OT) technologies. This collaboration exemplifies the power of collective expertise and underscores MITRE's dedication to advancing the resilience and security of vital systems in today's interconnected world.”

What is EMB3D

EMB3D aligns with and expands on several existing models, including Common Weakness Enumeration, MITRE ATT&CK, and Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, but with a specific embedded device focus.

It provides a cultivated knowledge base of cyber threats to devices, including those observed in the field environment or demonstrated through proofs-of-concept and/or theoretic research. These threats are mapped to device properties to help users develop and tailor accurate threat models for specific embedded devices.

For each threat, suggested mitigations are exclusively focused on technical mechanisms that device vendors should implement to protect against the given threat with the goal of building security into the device.

EMB3D is intended to offer a comprehensive framework for the entire security ecosystem—device vendors, manufacturers, asset owners, security researchers, and testing organisations.

“Utilities have been forced to extreme measures to secure our infrastructures because of concerns about ICS device insecurities,” says Niyo Pearson of ONEGas.

“The EMB3D model will provide a means for ICS device manufacturers to understand the evolving threat landscape and potential available mitigations earlier in the design cycle, resulting in more inherently secure devices. This will eliminate or reduce the need to ‘bolt on’ security after the fact, resulting in more secure infrastructure and reduced security costs.”

EMB3D is intended to be a living framework, where new threats and mitigations are added and updated over time as new threat actors emerge and security researchers discover new categories of vulnerabilities, threats, and security defences.

Anticipated to be released in early 2024, EMB3D will be a public community resource, where all information is openly available, and the security community can submit additions and revisions.

“We encourage device vendors, asset owners, researchers, and academia to review the threat model and share feedback, ensuring our collective efforts remain at the forefront of safeguarding our interconnected world,” said Yosry Barsoum, vice president and director, Centre for Securing the Homeland at MITRE.

“Insights, expertise, and a collaborative spirit are invaluable as we work together to strengthen the resilience of our digital infrastructure. Together, we can build a safer and more secure future.”

The post EMB3D – a threat model for critical infrastructure embedded devices appeared first on FutureIoT.

Getting better with time

IoT elevators are proving to be more efficient than traditional elevators compared to next-generation elevators.

With a growth rate valued at US$18.4 Billion, in 2022 the hardware demand has boomed significantly in the past few years. Based on the data that is being collected from daily usage of elevators, artificial intelligence is currently being used to assist both operators and mechanical contractors in keeping up with their daily routines finding ways to manage the flow of elevator traffic better and finding ways to prevent problems before they occur.

The integration of third-party systems with elevators is expected to become more prevalent as technology develops in the future. In addition, construction companies are raising their demands for efficient and safe technologies in the global elevator market.

The growth of the market will be driven by the increase in urbanization and the increased demand for residential & commercial amenities will significantly raise the market for IoT in elevators markets. These trends will likely lead to traction for the IoT market in elevators.

Devices powered by IoT technology can manage big data streams and perform predictive maintenance in elevators.

Key takeaways

• India to emerge as the dominant IoT in elevators market, reaching US$ 6.0 Billion by 2032
• China is the fastest-growing market, registering a CAGR of 14.6% across the decade

By component type, hardware to register maximum IoT in elevator usage, growing at a 12.1% CAGR

Preventive maintenance to emerge as the top application, growing at a rate of 13.9% through 2032

“With growing technology, AI and machine learning can be used to simulate the adoption and growth of smart elevators in the future,” remarks an analyst at Fact.MR.

Competitive landscape

Prominent manufacturers of IoT in elevators are eyeing technological innovations to provide their customers with the most accurate and precise elevator system arrangements. To enhance their presence across significant geographies, companies are forging collaborative agreements with government entities.

The need for smarter elevators has led to innovative IoT solutions being developed by several players in the current market landscape which will further boost various innovations over time.

The post Asia to lead demand in IoT in elevators appeared first on FutureIoT.

While water covers 71% of the earth’s surface, only 3 per cent of it is fresh water with only 0.3% found in lakes, rivers and swamps.

The scarcity of fresh water may be apparent among city dwellers, but safe and clean water is even more scarce in the less developed regions of Asia.

Gregg Herrin, vice president for water infrastructure at Bentley Systems, says water scarcity in Asia presents different challenges depending on which part of Asia you are looking into.

“There are areas of Asia where people do not have water infrastructure at all. So, bringing clean drinking water, bringing sanitation services, is important for people who don’t have access to it,” he revealed.

Speaking to FutureIoT at the 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards, Herrin acknowledged the wide disparity of development when it comes to water management, citing places like Singapore where advanced infrastructure exists, and efforts exist to further optimise how the resource is consumed and managed, and to do so while reducing their energy consumption, their carbon footprint, improve reliability and reduce service interruptions.

On the other extreme, he goes on, are regions that are looking to just build infrastructure and provide that service.

The impact of decades of legacy infrastructure

Herrin comments that much of the current water and wastewater infrastructure is buried (under the ground). And because pipes are hidden, this presents the challenge of managing what is not easily visible.

He concedes efforts to bring technology that would make it possible to visualise and measure the water flowing through the networks of pipes, as well as simulate (model) how water is flowing through that underground network of pipes.

He cited the potential to use data collated from sensors that monitor water flow or pressure to determine the condition of the pipes and pumps.

“Combining it digitally lets you see things through this network of systems that you wouldn't be able to see if you were just using traditional methods,” he continued.

The state of water management

Herrin concedes software tools are used to help design the network of water systems as these can be complicated. However, a growing trend is in the use of digital twin technologies, particularly in complex use cases like water treatment facilities where complex issues like chemistry, biology, or the hydraulic characteristic of water (and wastewater) come together to undergo some treatment prior to distribution.

“All sorts of different types of engineers and other professionals are working together to try to make sure that everything functions the way it should,” explained Herrin. “If the plant process engineer decides that they need to change something, the structural engineer needs to make sure the building won't fall.

“There's an aspect of working with digital twins that helps those different collaborators be more effective in doing that type of work together,” continued Herrin.

He further cites the example of a (water) pump that will gradually degrade over time. “The pump may not operate as efficiently as it could, or if the conditions in the network are dramatically different from the initial design – the pump might not operate at all,” he posited.

Click on the video to see Herrin’s responses to the following:

1. In Asia, what are the current constraints towards better water management?
2. What does digital transformation look like in the water utilities sector?
3. What is meant by digital water management?
4. How do you see digital technologies enabling the water industry to support GHG emissions reduction?
5. Do you need to go digital, and to what extent, to achieve ESG/sustainability targets?

The post Water management trends for Asia in 2024 appeared first on FutureIoT.

The report offers guidance for policymakers to address severe disruptions and long-standing development challenges in cities for a sustainable urban recovery in Asia and the Pacific.

The problems and challenges of governments and city developers are nothing new. But with new technologies and lessons learned from other countries, Asia may yet to reap the benefits of not being the first mover.

Jacques Beltran, VP for Cities and Public Services at Dassault Systèmes says what is happening in Asia is not local to the region. It is a global trend. “Asian cities face two major challenges – demographic growth and climate change,” he called.

“Today, half of the world's population lives in cities, and it’s expected to reach 80% of the population by 2050. This creates huge demographic pressure on existing and new cities being built. Cities are also facing enormous challenges related to climate change and all the natural disasters that come with it.”

Jacques Beltran

Previous top priorities of urban planners

Beltran says due to urban demographic growth, urban planners have much work to do to ensure that citizens living in cities have a good life, and that has to do with meeting fundamental needs like housing and mobility.

“Mobility is probably the top issue globally and in Asia. Cities need to ensure that people can go from one point to another in a reasonable time and a sustainable manner. There are also issues with car traffic and air pollution. Mobility, housing, and access to energy and clean water are issues at the heart of urban planning worldwide,” he continued.

Climate change and its impact on city living

Asked how significant the impact of climate change on cities in Asia, Beltran was quick to pronounce: Major! He explains that the number of natural hazards hitting cities has multiplied by five since the 1980s. Flooding is probably the top natural hazard that's hitting cities, particularly in Asia. There are also extreme temperatures or wildfires.

“Such natural hazards have become a key focus for urban planners and agencies. We are doing everything we can to find ways to help cities adapt to those risks and climate change challenges. Cities need to become more sustainable and resilient,” he elaborated.

Sustainability aspirations and its influence on urban development

According to Beltran, people living in the cities are increasingly conscious of sustainability challenges, and they are increasingly thinking about their impact on climate change. He acknowledged that this is a major challenge not only for urban planners but for city governments themselves.

“What’s obvious now is that transformation will not work without a strong political will to change how cities are managed. We firmly believe that technology, supported by a strong political will, can help those cities become more sustainable and resilient,” he added.

The influence of evolving technology

Reflecting on the past 20 years, Beltran acknowledged a huge acceleration in technology that can help cities transform how they operate and plan for the future.

“For mobility, intelligent transportation systems have been developed for public transportation. Mobile apps help people find their way around traffic jams. Smart grid technology is helping cities cope with the ever-increasing energy demand. IoT sensors capture data on how a city is functioning, and that data, together with data analytics, helps city authorities plan for the future."

Jacques Beltran

“To help your city adapt to future challenges, you must first understand the reality now. Today’s technology helps us do that tremendously well,” he continued.

Challenges for urban planners

Beltran cites two main technological building blocks that urban planners can use today:

Data analytics and AI. Once city data has been captured widely, these technologies can be used to interpret, understand and transform that data into actionable information.

3D modelling and 3D simulation. One of the biggest challenges that cities face is breaking the silos. Everybody sees the city from a certain perspective. 3D simulation technology, or digital twinning, helps different stakeholders see the city through a common view by aggregating all available data into one single 3D referential. This lets all stakeholders move ahead as one.

Ownership and stakeholders of 3D models

3D mockups and 3D representations of the city are easy to do. What’s more complex and adds much value is identifying the types of data to inject into the 3D model.

“We can connect different dimensions, such as safety, environmental, and economic development in a 3D model. From there, entire city ecosystems can be improved, covering aspects such as diverse administration, businesses, and citizen comfort,” said Beltran.

He commented that all stakeholders involved in city planning and development should have access to such a 3D modelling and simulation system.

Challenges ahead for urban planners

Beltran says one of the major challenges for urban planners is building what-if scenarios. He opines that 3D modelling and simulation can help cities design future products like infrastructure.

“The beauty of such technology is that you can do virtual testing of different policy options – by setting up each scenario, assessing the merits of each scenario, and seeing what will happen when each option is selected,” he elaborated. “Aircraft manufacturers use the same technology to circumvent crashing their planes. Such what-if scenario enablement and testing are invaluable to city planners.”

Click on the PodChat player to listen to Beltran elaborate further on smarter ways for modernising urban development.

1. Give us a state of city growth in Asia.
2. Before sustainability became the buzzword, what were the top priorities of urban planners?
3. How significant is the impact of climate change on cities in Asia?
4. What mindset is needed to make cities sustainable for the long haul?
5. Beyond mindset, do we have the technologies and skilled/experienced people available/ready to make the change towards more sustainable urban development?
6. Can we go into a little bit of detail in terms of what technologies are available today for urban planners?
7. Describe the challenges urban planners face in Asia in the coming years. What can we learn from global cities when it comes to sustainable development?

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: Smarter ways for modernising urban development appeared first on FutureIoT.

MBI segments AEC services into building design (35%), infrastructure design (25%), and product design (20%). The firm says the remaining share is accounted for by other services such as 3D modelling, data analytics, and construction management.

MBI says demand for smart cities, infrastructure and development initiatives and technological advancements are fuelling demand for AEC services with Asia Pacific growing fastest in part due to the rapid growth of urbanisation and infrastructure development in the region.

At the 2023 Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards, FutureIoT spoke to Lori Hufford, vice president for engineering collaboration at Bentley Systems for her take on engineering trends in Asia, and how efforts to modernise are developing.

According to Hufford, the rapid population growth in Asia has fuelled the increased need for infrastructure in the areas of water, transportation, and energy. Even as governments invest in infrastructure projects, the size of these developments coupled with the scarcity of skilled resources present a conundrum to authorities tasked with city development.

She opines that the use of technologies to drive forward these developments is influenced by the maturity of the market to adapt or integrate these innovations into existing practices.

“At Bentley, what we are working to do is to close the adoption gap,” said Hufford. “That’s the gap between available technology to provide innovative results and the design firm’s ability to consume that technology.”

“One of the ways that we're doing that is we're delivering innovative iTwin data-centric workflows into existing Bentley applications. We believe that by augmenting users’ existing workflows with new data-centric workflows with incremental advancements, through solutions like Projectwise powered by iTwin, the new iTwin advancements and MicroStation, into their existing workflows, these will be able to help close that adoption gap.”

Click on the video to see Hufford’s responses to the following:

1. What is your observation of engineering projects in Asia?
   a. Where do you see projects showcasing the creative use of technology?
   b. Where are the areas that remain isolated or not taking advantage of innovations in technology and process?
2. What remains the top holdouts for organisations in Asia leveraging technologies like AI, digital twins, IoT, etc?
3. Can organisations continue investing/pursuing modernisation projects, including advanced construction projects, while supporting commitments towards sustainable development and ESG?
4. Coming into 2024, what is your outlook on engineering projects in Asia?

The post Enterprise engineering trends in 2024 appeared first on FutureIoT.

The 'Big 4' manufacturing nations (China, the U.S., Japan, and Germany) now contribute a higher share, accounting for 57% of the world's manufacturing value added, reflecting an increase from the previous year.

“The primary change to the largest manufacturing companies globally is the absence of electronic companies in the top 10,” says James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing markets industry analyst at ABI Research. He listed petroleum refining, mining, and automotive manufacturers as continuing to dominate the top 10 spots.

He added that while automotive manufacturing still boasts the largest factories by size, its dominant status at the top is contested by the construction of massive semiconductor plants in the United States.

“TSMC’s Pheonix Arizona Plant, for example, is now the third largest factory in the world at over 5.1 million square meters. Samsung and Texas Instruments are also constructing large manufacturing plants in the United States,” he continued.

Asia’s manufacturing landscape

Vietnam has the second largest manufacturing sector by employment in the APAC region, second only to China, employing more people in manufacturing than Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea combined. The country has also seen its MVA double from 2015 to 2022.

The revenues of Chinese metal products manufacturers saw an excellent recovery in 2021 compared to its disastrous 2020 levels, jumping back up to US$680 billion from US$56 billion. 

The Japanese market has not been so fortunate, with 8 out of the top 10 largest manufacturing markets seeing revenue fall between 2020 and 2022.

The United States showed interesting trends in the petroleum and coal products manufacturing market, with MVA more than doubling from US$65 billion in 2020 to US$144 billion in 2021. However, CAPEX has not seen the same growth rate in the same period, with expenditure on machinery equipment dropping from 2020 to 2021 by US$1.3 billion.

“CAPEX in other markets has similarly seen a lack of return to pre-COVID levels, with expenditure on data processing and communication services for the transport equipment and electronics markets remaining lower in 2021 than 2019,” Prestwood concludes.

The post ABI Research reveals changing manufacturing landscape appeared first on FutureIoT.

Samotics launched Energy Analytics – a platform it claims enables industrial organisations to unlock the full value of existing data to realise energy savings of up to 15% and reduce associated CO2 emissions.

Hoogeweegen says Energy Analytics enables organisations to act immediately with no hardware investment, transforming fragmented, granular datasets into concrete recommendations to reduce energy costs and emissions.

Energy Analytics leverages Samotics’ years of experience monitoring electrical signals to provide insight into the efficiency of rotating equipment, benchmark performance against industry best practices, and deliver actionable, prioritised savings recommendations.

With Energy Analytics, organisations simply enable access to historic telemetry data from their existing measurement infrastructure (e.g., SCADA systems), which is then mapped, cleaned, and pre-processed to enable structured analysis within the industry-leading analytics platform. Support from Samotics’ expert team then enables organisations to quickly realise and report significant energy savings of up to 15% through continuous optimization, without the CAPEX investment and complexity associated with the installation of hardware.

Energy Analytics directly complements Samotics’ widely deployed and proven SAM4 technology ecosystem which uses electrical signature analysis (ESA) to enable continuous monitoring of the assets' health, performance and energy efficiency.

Where an organisation’s existing monitoring data is incomplete in terms of volume or quality, for example, SAM4 Energy sensors can be quickly and easily installed. This is particularly beneficial for equipment in harsh or submerged environments, as the sensors are installed in the motor control cabinet rather than on the asset itself.

“Adding a software-only solution to our product suite equips industrial organisations with another powerful, flexible tool to unlock performance and sustainability benefits through a smart, proactive condition-based maintenance approach while providing an opportunity to significantly scale our ability to support organisations around the world."

Jasper Hoogeweegen

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According to GlobaData Vietnam is projected to see a 5.1% growth rate in 2023, exceeding the 4.5% three-year average (2020-22). The government’s proactive measures, including monetary easing and increased public investment, are set to further drive growth at a rate of 6.5% for 2024-25.

The GlobalData report, Macroeconomic Outlook: Vietnam, reveals that the country’s domestic demand remains resilient due to the combination of easing inflation and reduced borrowing costs. During the first half (H1) of 2023, final consumption experienced a notable uptick of 2.68% compared to the same period in 2022.

The value added in agriculture and services witnessed a growth of 3.1% and 6.3%, respectively, contributing to the overall expansion of the GDP by 3.7% in H1 2023. However, the industrial sector's value-added saw a modest increase of 0.4% during H1 2023, marking the lowest growth during 2011-23 due to subdued trade.

This was reflected in a significant decline of 10.0% in exports of goods and services, along with a notable drop of 13.2% in the import of goods and services on an annual basis throughout H1 2023.

Maheshwari Bandari, economic research analyst at GlobalData, posits that if external demand remains subdued or investment remains constrained, there is a possibility that growth could fall short of expectations.

"The ongoing issues in the real estate sector, including the suspension of US$34 billion worth of projects as of June 2023, along with a rise in non-performing loans, have the potential to negatively impact Vietnam's economic prospects.”

Sector activity

Sector-wise, mining, manufacturing, and utilities contributed 35.0% to Vietnam’s gross value added (GVA) in 2022, followed by wholesale, retail, and hotels (13%), and financial intermediation, real estate, and business activities (12.6%).

In nominal terms, the three sectors are forecast to grow by 12.8%, 12.8%, and 12.4%, respectively, in 2023 compared to 14.2%, 20.5% and 11.7%, respectively, in 2022.

Vietnam's semiconductor sector is poised for growth as Samsung invested US$3.3 billion (August 2022) and Intel considers a US$1 billion increase in its US$1.5 billion chip production investment (February 2023). Amid the supply chain disruptions and trade conflicts, Vietnam aims to be a key player in the semiconductor industry.

Between January and July 2023, Vietnam welcomed around 6.6 million international visitors, hitting 83% of its yearly goal, as reported by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. GlobalData anticipates international arrivals to surge from 2.2 million in 2022 to 11.4 million in 2023 and even higher, reaching 19.5 million in 2025.

Bandari concludes: “Vietnam is becoming a pivotal figure in the redirection of worldwide supply chains, moving away from China. The focal point is the Deep C Two industrial estate in northern Vietnam, a hub for major global suppliers. The escalating demand in this zone emphasizes its importance as businesses aim to diversify beyond China's reach. Vietnam's advantageous geographical position and growing industrial areas, managed by entities like Deep C, are drawing manufacturers. This transition highlights Vietnam's escalating role in the reconfiguring global supply chain scenario, signifying a fresh phase in its economic journey.”

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The AWK-4252A can operate concurrently on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz dual-band Turbo Roaming with an average handover time under 150 ms and is backwards-compatible with existing 802.11a/b/g/n deployments to future-proof wireless investments.

Reliability is top-of-mind for every industrial network application. Moxa designed the AWK-4252A to comply with the most demanding industrial standards and approvals covering operating temperature, power input voltage, surge, ESD, and vibration.

Its IP68-rated weatherproof metal housing withstands the rigours of harsh outdoor environments from -40° to 75° C, while its enhanced antenna port isolation protects against up to 30 kV ESD and 6 kV surges. Two redundant DC power inputs increase the reliability of the power supply.

Moxa considers security an integral part of network reliability. Based on the principle of secure-by-design, the AWK-4252A is certified for IEC 62443-4-2 by the IECEE.

Compliance with this standard not only ensures device-level security for industrial automation and control systems (IACS), but also verifies that these devices are suitable for building an IEC 62443-3-3 compliant security environment, resulting in lower development risk, time, and cost. It also supports the latest WPA3 encryption for an additional layer of WLAN security.

The AWK-4252A can be powered via PoE to facilitate flexible, cost-effective deployments. Network Address Translation (1-to-n NAT) optimises the machine integration flow by simplifying IP address assignment while avoiding IP conflicts between existing devices connecting to the OT network wirelessly.

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Next-generation Human Interfaces (HMIs), Industrial Personal Computers (IPCs), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are essential to deploying modern factory architecture, and each market will see strong growth over the next ten years.

According to ABI Research, the automation hardware market is forecast to increase from a current value of US$38.7 billion in 2023 to US$64 billion in 2033, a CAGR of 5.1%.

The PLC market is the largest industrial automation hardware segment with sales projected to reach US$30 billion by 2033. "PLC market growth is driven by new manufacturing requirements, such as for smart connected products, EVs, and battery manufacturing. New production techniques and a "digital-first" mindset are also encouraging new automation solutions like software-based PLCs," explains James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing industry analyst at ABI Research.

Software-based PLCs are an increasingly notable vector of transformation for the PLC market. This trend is best encapsulated by Siemens’s announcement of SIMATIC S7-1500V, a virtual PLC completely independent of hardware that is downloaded and integrated directly into a manufacturer’s IT environment.

Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Rockwell Automation, Emerson, and ABB are among the largest players in the industrial automation hardware market, representing around 42% of the total market share. However, the market is also characterised by other prevalent market players such as Omron, Phoenix Contact, Honeywell, Bosch Rexroth, and Beckhoff.

ABI Research identifies large PLCs (controllers with over 1024 Inputs/Outputs (I/Os) as having the most robust growth compared to other PLC classes (Micro, Small, and Medium), with a CAGR of 6.1% and revenues of US$5.6 billion by 2033.

"As manufacturers continue to adopt automation solutions with complex architectures, which increasingly demand powerful PLC assets, large PLC controllers are the ideal solution, rather than using multiple smaller PLCs to achieve similar results," Prestwood concludes.

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KEENON Robotics and Daesung Industrial have signed a business cooperation agreement marking a significant milestone in KEENON's expansion efforts within the Korean market, and further bringing cutting-edge service robots to businesses and transforming customer experiences.

Through this cooperation, more businesses in Korea will have even greater access to a range of advanced indoor delivery robots from KEENON. The KEENON DINERBOTs, along with the versatile BUTLERBOT, will be available through Daesung distribution channels.

These state-of-the-art robots are designed to enhance productivity and elevate customer experiences across various industries, especially the hospitality industry. DINERBOT is designed with food and beverage service in mind and features open trays, reliable navigation and a user-friendly interface, while BUTLERBOT features a secure, enclosed cabinet and can autonomously ride elevators.

By offering a range of DINERBOT robots as well as the BUTLERBOT W3, both companies are poised to meet the growing demand for intelligent automation solutions and intelligent indoor delivery solutions across sectors such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, and more.

Daesung will support the success of business partners by providing KEENON's excellent service robot solutions through close collaboration with customers and partners.

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Set to be operational by the end of the year, the microgrid will deliver a stand-alone and renewable electricity supply, while reducing the number of power outages in the picturesque south coast villages.

"What's unique about this project is that the microgrid has been co-designed with the community from the outset,” said Albert Pors, future grid systems manager, Endeavour Energy.

The community microgrid includes contributions from the Australian and NSW Government's Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, Endeavour Energy along with local residents.

Pors said that the microgrid would be critical in building resilience within the community.

"The microgrid leverages grid scale energy storage and customer Distributed Energy Resources, combined with mPrest's DERMS solution, to support the network during peak holiday periods and creating an island of power when the community is impacted by weather extremes.  This is where future grid technology meets resilience."

Albert Pors, Endevour Energy

The first-of-its kind microgrid at Bawley Point and Kioloa community is made up of a grid connected battery, and subsidised home solar and batteries, as well as water heating load control, generating a renewable and reliable electricity supply which will help to build resilience in the face of increasing adverse weather events.

Better way to harness power

 A microgrid is a small, local network of electricity users with a local source of power made up of solar and batteries.  

Microgrids exist all around the world. They are not new technology, but as locally generated renewable power has increased, these mini grids are becoming a viable way for modern grids to better harness power.

The microgrid at Bawley Point and Kioloa community will be connected to Endeavour Energy's network but will switch to its local 'power island' if the main electricity grid goes downꟷ providing added security for the community’s power supply.

To assist in managing the energy through the microgrid, state-of-the-art software will forecast the renewable energy load and manage it across all solar panels and batteries, in real time.

"Australia is leading the world Distributed Energy Resource (DER) market. This first of its kind microgrid for Endeavour Energy and NSW combines high penetration of DERs, grid storage, flexible load and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). We are pleased to partner our DERMS technology with Endeavour Energy on this project,” said Natan Barak, CEO, mPrest.

Ron Halpern, chief commercial officer at mPrest, welcomed the opportunity to work with Endeavour Energy on the first community microgrid of its kind in NSW.

"The advanced Australian market, which is driven by prosumer and VPP market participation in energy and ancillary services trading, creates a joint opportunity for Endeavour Energy and mPrest to integrate Dynamic Operating Envelops (DOEs) analytics under mPrest's DERMS Orchestration Platform," said Halpern.

"DOEs are power envelopes that the distribution utility can apply to grid imports and exports, thus enabling dynamic management of grid constraints with minimal impacts on customers.  Integrating DOEs is yet another example of how the Australian market is trailblazing the global DERMS market."

Ron Halpern, mPrest

Endeavour Energy supplies power to over 2.7 million people living and working in Sydney's Greater West, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and the South Coast of NSW. Its customer base spans over 25,000 square kilometres and is made up of 430,000 power poles. and street light columns, 202 major substations and 32,600 distribution substations.

The power utility company Integrates with renewable energy sources including 250,000 residential solar connections, industrial solar and embedded large-scale batteries.

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Drivers of growth

With few alterations to the market structure, factory automation has developed gradually. However, due to technological disruptions, macro trends including reshoring, a worldwide shortage of trained workers, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, the rate of change is quickening.

Over the course of the projection period, it is predicted that the factory automation market will grow significantly because of the increased need for automation for reliable and high-quality production.

Additionally, industry participants are focusing on improving the manufacturing process efficiency to produce goods that are both affordable and of high quality, which has a big impact on the size of the factory automation market.

Factors influencing factory automation

The demand for factory automation solutions is driven by the development of 5G wireless technology and the adoption of Industry 4.0 in several industries, including fibre & textiles, infrastructure, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and others.

Industrial IoT, digital twin, and digitization The rise of teach-less robots, soft programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and digital twins are predicted to be the three major trends in the factory automation sector. This factor is expected to drive the Factory Automation Market.

Factories with fully functional automation systems will unquestionably outperform businesses with fewer or no robotics. Theoretically, those with the most advanced automation systems may generate more than three times as much as their rivals.

Systems that automate tasks can also operate for longer periods of time. Even if factories with fully developed automation systems must produce more complex items, this helps to boost the volume of output.

Additionally, since machines are programmed to operate with extreme precision and exceptional efficiency, automation systems guarantee that there is little room for human error throughout manufacturing. It is also known that one robot can produce at a rate comparable to three to five workers. This factor is expected to drive the Factory Automation Market.

Modern automation makes it possible for factories to run considerably more cheaply. Nowadays, a few individuals and a few robots produce goods instead of hundreds of workers on an assembly line.

Gaining a profit and a return on investment (ROI) will be simpler for businesses. Payroll, benefits, insurance, and sick leave costs can all be decreased by using more robots and fewer workers. This factor is expected to drive the Factory Automation Market.

The automation systems in factories can now be upgraded continuously to work in a more environmentally responsible manner. Modern systems are known to have a smaller environmental impact.

Modern machinery is more accurate and controlled, uses less power, and produces less waste heat. Machines can also be mounted on walls, which are typically underused in traditional factories and can be placed in tight corners to save even more floor space.

Additionally, it permits businesses to add more machines inside the plant. Additionally, robotics' accuracy reduces the amount of scrap produced during production. This factor is expected to drive the Factory Automation Market.

Not only will manufacturing be more affordable because of robots, but it will also be much safer. The days of factory workers accidentally hurting themselves while the product was being made are long gone. Humans are still required, but only to manage and supervise production, apply the finishing touches, and check and guarantee the quality of the final items. This factor is expected to drive the Factory Automation Market.

Market segmentation

The factory automation market is segmented by component (sensors, controllers, switches and relays, industrial robots, drives, others), control and safety system (distributed control system (DCS), supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA), manufacturing execution system (MES), systems instrumented system (SIS), programmable logic controller (PLC), human-machine interface (HMI)), and by industry verticals (automotive manufacturing, food and beverage, oil and gas processing, mining, others).

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Since the early days of industrial automation, manufacturers have adopted a variety of purpose-built protocols and systems for highly specialised control applications, instead of using standard Ethernet technologies.

As the IIoT continues to expand, industrial networks in the future will be required to transmit much larger volumes of data between interconnected devices and to collect information from remote devices for both OT and IT engineers to access. With these growing demands on the horizon, network preparedness may determine an enterprise's success.

Moxa offers three tips to prepare IIoT networks for the future. These include:

Achieve greater integration with a unified infrastructure

Over the years, various devices using different protocols have been deployed on industrial networks to provide diverse services. Under these circumstances, network integration usually costs more than expected or becomes more difficult to achieve.

Manufacturers can either choose the status quo, that is, maintain their pre-existing isolated automation networks with numerous purpose-built protocols of the past, or seek solutions to deterministic services and that can integrate these “islands of automation” into one unified network.

If the goal is to be ready for future demands, the choice is obviously the latter. The rule of thumb is to take potential industrial protocols into consideration and ensure you can redesign networks in case any new demands arise in the market.

One approach is Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), a set of new standards introduced by the IEEE 802.1 TSN Task Group as an advanced toolbox. With TSN, you can build open, unified networks with standard Ethernet technologies that reserve flexibility for the future.

Enable anywhere access with hassle-free cloud services

Cloud-based remote access offers many benefits to IIoT customers, such as reducing the travel time and expenses of sending maintenance engineers to multiple remote sites. Furthermore, cloud-based secure remote access can offer flexible and scalable connections to meet dynamic, fast-changing requirements.

However, operational technology (OT) engineers may find it cumbersome to set up and maintain their own cloud servers for new services and applications. Indeed, there is considerable effort associated with setting up new infrastructure, even in the cloud.

Fortunately, OEMs and machine builders can now deliver secure cloud-based services and remote access to their customers, therefore eliminating the need to maintain in-house cloud servers.

One key issue that demands scrutiny is the cloud server license scheme. Often, upfront costs may seem low for limited server hosts. Yet these apparent cost savings on server hosts may actually make a project uneconomical due to a limited scale of connections.

Second, you may also need to consider central management capabilities in order to flexibly expand remote connections as your needs change. With this said, carefully weigh the costs and benefits of incorporating secure remote access to industrial networks. Always select solutions that minimise hassles and will help deliver more value to customers.

Get better visibility of network status

When complexity increases due to greater connectivity on industrial networks, it can become very difficult to identify the root cause of problems and maintain sufficient network visibility.

Control engineers often must revert to trial and error to get the system back to normal, which is time-consuming and troublesome.

To facilitate and manage growing industrial networks, network operators need integrated network management software to make informed decisions throughout network deployment, maintenance, and diagnostics.

In addition, as systems continue to grow, it is important that you pay attention to several network integration concerns. First, only managing industrial networks in local control centres may not be feasible three or five years from now, especially when existing systems need to be integrated with new ones.

It is therefore important to use network management software with integration interfaces, such as OPC DA tags for SCADA system integration or RESTful APIs for external web services. Furthermore, an interface to facilitate third-party software integration is also a key criterion for ensuring future flexibility.

For many industries, the IIoT presents as many challenges as opportunities. It is this new frontier where traditional OT and IT silos converge is clearly the way of the future. Successfully deploying an IIoT application requires careful planning and attention to detail from the moment you decide to begin the journey.

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The focus of this partnership will be delivering asset health and energy efficiency insights to a broader audience of industrial players. Its initial target industries are oil and gas and water and wastewater sectors in key global markets, including the US and Australia.

Samotics’ SAM4 technology supports global industrial players to monitor the performance and efficiency of critical assets. SAM4 is a proven, scalable solution, already helping over 100 customers on five continents to make data-driven decisions and improve performance.

It solves a significant challenge for industrial organizations, including those in water, steel and chemicals, by enabling the remote capture of high-quality performance and efficiency data for assets in hard-to-reach, submerged and hazardous locations.

According to Peter Mann, a director at Partners in Performance, the partnership will allow it to help its global clients improve asset performance while accelerating their energy transitions since they have a safe and effective way of identifying energy-inefficient equipment.

"With their (Samotics) machine learning algorithms in our arsenal, we can help increase operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, all the while creating safer working environments for people by identifying potential issues before they can become a hazard,” he continued. 

This makes it an attractive offering for Partners in Performance industrial client base, who are looking for an end-to-end solution to support their digital transformation and energy transition efforts.

Jasper Hoogeweegen, CEO at Samotics said: “Our SAM4 technology is already delivering significant value to industries, helping to identify developing faults and meet carbon reduction goals. With our joint commitment to solving reliability and energy efficiency challenges, Partners in Performance is a great partner to help scale global adoption of our proven technology and bring these benefits to more organizations around the world.”

Two unique solutions from SAM4

SAM4 Health analyses current and voltage signals of electric-driven equipment such as motors and pumps to detect electrical and mechanical faults.

Using electrical signature analysis (ESA) and machine learning, SAM4 Health offers superior fault detection accuracy, detecting over 90% of failures up to five months in advance.

Used to continuously monitor industrial equipment efficiency, SAM4 Energy provides detailed performance and efficiency insights to identify where energy consumption, cost and efficiency losses are largest and implement data-driven recommendations.

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The AWK-3252A aims to optimise mobile automation and IP surveillance systems in mining, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and other industries, driving improved outcomes especially where Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are at the heart of boosting productivity and operational safety.

Capable of concurrent dual-band Wi-Fi, the Moxa AWK-3252A offers 802.11ac performance with DFS channel support, the latest WPA3 encryption for an additional layer of WLAN security, aggregated data rates up to 1.267 Gbps, and millisecond-level client-based Turbo Roaming for <150 ms recovery time between APs.

Two redundant DC power inputs increase the reliability of the power supply, and the AWK-3252A can be powered via PoE to facilitate flexible deployment. Combined, these features simplify industrial wireless operations and the integration of mobile systems outfitted with complex sensors and cameras, while ensuring high performance to address the requirements for reliable and futureproof systems.

The AWK-3252A is compliant with IEC 62443-4-2 and IEC 62443-4-1 industrial cybersecurity certifications -- which cover both product security and secure development life-cycle requirements -- helping system integrators meet the compliance requirements of secure industrial network design, resulting in lower development risk, time, and cost.

Built for demanding industrial use, the AWK-3252A is protected within a metal IP30-rated housing with DIN-Rail mounting or optional wall mounting. Integrated antenna isolation safeguards against external electrical interference.

For those installing network devices in hazardous locations, the AWK-3252A is certified for Class 1, Division 2 (C1D2) areas where the risk of explosion exists. An extended temperature version of the device is safe to use from -40 to 75°C to ensure smooth wireless communication in exceptionally harsh environments.

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"The last few years have shown that connecting with a digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury, but a necessity," said Carlos M. González, research manager for the Internet of Things at IDC. "For organisations to excel in data-driven operations, investing in IoT projects is essential."

"Connecting devices to data networks to gather insight, expand operations, and increase performance are the hallmarks of executing an IoT ecosystem."

Carlos M. González

Industry perspective

Discrete and process manufacturing are the industries that will see the largest investment in IoT solutions in 2023 and throughout the forecast period, accounting for more than one-third of all IoT spending worldwide.

Professional services, utilities, and retail are the next largest industries in terms of overall IoT spending with roughly 25% of the worldwide total. State/local government and telecommunications will deliver the fastest spending growth over the five-year forecast with CAGRs of 12.0% and 11.7% respectively.

IoT investment is a key building block to supporting an increasingly digital and distributed organisational footprint. Most of these investments are seeking solutions that can help organisations achieve a specific business goal or customer challenges, such as cost savings or supply chain efficiency. As such, use cases are the focus of most IoT investment plans.

Use cases

The two IoT use cases that will receive the most investment in 2023 are both closely tied to the manufacturing industries: manufacturing operations (US$73.0 billion) and production asset management (US$68.2 billion). The next largest use cases – inventory intelligence (US$37.6 billion), smart grid (electricity) (US$36.9 billion), and supply chain resilience (US$31.6 billion) – will benefit from strong investments from the Retail and Utilities industries.

The use cases that will experience the fastest spending growth represent the diverse application of IoT technologies – electric vehicle charging (30.9% CAGR), next-generation loss prevention (14.5% CAGR), agriculture field monitoring (13.9% CAGR), and connected vending and lockers (13.8% CAGR).

The influence of digital transformation is evident

IDC says updates to the IoT use case taxonomy in this release of the IoT Spending Guide reflect the evolving digital transformation investment objectives of enterprises.

Thematically, greater investment in goods production and supply chains resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and global reactions that caused massive business and societal disruptions are evident in the new use cases.

"These production and supply chain-related use cases can be seen in the discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, retail, and transportation industries," said Marcus Torchia, research vice president with IDC's data & analytics group. "Meanwhile, digital business investments are ramping up in other industries such as the resource industries. For example, IoT is helping to improve upstream supply chain processes in agriculture, such as growing, harvesting, and delivering higher quality products to market."

Technology view

From a technology perspective, IoT services will be the largest area of spending in 2023 and through the end of the forecast, accounting for nearly 40% of all IoT spending worldwide.

Hardware spending is the second largest technology category, dominated by module/sensor purchases. Software will be the fastest-growing technology category with a five-year CAGR of 11.0% and a focus on application and analytics software purchases.

Regional view

Western Europe, the United States, and China will account for more than half of all IoT spending throughout the forecast.

Although Western Europe and the United States currently have similar levels of spending, Western Europe will expand its lead with an 11.0% CAGR over the 2023-2027 forecast, compared to an 8.0% CAGR for the United States.

China's IoT spending is forecast to surpass the United States by the end of the forecast due to its 13.2% CAGR.

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Additionally, owing to the locations where most industrial facilities are built, remote access to OT assets and operations is all but mandatory. The TakePoint Research report, The State of Industrial Secure Remote Access, states that remote access is now a universal and fundamental requirement for most industrial enterprises.

The same report, however, noted that ensuring all access is safe and secure and cannot be exploited or abused by malicious actors, whether external or internal, remains a challenge.

The report concludes that industrial secure remote access (I-SRA) strategies have become a critical building block for every OT environment. The report recommends that securing remote access and building an overall cybersecurity strategy should be approached like any other business decision, with advantages and associated risks that must be reviewed.

The report cautions that many challenges around people, technologies, and processes need to be considered and that these will likely vary between and within industries. It also recommends that organisations begin by identifying their operational objectives and risk appetite to develop an appropriate strategy.

"A diverse, multidisciplinary approach will help organizations align with various stakeholders and expectations while successfully deploying and securing remote access to industrial environments."

TakePoint Research

The sponsor of the report, Cyclo, picked three key findings:

1. Third-party access is the top reason for enabling I-SRA

Across all industries, 72% of respondents ranked third-party access as the number-one reason for securing remote access.

"This isn’t too surprising, as OT environments tend to depend heavily on third parties due to a significant skills gap, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) maintenance requirements, and risk mitigation, among other factors," said Kevin Kumpf, chief OT/ICS security strategist at Cyclo.

2. I-SRA is not just a “big company” problem

The TakePoint report reveals a linear relationship between company size and the sheer volume of remote connections: the bigger the company, the more connections (see Figure 1).

Kumpf acknowledged that larger companies may have a larger attack surface to secure, but they are also more likely to have teams robust enough to do so. "In contrast, small companies may lack the budget, headcount, and experience necessary to adequately defend their systems," he added.

Figure 1: Concern about remote access threats to OT/ICS systems

3. Across all industries, concerns outweigh confidence

Kumpf says the most striking finding of the survey is that across all industries, respondents were more concerned about threats than confident in their current I-SRA solutions. "A common practice is to give teams remote access to critical systems because operations depend on it. However, that access is far less secure than these organisations would like them to be," he noted.

Figure 1: Concern about access risks vs confidence in current solutions

Kumpf opined that industrial settings have built brittle workarounds for securing remote access, like firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs), and have sought to implement frameworks like NIST 800-82 or ISA/IEC62443.

"Still, they recognise that the problem is not solved," commented Kumpf who wrote that VPNs struggle to scale and cannot cover the full range of OT use cases.

"Due to a lack of SRA solutions built specifically for OT, there’s a frequent need to rely on tools designed for IT. These are far from ideal because they often require a cloud connection, need regular patching that requires downtime, or interrupt sensitive OT processes."

Kevin Kumpf

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About 12.4% of telecom carrier respondents in Asia/Pacific consider Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) as one of the important reasons for rolling out 5G services according to IDC’s 2022 Telecom Carrier Transformation Survey.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, sustainability is the fundamental business strategy for the future. These involve supporting initiatives, such as smart manufacturing, energy-efficient construction, and low-impact industrialisation. Industry 4.0 fills this gap by fusing traditional manufacturing processes with digital technology, AI, and IoT.

IDC forecasts that Asia/Pacific 5G connections, both mobile subscriber and IoT connections, will grow from 574 million in 2021 to 3,234 million in 2025, growing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 87.9%. According to the IDC Carrier Transformation Survey 2022, most telecom carrier companies saw vital industries, including manufacturing, Smart Cities with smart mobility, and smart buildings, as the most critical use cases for the introduction of 5G.

"The shift to a greener, lower carbon future will be made possible through digitisation and connectivity," says Piyush Singh, IDC senior market analyst for telecommunications and IoT in Asia Pacific. "One of the concepts in Industry 4.0 is efficiency equals energy saving. Anything and everything organisations do to save energy ultimately increase efficiency,” Singh ends.

5G plays a key role in bringing a whole set of new ecosystems for organisations, which can help in achieving their sustainability goals in much easier and more robust ways. Manufacturing facilities all throughout Asia/Pacific have implemented private or dedicated networks for controlling various pieces of equipment on-premises. Unstable wireless communication and latency are the barriers for the adoption of digital transformation in any firm which can be solved with the help of 5G. IoT devices require very dependable communication, which may also be provided via private 5G network easily.

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Organisations have set up their digitalisation departments and created positions such as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer. For guidance, many rely on consulting firms, which happily charge high hourly rates to develop “strategic digitalisation frameworks.”

Many companies start their digital transformation by buying software: Laboratory Information Management (LIMs) systems for R&D, for example, or manufacturing execution systems for factories, plus various types of customer service software.

But what does all this software do? Captures data from business practices, sure. Makes it all permanent, accessible, and sharable – yes.

But will it fundamentally change business practices? Will it, as the consultants like to say, add value to the final product or service?

Too often, digital transformation is an easy sell that does little (or nothing) to change the status quo.

What are we trying to transform?

Digital transformation is frequently confused with digitisation, but they’re not the same thing.

Digitisation is simply converting information into a digital format. This has value: it makes information easier to share, trace, and analyse.

But digitalisation shouldn’t just be about going paperless. It’s a trajectory or path.

That path starts with getting different elements of the business interconnected so that data becomes easier to collect. It culminates in the organisation’s acquiring better decision-making capabilities because of analysing the data it has collected.

We believe that less than 5% of “digital solution companies” can deliver actual digital transformation. Most offer plain digitisation.

So, what does the real thing look like?

The strategic use of real-time data and wireless connectivity is key to transforming the way a warehouse is run. For example, Thingple’s electronic warehouse management system (E-WMS system), doesn’t just digitise warehouse stock data. It simplifies and replaces previous operational processes to track goods flowing into and out of a busy warehouse.

Instead of physically searching for space in a large warehouse, operators need only view the 3D digital twin of a constantly updated stockpile in the warehouse to find vacant slots.

With real-time data on hand, an artificial intelligence (AI) system directs forklift operators to pick the right goods every time – and advises on the timely movement of goods to avoid expiry.
Real digital transformation, in short, should lead to increased efficiency and productivity, fewer manpower requirements, less waste, and less human error.

Digitalisation is about changing how business gets done

Ironically, digital transformation isn’t really about technology. Rather, according to the MIT Sloan Management Review, it’s about “how technology changes the conditions under which business is done, in ways that change the expectations of customers, partners, and employees.”

And here’s the cruel truth: most digitalisation efforts fail – 84% of them, according to one estimate.

Weighed down by the need for copious data entry, and hobbled by a lack of interoperability across platforms, most digitalisation projects don’t deliver the hoped-for transformative results.

For that reason, we need to look at digitisation differently.

Start with a clean slate and ask what’s the best digital tool for revolutionising your business operations. Can you leverage advances in sensor technologies, computing, automation, or AI to improve your operations – in ways that change the expectations of your customers?

Since digital transformation’s purpose is to help improve businesses in meaningful ways, DX companies with deep industry insights/experience tend to offer better, more targeted solutions. Cloud infrastructure providers like Amazon Cloud or Huawei Cloud, for example, can partner with industry-specific solution providers to offer insightful value to industrial clients.

The question should not be, “How do I digitise my company’s operations?” but, “How can I improve operations through technology? How to use tech to enhance efficiency, output, and added value?”

So if you want to digitalise, start by figuring out how technology can help you do those things.

Avoid digitisation – the mere conversion of paper into bits and bytes – and the adoption of digital technology for its own sake.

First published on Transform by Huawei Technologies

The post Digital transformation, not digital duplication appeared first on FutureIoT.

Technology suppliers must help I&M firms evaluate the signals from outside their organizations and add agility to their operations to take out the guesswork on how issues will affect inbound supplies and their ability to meet customer needs.

Following an evaluation of the effects of macro (i.e., inflation and demographics) and micro (i.e., supply chain and talent) factors on executives and operational staff, Michael Larner, industrial and manufacturing markets research director at ABI Research, concluded that these factors do not occur and impact a firm in isolation, and this report highlights the intensity of factors when combined with one another.

I&M firms can do very little to influence macro factors, but they can work to anticipate and contain their impact. “Conversely, micro factors, such as managing supply chains, can be, and should be, strategically optimised,” added Larner.

Use cases

Successful firms can adeptly understand the trade-offs involved and devise strategies that suit their individual needs. For example, the re-opening of the Chinese economy is concentrating the minds of executives and operations teams alike.

Do I&M firms resume their activities in a market where the Government has significant sway over international firms or favour locations that provide relocation incentives? Tesla is advancing in the country by opening a facility in Shanghai, whereas Apple looks to diversify risk by having its products assembled across China and South-East Asia.

From a technology perspective, the I&M firms which are more digitally mature can better manage short-term disruptions and plan for the longer term.

“Technology suppliers must align their solutions with managing the effects of multiple factors. Investments in data analytics are essential for I&M firms to understand their operations in the short term and undertake scenario planning to align their operations to opportunities and threats in the medium term."

Michael Larner

The post A blend of analytics and agility can help navigate headwinds appeared first on FutureIoT.

“Global robot installations grew tremendously throughout 2021 and have continued to do so in 2022, reaching record levels for industrial and collaborative robots,” explains ABI research director Lian Jye Su. He concedes that this recent boom is expected to fade a bit in 2023 due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and inflation.

In this PodChats for FutureIoT, Su discusses the latest trends in industrial automation, artificial intelligence and robotics in Asia.

1. Describe the state of industrial automation in Asia in 2023?
2. How has robotics technology evolved in recent years? (types and applications)
3. Beyond Korea and Japan, how are other markets in Asia adopting/deploying robotics?
4. Most “hardware” robotics use cases are designed to perform a single specific task (for example moving goods or welding components). As AI and machine learning matures, do you ever see robotics taking on more sophisticated functions?
5. Are cobots a sign of things to come?
6. In IT, we’ve seen the rise of “as-a-service”, what will robotics-as-a-service look like?
7. The terms industrial IoT, industry 4.0 and robotics – how are all these connected?
8. Where are the hurdles in the evolution of robots or robotics in industrial applications?
9. What is your advice for organisations looking to integrate advances in robotics into operations further?

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: Industrial automation trends in Asia appeared first on FutureIoT.

This new capability leverages the ecosystem of Siemens Xcelerator, an open digital business platform that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster, and at scale.

NXpower Monitor enables the visualisation and monitoring of electrical assets within electrical networks, providing health status, KPI calculation, energy monitoring, and monitoring of operational data from assets.

This asset monitoring system enhances efficiency and risk management across the entire energy distribution network through continuous health monitoring, while simultaneously minimising CO2 emissions and OPEX.

By integrating AI-powered ESA technology, Siemens broadens its application to include the monitoring of AC motors and rotating equipment, all accessible through a single pane of glass.

“The digitalisation of energy distribution, automation systems, and networks brings many advantages," says Stephan May, CEO of electrification and automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure.

He added that not only does it lead to substantial savings in terms of time and money, it also significantly boosts efficiency and reliability.

"By adding Samotics to Siemens Xcelerator, our open ecosystem of certified partners, customers can benefit from an expanded offering. This reflects our continued innovation efforts, including the integration of advanced low voltage analysis into our digital caretaker NXpower Monitor,” said May.

The integration of ESA technology enables NXpower Monitor to conduct real-time analysis of high-quality current and voltage data, enabling the detection of electrical and mechanical faults up to five months before downtime happens. The system is also able to deliver comprehensive performance and efficiency insights, pinpointing areas with the highest electricity consumption, cost, and efficiency losses.

By implementing data-driven recommendations, organisations can optimise operational processes, significantly reducing energy waste and cutting CO2 emissions by up to 15%.

Samotics CEO Jasper Hoogeweegen says: "Unplanned downtime and energy waste are among the most expensive problems in the industry. Traditional monitoring technologies do not adequately address these issues.

He explains that through partnerships with forward-thinking organisations such as Siemens, customers are benefiting from ESA technology that delivers real-time, actionable information about the condition, performance, and energy efficiency of critical rotating equipment. "This helps our clients to effectively improve the performance and energy efficiency of their critical assets,” he continues. 

The post NXpower Monitor gets AI-driven ESA from Samotics appeared first on FutureIoT.

“The top spending manufacturing markets on SCADA/HMI software are computer and electronic manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, and other transport manufacturing (which includes aerospace, ship, and railroad manufacturing),” said James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing technologies research analyst at ABI Research.

SCADA/HMI competitive landscape

The SCADA/HMI software market is not incredibly expansive, with prominent vendors holding a significant proportion of the market share. While there are pure-play software vendors, they have less market impact than those within the MES market.

The most significant market shares are held by Emerson, Siemens, and Mitsubishi Electric, with 17.3%, 12.1%, and 11.6%, respectively. Other notable players within the market are Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, and Honeywell.

Modularity and integration are the two main design elements being championed by technology vendors for their SCADA/HMI offerings. Software is designed with open standards that allow for easy operability with the manufacturer’s pre-existing production processes.

“These vendors are designing their solutions to meet both modular and holistic frameworks, designing end-to-end portfolios that can be deployed holistically or used to fill gaps in pre-existing systems. Siemens' Xcelerator, GE Digital’s Proficy, and Mitsubishi Electronics’ ICONICS suite are primary examples,” concluded Prestwood.

The post Manufacturing lean on transformation to fight margin pressures appeared first on FutureIoT.

ABI Research forecasts the machine tool market to grow by a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2032 and reach US$245.2 billion in manufacturing value added.

“This is driven by new product design facilitating the need for new machine tools, old equipment reaching the end of its lifecycle and requiring replacement, and new machine tool solutions being provided and incentivizing upgrades,” explains James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing research analyst at ABI Research.

The overriding challenge for machine tool builders is the split attitude about digital transformation within the industry, with a climate of complacency being propagated by machine tool builders, particularly within the United States, who, due to their long histories with customers, have taken a reserved approach to innovation. In the long run, companies like Hardinge and Hurco will lose market share to more forward-thinking firms like EMAG and Makino.

Machine tool manufacturers, such as DMG MORI, GROB, and Gleason Corporation, now realize that more than simply providing the hardware is needed to remain competitive.

“Further challenges simmer under the surface with manufacturers struggling to manage legacy equipment lifecycles and overcome uncertainty around cloud usage on the factory floor, whereas machine tool builders have to contend with redesigning their go-to-market structure away from being product-oriented to a new solution-focused design.”

James Prestwood

Where DX is visible

Digital transformation in the machine tool industry is manifesting in three mains ways: improved data coherence and availability for digital twin enablement, software integration and support for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) use cases, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) optimization, and faster time-to-value by providing turnkey solutions that scale up or down based on demand.

“To keep driving digital transformation to machine tools in production processes, machine builders should be adopting solution-based business models, technology vendors must act as the technical bridge between the old and new forms of manufacturing, and manufacturers should invest in new machines and work with vendors championing open and connected ecosystems,” concludes Prestwood.

The post Its time for the transformation of machine tools appeared first on FutureIoT.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s report, Internet of Things (IoT) Top 10 Growth Predictions for 2023, businesses are implementing a comprehensive IoT strategy in the short term, envisioning outcomes and growth opportunities that will help them overcome adversity and ensure growth.

“A majority of respondents, 40%, use IoT in security and surveillance systems as it promises to protect critical assets across industries,” said Cecilia Perez, ICT research analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Additionally, for 39% of respondents, industrial automation and smart manufacturing are among the main applications driving IoT projects.”

Perez added that the need to meet CEOs’ top goals—improving processes, automation, and productivity—will accelerate Industrial IoT (IIoT) deployment in 2023.

“IoT sensors and analytics will help digitise the physical world and quantify human actions, which support organisations in predicting, optimizing, and enhancing customer interactions for a better customer experience (CX),” he continued.

Short-term tactics

Frosts list three action items for market participants to consider to capture opportunities in the short term. These include:

• Consider incorporating 5G and edge computing to process IoT data in real-time for mission-critical applications and automation.
• Incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to make data smarter. It helps businesses engage with customers through multiple channels, including social media, and deliver better CX.
• Encourage the manufacturing sector to leverage the potential of IIoT as its use can improve energy management and reduce consumption and costs.

The post Frost’s top 10 growth opportunities for 2023 appeared first on FutureIoT.

From avionics and automotive to steel manufacturing and shipping, hoisting applications play a critical role in supply chain and manufacturing operations, where heavy materials and goods are transported over what can be hundreds of meters. These crane applications are designed to operate in challenging industrial environments, for example, under extreme temperatures and over large distances.

The three companies say they are pleased with the test results of the 5G-enabled automated hoisting solution and plan to pilot it in several end-user sites this year with an eye on eventual global deployment at scale.

Schneider Electric, Capgemini and Qualcomm Technologies designed and installed the solution at Schneider Electric’s hoisting lab in Grenoble, France.

Replacing wired connections with wireless and unifying existing wireless connections from Schneider Electric’s industrial automation system, the 5G Private Network solution shows how it can simplify and optimise digital technology deployment at scale across industrial sites — from steel plants to ports.

“Digital transformation is helping Schneider Electric customers generate step-change advancements in productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, but not one company can do it alone,” said Marc Lafont, vice president for innovation Innovation and upstream marketing at Schneider Electric. “This breakthrough end-to-end 5G private network hoisting solution is a perfect example of the power of working together as we pilot it at end-user sites this year.”

The private 5G automated hoisting solution was unveiled today at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona.

“In the short-term, we will validate more industrial 5G use cases in various discrete manufacturing, hybrid automation, and process automation applications. In the mid-term, we will experiment with deeper integration of 5G technology inside our automation equipment.”

Marc Lafont, Schneider Electric

The 5G private network hoisting solution:

• Replaces wired and other wireless connections for several critical PLC control flows and time-sensitive video flows powering numerous use cases
• Operates in the 3.8GHz radio frequency band, with an enterprise-grade Athonet core network and Airspan Small Cells using the Qualcomm FSM100 5G RAN Platform, significantly improving connectivity performance and enabling new use cases

Innovating with 5G and edge computing

Capgemini has worked closely with Schneider Electric to design an optimised end-to-end 5G solution and identify business outcomes on Schneider Electric’s industrial use case. It has also provided the systems integration support based on Qualcomm Technologies' latest innovations and assisted Schneider Electric to integrate the 5G network with their use cases, to characterise and optimise the system.

“This collaboration with Schneider Electric demonstrates Capgemini’s unique ability to partner with clients to take advantage of technologies to innovate and create new use cases for their industry. The 5G end-to-end solution customized for Schneider Electric’s hoisting system is a good example of the added value of 5G for industrial communication and really illustrates its potential to transform an industry segment,” said Fotis Karonis, group leader of 5G and edge computing at Capgemini.

“Advanced connectivity, 5G, and edge computing technologies are strong enablers and accelerators for this move towards a digital economy and innovative use cases. They allow industrial clients to redesign systems and processes and make them more efficient, agile, and intelligent.”

Fotis Karonis, Capgemini

Automated hoisting systems increase productivity, safety, and operational performance but require fast reaction times, high precision and reliability, 24/7 availability, and both manual and autonomous capabilities.

Furthermore, several systems need to coexist on the same network with video cameras for monitoring and remote operation, and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) for various control functions, including automation, remote control, and safety functions.

5G’s native low latency characteristics allow the system to replace fibre cables in remote-control operations, addressing the need to simplify network complexity, reduce wires, and provide long-term reliable connectivity.

“The opportunity to use 5G to propel enterprise connectivity forward is tremendous, thus we are investing in this emerging ecosystem by providing practical innovations for 5G Private Networks,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president, Qualcomm Europe and president, Qualcomm Europe/MEA.

Schneider Electric’s expertise in industrial automation combined with Qualcomm Technologies’ heritage in wireless technologies, compute and AI innovations, plus Capgemini’s hands-on experience of network deployment and systems integration intersect to improve performance while eliminating complexities, resulting in faster time to market and improved KPIs for automated hoisting customers.

“By enabling a pre-integrated solution with multi-vendor choice along with Open RAN automation and management technology to streamline deployment, management, and customisability of private networks, we’re helping reduce complexities and accelerate time to market globally.”

Enrico Salvatori, Qualcomm

 Beyond its core industrial functions, the Private 5G automated hoisting system can now be leveraged to deliver additional digital use cases, such as augmented operators enabled by XR (eXtended Reality) and wearable devices.

The post Wireless solution to accelerate 5G industrial automation appeared first on FutureIoT.

If you said no, it’s probably because when it comes to mitigating cyber threats, most people talk about it in the context of protecting IT assets such as the systems, data, applications, and networks that organisations depend on every day to keep the business operating.

Whilst IT assets are important, OT is a whole other realm of digital infrastructure that also needs protecting and its growing, importance, and potential vulnerability all the time. That’s why understanding and testing an organisation’s Operational Technology security is so important.

Keeping the lights on

We take it for granted that we can just flip a switch to get a light and turn on a tap to get water. But the infrastructure that makes these things possible is extremely complex and it requires significant digital capability.

For example, to meet the cycles of consumer demand for electricity, a power grid must create exactly the amount of electricity that is being used at any given moment. This means the grid’s power generation and transmission lines must constantly adjust to meet demand wherever and whenever it is needed.

Managing this electrical cycle of demand is made possible because of the electrical utilities’ OT systems. The real-time control and influence these systems have on our day-to-day lives only amplify the need for strong OT security.

Many Asia Pacific countries have legislation to protect their critical infrastructure from cyber threats, including in Australia, where the recent revisions to the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Act 2021 represents the Australian Government’s response to the growing cyber threats faced by critical infrastructure organisations.

In Singapore, the Cybersecurity Act was introduced in August 2018 however last year the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSAS) announced it was reviewing the Act to improve Singapore’s cybersecurity posture and support its digital economy.

The Agency also announced it was updating the Cybersecurity Code of Practice (CCoP) for the 11 Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) sectors to better deal with new and emerging threats. The Cyber Security Act had initially focused on the CIIs, which support the delivery of essential services such as water and power.

OT systems — often referred to as Industrial Control Systems, or ICS — are also increasingly prevalent in industrial and manufacturing environments, as we’ve put robots on our assembly lines and stuck chips in virtually every piece of equipment we deploy.

So, while we might at first think of the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT) in terms of our smart homes and our cars, a large percentage of the world’s estimated 11.5 billion chip-enabled devices are in OT infrastructure.

Operational technology-related risk

The risks associated with critical OT infrastructure are obvious. We’ve seen them in the movies (e.g., Die Hard 4) and in real life (e.g., Ukraine in 2015) but as we implement more OT, our threat surface keeps growing. And as we add more features and functionality to our OT control systems, system complexity adds to our cybersecurity challenge.

Global tensions also increase our OT-related risk, since critical infrastructure is an attractive target for state actors seeking to do harm. However, OT infrastructure is also an attractive target for ransomware attacks—since it could potentially allow cybercriminals to hold vital services hostage.

Utility companies and other operators of critical infrastructure are aware of this risk, so they tightly control access to their OT systems. OT networks are also typically kept separate from IT networks and are not connected to the public internet.

This air gapping obviously poses a significant obstacle to any would-be attacker. However, there are growing caveats to this idea of air gapping. As operators of OT infrastructure get more aggressive about leveraging the intelligence of their OT networks, they increasingly need to tap into those networks via wired or wireless connections using fixed or mobile computing devices. That connectivity — as secure as operators may hope it is — often creates potential points of exposure to an extremely skilled and dedicated hacker.

Security testing is key to OT integrity

The importance of testing cannot be more underscored than in OT. If your organisation has OT infrastructure, it is important to engage the services of a qualified penetration testing (pentesting) team to independently validate your cybersecurity posture on a regular basis.

Before working with a pentesting partner, it is important to ask questions about the team’s previous OT experience, any OT certifications they hold, and the types of industries they have OT experience (e.g., water infrastructure is different from energy infrastructure).

Pentesting and adversarial testing will help you gain both confidence and a deeper understanding of the integrity of your IT and OT infrastructure. In the worst-case scenario, when security vulnerabilities in your IT or OT infrastructure are found, you will have the time to mitigate and take the necessary steps to prevent a threat actor from leveraging those vulnerabilities.

A proactive approach to security allows you to take an important step in protecting your organisation — as well as the customers you serve – from the serious consequences that would come from a breach of your OT infrastructure.

Just as our businesses and our personal lives have become increasingly digital, so has the infrastructure on which we all depend every day. It is only when our access to these services becomes disrupted that we realise how much we rely on them. Like our health, maintaining it should not be put off or ignored until it is too late.

The post Why OT is the other digital infrastructure that needs protecting appeared first on FutureIoT.

IoT Analytics market research, Matthieu Kulezak, observes that within the (ICT) supply chain there are three distinct submarkets: software, hardware, and connectivity. The software itself is further segmented into sourcing software, supply chain planning and design software, and supply chain execution software.

This software is then connected to hardware like packing and place machinery, and automatic sorting and retrieval machinery for logistics. Finally, there is the connectivity submarket such as IoT-based track and trace devices. Network operators fit into the connectivity submarket.

Changes introduced during the pandemic

According to Kulezak, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, CEOs and CFOs assumed that supply chains just operated unencumbered by the day-to-day problems of running a business. The pandemic revealed just how complicated supply chain issues were – vulnerable not just to business cycles but to operational issues of suppliers and business parties.

“They realise that supply chains are important, and they need to work to have their business working so that that's clear. And they'll ask way more questions on supply chain visibility,” he added.

He concluded this is why supply chain managers are undertaking digitisation.

Digitalisation and transformation of the supply chain

Kulezak noted the recent big push for digitisation in part to support remote work and to gain supply chain visibility.

“There's been a lot of issues on the structures of the supply chain, on the networks. For example, an automotive or pharmaceutical manufacturer realised that they could not produce, not because of their own production capabilities, but because of a supplier that couldn't produce,” he added.

He acknowledged that at times, it’s the very little things that can stop an entire production system. He noted that the adoption of digital twins is enabling manufacturers to create replicas of the entire supply chain network to identify and pinpoint where the issues are.

Trends influencing the digitisation of the supply chain

He reiterated the big push towards visibility across the supply chain. He observed that the different players in the supply chain will have their view, albeit narrow, as to what constitutes visibility within their supply chain.

This complicates the challenge for IT vendors who, according to Kulezak, face a “fight for semantic” where depending on the business of the party in the supply chain will have a different interpretation of what visibility within the supply chain is important.

By way of example, a transportation company may have a different track and trace requirement compared to a manufacturer or warehouse distribution hub or parts supplier.

The cybersecurity angle

Complicating the digitisation journey for organisations in the supply chain is cybersecurity. Kulezak concede to have a functioning supply chain requires that all parties are connected.

“For example, an automotive manufacturing company will need to have all of the inventory of production capability data from suppliers, as well as the suppliers of its suppliers, in order to have a good prediction of the future,” he elaborated.

The predicament here is that some organisations may not be so open to sharing their data with others in part because they are concerned about cybersecurity risks. He called out efforts in some industry sectors to create third-party platforms that allow for data to become available to participants in the supply chain in a secure fashion.

Conclusion

Kulezak sees healthy growth in the software and hardware sectors of information technology supporting the supply chain.

He sees a growing demand for the simplification of technologies that deliver supply chain visibility. This, in turn, is resulting in a consolidation of the technology solutions marketplace. He foresees pe challenge for ICT players – choosing the right product to go for.

Click on the PodChat player to listen to Kulezak’s observations and recommendations for supply chain leaders in 2023.

1. Define Digital supply chain.
2. Looking back from pre-pandemic to this period (mid-August 2022), how have things changed regarding digital supply chains?
3. In accelerating digital transformation, which areas of the software have gained relevance in the industry verticals of the supply chain?
4. Which trends are helping in terms of digitisation of the supply chain?
5. How are companies approaching the topic of cybersecurity in the supply chain?
6. In summarising everything we’ve discussed, what are IoT Analytics’ recommendations for business, operations and technology leaders?

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: Changing the future of global supply chains appeared first on FutureIoT.

Advances in modular and customisable robots are expected to result in the growing deployment of robotics in the oil and gas industry.

GlobalData’s thematic report, ‘Robotics in Oil & Gas’, notes that, while robotics has been a part of the oil and gas industry for several decades, growing digitalisation and integration with artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT), have helped diversify robot use cases within the industry.

“A huge number of robots are now being deployed in oil and gas operations, including terrestrial crawlers, quadrupeds, aerial drones, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs),” said Anson Fernandes, Oil and Gas analyst at GlobalData. Robots have applications across the oil and gas industry in various tasks ranging from surveys, material handling, and construction, to inspection, repair, and maintenance. They can be customised for various tasks to ease the work and improve efficiency.

During the planning phases of an oil and gas project, robots can be deployed to conduct aerial surveys, or they can be employed to conduct seismic surveys during exploration. Aerial or underwater drones can be adopted depending on the project location and work requirements.

Robotics is a fast-growing industry

GlobalData forecasts robotics to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% rising from US$52.9 billion in 2021 to US$568 billion by 2030.

“Robots will be the industry’s growth engine, and the oil and gas sector will greatly benefit from emerging use cases,” said Fernandes.

Data analytics and robotics improve insight obtained from surveys and surveillance exercises. This symbiotic relationship between robotics and wider digitalisation technologies is expected to be further evolved through collaborations between technology providers and oil and gas industry players.

“The volume of robotics use cases in the oil and gas industry is expected to grow rapidly, in tow with digitalisation. Industrial robots with analytical support from digital technologies are expected to become the mainstay across the oil and gas industry, especially in the upstream sector, where personnel safety and operational security concerns are heightened.”

Anson Fernandes

The post Robots are growth engine for Oil & Gas industry appeared first on FutureIoT.

As Asia comes out of the three-year economic slump because of the pandemic, what lies ahead for businesses? What is the role of IoT in the return to some form of normalcy?

FutureIoT spoke to Danny Mu, principal analyst at Forester Research on recent trends around IoT adoption in Asia and where this will lead us in 2023 and beyond.

Drawing from the Forester Report, state of IoT in Asia Pacific in 2022. Where is the concentration of IoT?

We have seen that companies in Asia-Pacific are shifting the share of IoT engagements toward production deployments.

Five years ago, in 2017, production deployments comprised just 25% of engagements, and these were predominantly POCs or pilots.

But in 2021, 61% of engagements were production deployments. That is a clear indication that Asia-Pacific firms are getting more confident in the potential of IoT initiatives to generate business value.

Among all the IoT use cases, smart industry, smart consumer services, and smart infrastructure are popular in Asia-Pacific.

Why do you say the smart city industry in Asia Pacific's leading the world in terms of IoT?

As we know, Asia Pacific contributed 35% of the world's GDP, but when focusing on industry value added, including manufacturing, construction, and utilities, Asia Pacific contributed 44%. That is why the smart industry is a leading IoT use case.

What’s driving this deployment of IoT?

Three drivers. The first appearance and rising maturity of specialised IoT solutions and cloud-based IoT. Second, connectivity technologies such as 5G. Third capabilities and offerings of IoT consultants and service providers.

In Asia, which industries are leaving the deployment?

In Asia Pacific, two-thirds of telecom decision makers say their firm is currently adopting IoT solutions.

Adoption and investment are highest in high-tech manufacturing, 81% followed by telecom, 71%. General manufacturing and pharma are broadly in line with Asia-Pacific outreach.

Adoption rates below the average are found in financial services and insurance, 60%, and retail in wholesale 56.

Compared to other regions outside Asia, how sophisticated do you see the level of use of IoT in our part of the world?

According to the survey data, the IoT solution and application adoption rate in Asia Pacific is higher than in Europe and North America. Particularly in the high-tech manufacturing sector, the adoption rate in Asia Pacific is more than 10% higher than in Europe and North America.

Within the leadership at organizations deploying IoT, what do you see are the primary motivations most surveyed?

Asia-Pacific Telecom decision-makers are confident that IoT solutions will generate significant operational efficiency. Half of them expect IoT initiatives to significantly improve customer experience and increase revenue.

How do you see these IoT deployments impacting other initiatives like digital transformation and modernization, for instance?

Impacted by IOT solutions, enhancing customer experience in public places is the most often mentioned. Other use cases related to smart consumer services are also popular.

The two years of the pandemic have likely driven this trend as customer experience in public. It's driven by private companies, public infrastructure operators, and governments.

IoT Solutions also help to enable new business models, particularly in financial services and insurance – a clear indication that those firms will spend the extra IoT budget on usage-based insurance financing and lending.  

Given that security is a rising concern among business leaders, how should enterprises deploying IoT manage the security strategy of the company? 

Security is on top of the concerns with deploying IoT 10% higher than the second option. To help protect data in IoT scenarios, confidential computing can help to isolate sensitive operations in a trusted execution environment during processing.

To support the transfer of data between edge and cloud while appearing seamless to the developers, two networking markets, zero trust/edge, and multi-cloud networking will combine to create a business-wide networking fabric.

Finally, as we step into 2023, how should enterprises review IOT deployment strategies to ensure that these initiatives meet expectations?

We have found that Asia-Pacific companies are less confident in their in-house skills to deliver IoT solutions successfully. These points will need for consulting partnerships.

We also predict that the adoption of in-region digital industrial platforms will gain significant growth. Embracing these in region platforms and industry-specific cloud solutions will help Asia-Pacific firms meet their expectations.

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: IoT in Asia in 2023 and beyond appeared first on FutureIoT.

With more than 43 billion IoT devices connected in 2023, Futurist Bernard Marr shares his perspective on the above four trends he believes will influence how we use and interact with these devices.

Click on the YouTube player above to watch Marr reveal his top four trends impacting IoT in 2022.

Click here to see his 2022 predictions and compare – what’s different and the same.

The post Top four IoT trends in 2023 appeared first on FutureIoT.

Sensible 4 released its first product DAWN earlier this year. The automated driving software platform enables different types of vehicles to operate autonomously in any weather. The company is rolling out DAWN to the industrial segment where commercial viability can be realised today. The automated software platform will be utilised in vehicles that operate in industrial-type environments, such as mines, factories, refineries, wood processing plants, ports and logistic centres.

“We know that the legislation and technology needed for automated vehicles to operate autonomously on public roads, without a safety driver on board, will still take time to establish”, says Harri Santamala, CEO of Sensible.

“The key benefit of the industrial site is that it’s a closed environment, so customers can realise the benefit of our technology today. DAWN is ideally suited to the challenges of the industrial environment, where solutions must thrive in changing and challenging weather, such as sun, rain, wind, and snow."

Harri Santamala

"Further, our ability to operate without road markings, in daylight, and darkness, enables site operators to reliably increase their productivity,” said Santamala.

The dump truck market alone is worth up to US$25 billion. The growing shortage of drivers is affecting the transportation industry across the world. Today, there is a 20% shortage of truck drivers in Europe, by 2028 there will be a shortage of 280,000 truck drivers in Japan.

An automated truck brings more flexibility and predictability to the operation which is repetitive - pick up, drive, dump - repeat.

An automated fleet of vehicles enables on-demand or continuous operations, whilst reducing operating costs and increasing productivity.  Because of automation, more vehicles don’t lead to increased driver costs.

Some operations, that currently run with heavy haul trucks, can be replaced by a larger fleet of smaller, fuel-efficient electric trucks. The commercial viability is why automated trucks are operating in industrial sites.

The post Bringing autonomous driving into an industrial setting appeared first on FutureIoT.

Industry 4.0 initiatives across various regions such as; China and Europe are the most important key drivers of IoT implementation, thereby, benefitting the market in the forecast period. According to Accenture, 60% of manufacturing organisations are already involved in IoT projects, and more than 30% are at a nascent stage.

With rising urbanisation and population, several countries across the world are implementing Smart City projects. Connected devices like smart meters, smart lights, sensors, and others are helping to enhance the efficiency of infrastructure and other services.

By the numbers

• The global IoT sensors market to secure US$173.7 Billion by 2032
• The IoT sensors industry to exhibit a CAGR of 20.3% from 2022-to 2032
• The accelerometers segment is to experience a 20.7% growth rate during the forecast period
• The consumer electronics segment is to exhibit a CAGR of 21.4% from 2022-to 2032
• Market in India to expand at 30.3% CAGR from 2022-2032
• The growth rate of China is projected at 22.2% from 2022-to 2032

“Favourable initiatives by governments such as smart city projects, across the globe are supporting the growth of IoT-based equipment. Governments are seeking innovation in areas such as energy conservation, smart traffic management, security system improvements, and others. Such actions are likely to offer various remunerative opportunities to the market in the forecast period,” Fact.MR analyst.

Competitive landscape

Key players in the global IoT sensors market are focusing on product development and carrying out various advanced research and development programs. Enterprises are making several efforts to collaborate with various technology providers to give innovative results. Recent key developments among players are:

• In February 2022, Siemens updated its NX Software under the Xcelerator portfolio, with attributes like intelligence-based design. This update allows the application to use AI and modern simulation technologies, offering efficient insights to consumers.
• In January 2022, PTC disclosed an alliance with the Schaeffler Group. It is a Germany-based manufacturer that implements an absolute IT landscape. The new partnership focuses to support Schaeffler’s initiatives for digital twin and visualization of 3D models.

The post Business opportunities for IoT sensors market through to 2032 appeared first on FutureIoT.

Market research firm Fact.MR forecasts the global heat pump water heater market to reach US$1.6 billion by 2022, up 12.5% from 2021 levels. The firm is forecasting a more modest 5-year CAGR of 6.7% with the market reaching US$3.08 billion by 2032.

Demand for heat pump water heaters has increased, registering a historical CAGR of 2.0% from 2017 to 2021. Strict governmental regulations and policies to curb emissions from HVAC equipment across the residential and commercial sectors will augment product penetration.

Governments across major regions including North America and Asia Pacific are retrofitting heating & cooling equipment across buildings to meet their emission targets, will further boost the technology advancements.

Sustainable technology boosting demand for smart solutions

The rising need for sustainable technologies from the residential sector will bolster the product requirement. Many governments around the globe are implementing various policies and schemes to promote the distribution of clean technologies in the residential and commercial sectors, improving the technology perception.

Additionally, stringent emission norms and regulations will compel constructors to install energy-efficient and renewable technologies will stimulate the heat pump water heater market demand.

 “The integration of heat pump water heater with IoT helps in tracking the abnormalities in heat pump water heaters, subsequently reducing system failure. Thus, the integration is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the growth of the Heat Pump Water Heater market during the forecast period,” noted the analyst.

Competitive landscape

Penetrating new geographies, collaborating with government agencies or service providers and rebranding initiatives comprise some major strategies adopted by prominent Heat Pump Water Heater Service providers. Some prominent market developments are as follows:

In August 2020, Panasonic Corporation partnered with Systemair on technology to launch heating and cooling products for offering its customers with more options related to HVAC products, including heat pumps. Both companies will have separate sales channels and branding for these products.

In August 2020, Bosch Thermotechnology launched the Bosch Tronic 3000, a line of electric instantaneous water heaters that significantly reduce hot water wait times in light commercial applications. The new series, which includes four new types, is the first stage in Bosch’s intended cutting-edge, new dynamic electric instantaneous water heater portfolio.

In July 2020, Daikin launched Daikin SmartSource, a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) for heat pumps that enables efficient and cost-effective cooling and heating in all conditions using 100% fresh outside air. It also taps a water source heat pump's hot gas reheat coil in addition to the unit's primary DX coil; to enhance the efficiency of the heat pump.

The post IoT drives head pump water market appeared first on FutureIoT.

“Moving from the cloud to the factory floor, some manufacturers are turning to a micro-factory model, which relies on automation and robotics to create more flexible manufacturing frameworks that can be deployed in a fraction of the time and at scale.”

CB Insights

IoT Analytics forecasts the Internet of Things (IoT) market will grow by 18% to 14.4 billion active connections. It also posits that by 2025, as supply constraints ease and growth further accelerates, there will be approximately 27 billion connected IoT devices.

These billions of connections are a natural magnet luring cybercriminals looking for new targets and new opportunities.

According to CB Insights this “plunging deeper into virtual worlds opens up the playing field to more cybercrime: security solutions will become a major priority, especially as crypto hype and data privacy controversies continue to boom.”

Creating awareness about IoT vulnerabilities

BlackBerry EVP and CTO, Shishir Singh says the massive network of connected things will require interoperability between systems. He posits that organisations need to sensitize employees to the fact that IoT introduces unprecedented safety and privacy risks.

He believed that employees in government and enterprise organisations need to wake up to the fact that bad actors can now access records from any device, anywhere, in real-time, and cautioned that more worrisome is the fact that IoT device makers oftentimes omit rigorous testing and support just so they can get products out to the market sooner.

“They also frequently abandon development of software and security updates the moment products are released, leaving customers—both enterprise and consumers—with an ever-increasing number of unsecured devices in their environments,” Singh continued.

But while IoT is proliferating in any enterprise, it is on production floors of industrial operations where industrial IoT (I-Iot) is rapidly becoming an integral part of the Operational Technology (OT) landscape,” said Rafael Maman, vice president of OT security at Sygnia.

He posits that it is this risk related to I-IoT that is not well articulated, resulting in low awareness.

“These I-IoTs must be considered as part of the OT environment, both to work towards better cyber preparedness and resilience, and organisational awareness."

Rafael Maman

According to Srinivas Kumar, VP of IoT solutions at DigiCert, vulnerabilities in IoT extend beyond published exposures and exploits. He noted that the “closed” and “siloed” nature of OT/IoT ecosystems provide limited visibility through on-device logs or control through third-party intervention.

“OT/IoT devices are micromanaged by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in production environments. This creates a blind spot for NOC/SOC supervision and mitigation. Application security by design and a security profile for device field operations are essential to qualify and certify IoT devices for compliance and achieve cyber resilience in connected systems.”

Srinivas Kumar

“A comprehensive approach to digital trust ensures that all access points and data are properly authenticated and encrypted, and that identity- and access-based attacks are given an extra layer of protection that can be enforced and monitored throughout the organisation,” said Kumar.

Recommendations for creating sustained awareness around IoT security

Sygnia’s Maman recommends considering IoT, specifically I-IoT, as an integral part of the OT environment, and managing the related risk landscape as part of the overall OT security framework.

“And include it in all your cyber awareness campaigns and training programmes – again, as an integral part of your operational technology – and make sure to highlight the additional risk it introduces to your OT environment,” he pushed forth.

Kumar adds that cybersecurity in multi-vendor and heterogeneous device ecosystems is a collaborative effort and requires OEMs, device operators, device owners, and regulators to set mandatory compliance standards and best practices for endpoint security on headless field devices.

“The paradigm shift in OT/IoT ecosystems is to harden devices for protection throughout the active service life that may span 10-30 years,” concluded DigiCert’s Kumar.

BlackBerry’s Singh believes that an effective way to drive greater awareness about IoT vulnerabilities is to inform employees about their responsibilities from day one – adapting cybersecurity processes and policies as part of the company’s onboarding is a good method to educate users.

“Besides regular and mandatory training programmes that all employees must undertake, conducting cybersecurity drills like simulated crisis management exercises can raise awareness, preparedness, and ultimately reduce the impacts of critical events.”

Shishir Singh

“Lastly, ensure that IoT security training is targeted and easy to consume. Sharing irrelevant and confusing details about the threats of IoT vulnerabilities can be counterproductive. Communications should be kept simple, concise, and easy to understand as not every employee is an IT expert,” concluded Singh.

The post Creating cybersecurity awareness for IoT appeared first on FutureIoT.

This is the case of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government's Flood Control System in the Jakarta Smart City application. Developed by Jakarta Smart City in collaboration with the Jakarta Water Resource Service (DSDA) to optimise flood risk management in Jakarta, the project involved the use of IoT, AI and ML as part of an early warning system against the risk of floods in the city.

As more organisations deploy IoT in commercial and industrial environments, the amount of data that is derived from these devices and sensors may prove important in improving quality, operational efficiency, and in the case of Jakarta – saving lives and property from natural disasters.

Kenneth Koh, head of industry consulting at SAS Institute, argues that the speed and accuracy with which an IoT system reacts to its environment is critical. However, with the devices and other sensors in a typical system generating overwhelming amounts of data, traditional tools and methods can slow down the process of making sense of that data.

Can you explain what AI-embedded IoT is?

Kenneth Koh: Processing data at or near the edge allows IoT systems to be nimbler and more impactful. But the quality of a data-led action is only as meaningful as the quality of the data-based insights it is acting on.

IoT by itself is not new to manufacturers. Manufacturers have been collecting and storing sensor data from machines for decades. The value proposition for them is in AIoT -analysing that data, at the edge in real-time, using AI and ML to drive efficiencies and value.

By equipping IoT systems with AI capabilities, a wide variety of data, both structured and unstructured, can be processed on the edge. High-quality insights are made available at increased speeds for systems to act on.

AI-embedded IoT and how it unlocks business value

Kenneth Koh: AI-embedded IoT improves operational efficiency and productivity while reducing costs. It also drives innovation towards better customer service, better products, and faster product deployment to the market.

Embedding AI in IoT devices enables edge computing, allowing for the deployment of IoT systems in situations where consistent 5G networks are unavailable. For example, logistics providers can use IoT sensors in their transportation fleet to monitor the internal and external conditions in their vehicles, even in remote parts of the latter's routes.

Aside from edge computing, AI-embedded IoT utilises machine learning to develop actionable insights from the terabytes of data an IoT system generates daily. In the example above, data collected from these sensors are sent to the cloud in real-time, enabling technicians to address vehicle breakdowns more accurately and much faster.

Manufacturers can also use these insights to predict when a particular factory system or piece of equipment would fail, allowing technicians to implement preventive maintenance. Proactive detection of faulty equipment saves precious man-hours while reducing costly unscheduled downtimes.

On the retail side, insights from IoT systems can be used to identify optimal prices for products and minimise disruption to their supply chains.

ML and its role in IoT analytics

Kenneth Koh: Machine learning is the edge AI-embedded IoT has over other IoT deployments. Systems can learn as it processes sensor-generated data using diverse advanced analytical methods such as decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting, neural networks, support vector machines, and factorization machines.

This creates savings for enterprises in terms of man-hours and specialists in the organisation. Without the need to extensively train AI systems, specialists can focus on other critical tasks as non-data scientists can access, view, and process data.

Machine learning capabilities also increase the range of data that AI systems can access and process: visual images online and offline, text, and even verbal speech. The increased volume and quality of available data increases the value and impact of insights derived from it.

Combined, these machine learning capabilities enable both increased speed and volume of data processing, enabling real-time actionable insights which are crucial in many IoT systems.

How AIoT supported Jakarta Smart City: Using SAS's AI-powered platforms, Jakarta Smart City was able to integrate multi-source data in real-time and provides advanced analytics with IoT, machine learning & AI technology to provide emergency/disaster predictive capability and optimisation to serve the public. The result is a flood emergency response to mitigate the risk of floods in Jakarta.

Given that IoT historically falls under operational technology, who should own the securing of IoT?

Kenneth Koh: The introduction of IoT is blurring the lines between IT and OT across enterprises. Sensors and devices are connected to the network to create new systems and improve processes. At the same time, this convergence exposes traditional OT equipment and systems to threats they were previously insulated from.

The fact is that true device security is a combination of technologies, processes, and best practices. Thus, securing IoT systems should not be the sole domain of either OT or IT teams but engendering closer, more effective collaboration between both.

However, this is easier said than done, as IT security teams and OT security teams often don't speak the same language and find it difficult to understand each other's point of view.

Responsibilities are distributed quite differently; priorities often diverge and regulations governing OT security and IT security can sometimes contradict one another. Gaining an overview of all assets within the given environment makes clear what assets and processes must not fail under any circumstances.

By doing this, organisations can establish and practice unified cybersecurity that ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.

Name one best practice for IT and operational technology staff working together.

Kenneth Koh: In manufacturing, data is very time sensitive. For example, if the chemical concentration of a process is drifting away from optimal, the engineer may have only minutes to react to save many tons of product. 

In many semiconductor processes, engineers have only seconds to react. In such situations, Analytics needs to move to the ‘edge’ which means the data must be analysed and decisioned at the machine or on the shop floor, not in the back office or engineering.

This requires the ability to do analytics wherever it is needed –at the machine, on the production floor, in the cloud or the back office.

One of the major challenges faced is data silos. For organisations that are not implementing IT/OT convergence, due to a patchwork of unintegrated or partially integrated apps and enterprise systems. Without careful planning, introducing new sources of data (e.g. IoT sensors) will compound the problem.

Implementing a data integration platform to connect IoT systems with organisations' existing technology stack breaks down silos between historical and future data while providing all teams the same access through a single point of control. This ensures that IT and OT teams are with the same page, establishing a foundation for better IT/OT convergence.

The post The value of AI in IoT analytics appeared first on FutureIoT.

To be clear, enterprise 5G goes beyond standard consumer 5G service. In an enterprise 5G, the enterprise has complete control over the network assuming the company forks out the money to have its infrastructure, radio devices, mobile core, and management software.

The possibility of having private 5G networks means an enterprise will have better control over how it scales its network in addition to better control over cellular resources.

This will grow in importance as enterprises adopt IoT sensors into the workflow and gain real-time insights for improved efficiency and preventive maintenance.

One of the challenges this opportunity presents is around network management. Fortunately advances in artificial intelligence and automation may present a solution in the form of autonomous systems for managing network resources.

IEEE posits that autonomousity is not just making the network capable of managing resources, but rather making the network learn and adapt itself to the dynamic environment.

“In networks, the autonomous tasks refer to self-healing, self-diagnosing, and self-provisioning. With the help of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain, autonomous tasks can be realised in current network systems.”

Autonomous Networks: Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications

Richard Howe, chief technology officer for Kyndryl Singapore, says an autonomous network is a self-configuring, or self-healing network that runs with minimal to no human maintenance. The network adapts to changes in devices being added, or degradation of network performance such as data throughput due to packet loss.

“Having a network that keeps devices consistently connected, and transmits data to an edge computing platform, enables fault detection. It ensures worker safety in industrial and manufacturing plants and facilities – you can add new drones to monitor whether employees are wearing hard hats or are in dangerous areas.”

Richard Howe

Benefits of autonomous networks for the manufacturing ecosystem

According to Deloitte, to remain competitive, manufacturers must absorb digital and advanced technologies across their business operations, including production.

The 2019 Deloitte and MAPI Smart Factory Study noted that connecting to an ecosystem was a hallmark of the Trailblazers (pioneers in smart factory adoption), a cohort of manufacturers that were making great strides by adopting Industry 4.0 technologies to solve specific business problems and opportunities.

The manufacturing ecosystem today is no longer limited to the manufacturer and its suppliers of raw materials. In smart manufacturing, an ecosystem is formed when different entities come together in meaningful ways to solve shared challenges and meet shared objectives.

Because the ecosystem comprises several companies, many independent from others in the network but sharing common interests, having a way intelligently manage some of the systems and processes automatically just makes sense.

According to Howe, autonomous networks enable scalable automation and add real-time intelligence to industrial processes, ensuring manufacturing quality, speed and efficiency without the need for much manual and human management.

“It enables fault detection and works safety, and for a manufacturer, this means more reliability and resiliency. For example, you can add cameras inside the manufacturing facility/plant for fault detection,” he added.

The use of 5G permits the use of mobile endpoints capable of collecting vast amounts of real-time data from industrial processes at low latency and taking advantage of local edge computing.

Machine learning leverages the experience of industry specialists at scale humans can’t match given the high data rates possible with 5G.

Use cases of autonomous networks

Asked where early applications of autonomous networks, Howe noted that in the manufacturing sector, these would include remote production monitoring using portable and deployable sensors.

He also highlighted use cases in predictive asset monitoring and condition-based maintenance, as well as vision analytics to ensure quality management.

He also highlighted the use of advanced robotics and human worker coordination (cobots), that can enable worker safety through wearable sensors, or support real-time worker augmentation via low-latency augmented reality/virtual reality that can either troubleshoot field problems or enable knowledge transfer between workers

“It is important to understand that successful integration of such autonomous networking applications will require the migration to cloud-native technologies and robust deployment of 5G. Such a foundation increases the speed and efficiency of properly integrated use case rollout that can be adjusted for specific operating environments,” he explained.

Integrating autonomous networking

Howe warns that implementing autonomous networks and also other related intelligent edge solutions can be a daunting task.

He stressed that a foundation of different technologies across the autonomous network’s application stack will be required like specialised compute infrastructure, wireless network connectivity like Wi-Fi 6 or 5G, along with IoT devices, data acquisition protocols, and lifecycle management tools in which volume of data can be compiled and processed by cloud-based Artificial Intelligence (AL) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms.

“Such an undertaking will certainly require the right expertise for building applications on the autonomous network, and knowledge of the latest orchestration techniques. A majority of these technologies have only recently evolved and developed over the last decade, there is also an existing shortage of skill sets that can support these emerging use cases,” he added.

He posited that introducing and deploying autonomous networking to tomorrow’s industrial and manufacturing environments is a challenge that will require concerted support from an ecosystem of multiple vendors and partners.

“Such an ecosystem will include the major hyperscalers, vendors that provide low latency connectivity or analytics, AI and ML, and also managed services providers that can interconnect elements across all application layers,” he continued.

Economic implications of autonomous networks

Citing a 2021 study, Statista researchers noted that the concept of autonomous networks implemented in the sector of telecommunications may have a global economic impact of 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and it is forecast that the implementation of this concept could have an economic impact of more than 800 billion dollars by the year 2030.

Howe believes that autonomous networks will simplify and enable the full extent of what can be possible in industrial and manufacturing environments by replacing costly, inflexible workflow processes that are manual and rely on legacy technological deployments.

“Aside from the direct benefits such as cost and workflow improvements, autonomous networks will enable the acceleration of a range of IoT, application and data use cases; this, in turn, will provide the basis for new revenue streams and products,” he added.

Advise for decision-makers

Asked what senior business, technology and operations leaders should bear in mind when evaluating autonomous networks as a solution to solve current business/operations challenges, Howe recommended that for organisations big and small, the transformation of network architectures and technologies can be uniquely challenging – yet imperative.

He further added that it is important to select vendors and partners that provide unbiased guidance and deep knowledge.

“Organisations have broad footprints, and each has the potential for thousands of edge environments needing deployment and management. Every manufacturing floor, every distribution hub, warehouse, or airport terminal counts as a single edge environment.”

Richard Howe

“The adoption of autonomous networks will enable organisations to speed system deployments and service activations, avoid failures and slowdowns, enable more dynamic operations, and operate at a greater speed and scale,” he concluded.

The post Why autonomous networks are important in Manufacturing 4.0 appeared first on FutureIoT.

The Frost & Sullivan report, Growth Opportunities Driven by New Form Factors, revealed that the adoption of new form factors for devices will surge rapidly with advancements in connectivity technology.

It also noted that the advent of 5G and expanding artificial intelligence (AI) use cases will further inflate the global demand. This will lead to improved innovation across wearables, flexible devices, and implants.

“As the demand for new pliable form factors increases, companies cannot rely on traditionally shaped devices to capture market share,” said Akshay Menon, senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

He added that this encourages big electronic companies to work with newer materials to manufacture durable and flexible electronics.

Partner with application companies and social platforms to ensure their offerings are compatible with the device hardware, establishing an immersive customer experience.

Invest in research to develop durable materials, as current stretchable materials are thermoplastic, meaning heat softens them and makes them unable to withstand thermal exposure.

“With consumers’ growing preference for small-sized electronic devices, miniaturization will lead to developmental objectives for manufacturers. Further, new form factor development will lead to increased human-machine interaction, making data security a strategic priority for organisations."

Akshay Menon

Associate with organisations in the technology-enabled space as a new form of technology is dependent on internet connectivity and AI.

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As connectivity options become more robust, the world of IoT is no longer limited by geographic constraints. Satellite networks can now connect to existing terrestrial networks, expanding the world of IoT across land, sea and sky. Long range networks have significantly expanded tracking options. When paired with a system of connected sensors, this expanded network potential has created novel opportunities for IoT technology to make our planet smarter.       

By sea

A healthy ocean is critical to the future of our planet – both as the home to essential biomes and as a food for the world’s growing population. In fact, aquaculture continues to be one of the fastest-growing food production sectors according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. FAO predicts aquaculture production to increase 15 percent by 2030.

As demand for aquaculture grows, the health of our oceans and the marine life they sustain becomes even more important. A smart climate pilot program in New South Wales, Australia utilizes sensors from ICT International to monitor water quality in oyster farming systems. Water quality varies as a result of rainfall, sewage and flooding, impacting oyster health. Water sensors monitor quality by sensing salinity and temperature, and can communicate critical information, including ideal harvest window as well as alerting oyster growers when deteriorating conditions require estuary closure.

By air

Air quality is of utmost importance – both indoors and outside. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of indoor air quality. Whether at home, in the workplace or in healthcare and other facilities, people want to ensure that the air they are breathing is clean.

A school board in Montreal, Canada recently deployed an IoT solution from Milesight across more than 47,000 classrooms across the province of Quebec. The beauty of this deployment exists in its simplicity: deploying long-range sensors in each classroom consisted of an install time of only about five minutes per room. The sensors transmit data including CO2 level, humidity and temperature to gateways at five-minute intervals during school hours. This information is used to implement corrective measures when key thresholds are reached, ensuring fresh air is pumped to the classroom. The system also facilitates analysis of historical data, enabling facility managers to determine HVAC repair needs.

Air quality monitoring is particularly important in healthcare facilities. A university hospital in Paris recently piloted an air quality monitoring and contract tracing solution to control the spread of viruses. To simulate contact tracing, the pilot equipped staff and students with Bluetooth-enabled badges to wear while at the hospital. Sensors measured CO2 levels relative to occupancy rates, as well as ventilation shifts or malfunctions. The technology provides the ability to assess these factors to better predict – and looking forward, limit – the spread of viruses.

Outdoor air quality is a vital indication of the health of our planet. Wildfires can have a devastating impact on communities through burn damage as well as overall environmental impact. In an average year, wildfires add 13 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere. IoT technology can be used to detect wildfires earlier, alerting authorities before fires rage out of control. For example, a solar-powered sensing system from Dryad can detect abnormal patterns of smoke, temperature, humidity and air pressure – alerting fire brigades within 30-60 minutes of the wildfire starting.

By land

According to the United Nations, the world’s population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion by 2030, and 9.8 billion by 2050. Faced with a growing population, farmers are tasked with finding sustainable, efficient ways to ensure sufficient food production. From measuring growing conditions for crops to tracking livestock health, IoT enables farmers to identify efficiencies that maximize yield and encourage sustainable farming practices.

Australia-based Smart Paddock uses IoT-connected ear tags to monitor livestock and transmit real-time information to ranchers. The ear tags combine the long-distance, low-power capabilities of a network using LoRaWAN with a global positioning system (GPS) to track cattle location and behavior data – ensuring the herd is safe and healthy.

IoT sensors can also measure water usage and crop health to ensure plants are growing efficiently while minimizing water usage. Because soil is not homogenous, moisture levels vary, meaning different areas of a field may require more water than others. Sensoterra's sensors are equipped with soil probes, providing farmers with real-time soil moisture data.

A more sustainable planet

Ocean, sky and land conditions are all critical to overall environmental quality, and in turn, the quality of human life. Bolstered by IoT innovations, sensing and quickly responding to environmental shifts enables us to maintain the health of our planet.

The post Making our planet smarter with sustainable IoT applications appeared first on FutureIoT.

We have heard about 5G for a few years now. Newer smartphones are all 5G-enabled. Service providers want you to get that new phone and experience 5G. If you have a 5G phone, you may have even noticed that downloads are faster (much faster if you happen to be in certain areas). However, 5G is probably not changing your life (yet). Better than 4G? Yes, but perhaps not a transformative experience.

While most consumers think that 5G is all about them, the truth is 5G is ideal for addressing the networking needs of business and enterprise. Many of the new features of 5G may not even be noticed by consumers but will be game-changing for some companies. Some of these new capabilities will be offered by communications service providers (CSPs) to enterprises utilizing public 5G networks, but there is now an even more transformative option: private 5G networks.

Companies have long employed private wired and wireless networks (primarily Wi-Fi), as well as other network types, for their data needs, but why would an organization employ a private 5G network for data? A private 5G network is isolated and restricts the devices that connect to the network.

Wireless networks (of any type) add a level of flexibility not available with wired networks. Moving a connected device with a wired network may involve moving the network as well. This process is often expensive and, in certain situations, not possible. Wi-Fi works great in many situations, but it cannot scale to the same levels that cellular achieves.

Cellular network technology provides several advantages, including being designed for mobility (moving devices) and connection reliability, supporting greater coverage due to increased power levels, and allowing for much higher device density. Private 5G networks are not likely to replace Wi-Fi and wired networks entirely; instead, they will cover use cases that the other technologies do not cover or do not cover well.

Industries to benefit early from wireless networks

In the telecom industry, technologies are often debated and discussed in great detail. However, the reasons an enterprise decides to install a private 5G network is NOT about technology but about addressing business requirements that current networking options (Wi-Fi or wired networks) are not handling.

Public and private 5G networks enable use cases that other wireless technologies do not, and those use cases pay dividends that can be measured financially and with improvements in efficiency and safety. Small improvements in efficiency can add up to millions of dollars in savings. Keeping employees safe is more important than just the financial impact. These dividend-paying use cases may sometimes be solved with public 5G. However, there are other situations in which private 5G networks become the best solution. For instance:

Coverage issues may limit the public option. This is often the case in certain industries where public cellular coverage at a location is limited or non-existent, e.g., underground mines or offshore oil rigs.

While a facility may have adequate coverage outside, inside may be more challenging. Factories or warehouses are good examples, with both the building shell and contents as potential sources of interference.

Control of data can be a deciding factor. Some businesses require that their data never leave their control (for competitive or security reasons).

Most of the current activity in private 5G networks is with large enterprises in certain industries, such as mining, energy, manufacturing, and more. As 5G evolves over the next decade or so, private 5G networks will evolve to support smaller companies in almost all industries.

The consumer market has long been the bread-and-butter for CSPs. The telecommunications industry is capital-intensive and requires heavy investment to compete. CSPs have invested significantly in 5G. The stark truth is those CSPs depending just on the consumer market for a return on investment will fail.

5G is designed with the enterprise market in mind and provides new capabilities that no other networking technology can provide. To achieve an acceptable return on their 5G investments, CSPs must better serve customers outside of the consumer market. This may be with the public 5G networks. Or it may be by providing enterprises with private 5G networks. (Or perhaps some combination.)

Not all private 5G networks will involve CSPs, but perhaps the most lucrative will. CSPs must take advantage of this opportunity, and the most successful CSPs globally are actively involved in growing this market.

All private 5G networks will involve network infrastructure suppliers. As more of the world rolls out 5G, there will come a time with slower growth for network infrastructure suppliers and public 5G networks. With private 5G networks growing strongly, suppliers may not even notice the slowdown.

Private 5G networks have the potential to transform enterprise data communication needs AND enable CSPs to continue providing consumers and industry ever-evolving communications services. First published on Frost & Sullivan

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“Industries cannot be formed without standards”, Xu Li, executive chairman of the board and CEO of SenseTime. He posited that standardisation would lead to a flourishing AI industrialisation.

“Through powerful infrastructure, we can produce high quality and standardised models with replication in various scenarios, as well as efficiently manage the whole process of model production. It is worth mentioning that standardisation is not a constraint and will ultimately create infinite possibilities in AI applications,” he explained.

Xu stressed that a standardised AI manual is needed to enable scalable AI innovation.

As AI develops towards commercialisation, AI models become the standardised features for the intelligent era, supporting various applications such as advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), city management, surgical planning, and intelligent agents in games, in which issues can be resolved through the same standardised AI models. 

The four new AI platforms

Stressing the importance of standards for the further adoption of AI at scale, Hong Kong-based SenseTime unveiled four new AI platforms covering different fields including AI cloud computing, vehicle-road collaboration, AI in gaming and smart hospitals, aim to drive AI’s scalable industrial application through standardised, more efficient, easy-to-use, and low-cost platform services.

The SenseCore AI Infrastructure, as an innovative “Yingzao Fashi” developed by SenseTime, achieves highly efficient, low-cost, and scalable AI innovation and empowerment for industries.

SenseCore AI Cloud is developed into an out-of-the-box industrial-grade AI toolchain underpinned by the SenseCore AI Infrastructure. It can facilitate AI infrastructure’s comprehensive digital management, effectively meeting the requirements for future industrial AI pipelines as well as the large-scale training, verification, and reasoning for AI models.

SenseCore AI Cloud can help customers double the efficiency of AI research and development with lower infrastructure costs by providing a full-stack deep learning platform and a series of advanced algorithm platforms and models.

Essentially, it creates a new paradigm of AI cloud infrastructure that innovatively empowers various application scenarios including autonomous driving, smart city, AI for Science and Metaverse.

SenseAuto V2X is SenseTime’s vehicle-road synergy platform committed to providing a one-stop analysis and decision-making solution for future mobility by integrating “smart cars, intelligent roads and collaborative cloud”.

Through the fusion control and analysis of vehicle and road information, it can achieve intelligent operation of “vehicle, road and cloud” platforms to improve traffic management efficiency.

SenseAuto V2X can transmit sensory output from roadside sensors to the vehicle and empower intelligent vehicles with more comprehensive sensing capabilities to better adapt to complex traffic scenarios.

Currently, SenseAuto V2X is deployed in the management of national Internet of Vehicles (IoV) pilot zones, closed parks, highways and urban traffic, facilitating the decision-making for traffic management with higher efficiency and safety.

SenseMAP Multi-Agent Platform is SenseTime’s tailor-made AI gaming production and operation platform. Leveraging the strength in computing power, deep learning and intelligent decision-making technologies, SenseMAP provides game developers one-stop full-cycle production services, covering auto-adaptation in gaming ecosystem, auto-creation of gaming content, and auto-operation of gamer community.

It has largely elevated the productivity of game development to create a better competitive experience for gamers. SenseTime will continue accelerating the diverse applications of AI in games and join hands with industry partners to boost the innovation and development of the game industry.

SenseTime Smart Hospital Solution provides a suite of smart services across various scenarios with the goal of delivering “patient-centred and quality-first” services.

For medical professionals, the SenseCare Smart Health Platform provides high-quality, efficient AI diagnostic assistance throughout clinical processes; for patients, the Smart Outpatient Assistant can streamline the outpatient procedure and optimize the patient experience.

For hospital operators, the Smart Management Service accelerates hospital operation and management’s digitalization.

For research organizations, the Intelligent Clinical Research Platform facilitates R&D work and boosts research efficiency.

For regional-level medical alliances, the Smart Medical Collaborative Platform optimizes the allocation of regional medical resources. SenseTime is committed to leading the development of AI-powered smart hospitals and accelerating the digital transformation of high-quality hospitals.

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Gathering, analysing, and utilising vast amounts of data from equipment, processes, customers, and suppliers also drive this transformation. Broad, organisational information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) convergence, in which data-centric IT systems integrate with operations equipment and technology, can provide a huge competitive advantage when executed successfully.

IT-OT convergence is cited as one of the most important factors for organisations to achieve their strategic goals—68% of respondents—with a majority implementing or annually reviewing some form of this process.

Integration challenges range from getting old equipment to work with new systems and platforms to bridging the different goals and priorities of IT and OT teams. Others include:

• Technical and cultural integration issues.
• Incompatible legacy applications.
• Security vulnerabilities and concerns integrating IT and OT systems.
• Lack of expertise in IT/OT integration.
• Organisational complexity.

Despite these hurdles, many industrial organisations are working to excel at their IT/OT convergence strategy.

“Addressing these challenges requires investing in complementary solutions such as digital technologies and risk management, and ensuring that IT/OT convergence has clear, quantifiable business advantages by creating strong data monetization strategies and being responsive to evolving customer needs,” said Roberta Gamble, partner and vice president at Frost & Sullivan.

She added that reducing production downtimes and increasing competitiveness through optimizing operational performance (by reducing OPEX, and faster time to market) are the most common OT investment drivers across industries.

“Initiatives are led at the C level, with CEOs being the most common champions. Interestingly, they have a balanced view of achieving convergence across all three types; IT-centric roles tend to have physical convergence goals.”

Roberta Gamble

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Frost suggests that Oil & gas industries must build industry-appropriate apps and systems that build value from data, prioritize creating operations and production performance views, and bridge growing skill and workforce gaps limiting IT/OT potential.

Utilities industrials must transition from silos to a matrix of multidisciplinary teams focused on end-to-end business goals, create strong defences against cyber threats, and harmonize data collection protocols.

Among the automotive industrials, Gamble suggested these prioritise automation to improve quality, reduce OT costs, and build workforce flexibility; use advanced connectivity for reliable, real-time connectivity; and build or partner with a solution provider to create industry-focused tools.

“Manufacturing industrials must create continuity and visibility across a disparate organisation, work with value chain partners on data/digital transformation strategies, adopt cohesive and integral cybersecurity solutions across platforms and networks, and opt for open systems that easily integrate across different equipment generations and legacy data systems,” she concluded.

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Lower latency and support for Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) afforded by a 5G network can further enable wireless process automation for robotics use cases and increase bandwidth support for data-heavy applications, such as video analytics.

ABI Research predicts that in 2030, manufacturing and industrial firms globally will have more than 49 million 5G connections inside their facilities. This will generate US$2.4 billion in global connections revenue for suppliers.

Michael Larner, industrial and manufacturing research director at ABI Research, says progressive advancements to network performance (from Wi-Fi to Long Term Evolution (LTE), and from LTE to 5G) can underpin improvements to customers’ operations.

“But to maximise the benefits to their operations, customers will need to invest in ancillary technologies, such as edge networking, data management, and data analytics, to accelerate data collection and create a digital thread,” he added.

Hurdles ahead

However, a lack of 5G industrial devices has stalled manufacturers’ interest in 5G private wireless. In turn, the lack of enthusiasm has discouraged hardware suppliers from creating the necessary devices.

As a result of the state of flux, equipment vendors, such as Nokia, have launched converged devices supporting Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G connectivity.

Suppliers need to showcase the attributes of a 5G network and prove how a 5G network can upgrade operations.

“The lack of 5G devices is a genuine drag on adoption, but suppliers (telcos such as Nokia, Ericsson, NTT), Information Technology (IT) providers (HPE, DXC, Dell Technologies), Operational Technology (OT) specialists (Bosch, Siemens, Honeywell) and System Integrators (SIs) such as Accenture and Deloitte) should be working with prospective customers to educate them today about 5G’s potential,” Larner cautioned.

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The first three projects involves testing  new clean energy innovations on Jurong Island, under a S$6-million grant awarded by the EMA and JTC with support from Enterprise Singapore.  (More than 30 proposals were received following the open grant call in October 2021. The grant supports the prototyping and demonstration of the awarded projects over the next two years.)

The investment in clean energy technologies is part of Singapore’s energy transition to decarbonise its energy supply and will support Singapore’s raised climate ambition to achieve net-zero by or around mid-century.

These projects, piloted for the first time on Jurong Island, cover a diverse mix of technologies. They include innovative floating solar deployment and the development of a virtual ledger system to support green hydrogen production.

One of the projects will also look at using existing infrastructure to deploy energy storage systems and the electrolytes used for energy storage can be produced from recycled industrial waste, which enhances circularity on Jurong Island. The awarded projects were selected based on their innovativeness, commercialisation potential and scalability

“With Singapore’s limited renewable energy options, new energy technologies and innovations are key in our decarbonisation journey. Solar is our most viable renewable energy source, and we hope to push the boundaries further to maximise the amount we can harness. We are also looking at low-carbon alternatives such as hydrogen to reduce our carbon emissions in the longer term. The partnership with industry and research community will accelerate our transition towards a more sustainable energy future,” said Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive, EMA.

If shown to be commercially viable, the test-bed projects could be scaled up and deployed across more companies on Jurong Island as well as other industrial companies looking for cleaner energy solutions.

Sustainable solutions in underwater infrastructure inspection

Another two projects, this time as part of the S$8-million partnership between EMA and Shell, have been awarded to two local startups BeeX and SunGreenH2.

As a deep tech spin-off from the National University of Singapore, BeeX specialises in designing and building autonomous equipment used for inspection of underwater infrastructure. Their solution could potentially be used to remotely monitor and inspect underwater energy infrastructure such as subsea cables or floating solar photovoltaic systems. This reduces the need for manual inspections as Singapore scales up solar deployment on water bodies and taps on regional power grids to import low-carbon electricity.

For their pilot, BeeX will be collaborating with Shell to trial a HAUV (Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), to make underwater inspections safer, more efficient and effective at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore on Pulau Bukom.

On the other hand, SunGreenH2 has developed a proprietary electrolyser technology used to produce low-carbon hydrogen. The Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) technology has the potential to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of producing low-carbon hydrogen, a clean renewable energy source that may one day become an alternative fuel for power generation.

“We strongly believe that innovating and collaborating with the different players of the energy value chain is key in moving towards a low-carbon world. Startups are an exciting source of new ideas and innovation,” said Thomas Wong, general manager of Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore at Bukom and chairman of Shell StartUp Engine Singapore Committee .

He added: “Supporting and working with local innovative startups like BeeX and SunGreenH2 is valuable in not only helping us to transform our business and the industry, but also contributing towards a net-zero world.”

EMA and Shell kicked off their partnership in 2019 to nurture local energy startups through the Shell StartUp Engine Singapore accelerator programme. To date, the partnership has supported 18 startups. Among the supported startups, EMA has also provided grants to selected startups to further develop their solutions to advance the energy sector’s transition towards greener sources.

Calls for R&D proposals in next-generation energy tech

Meanwhile, EMA and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) jointly launched their second grant call for research and development (R&D) proposals in next-generation energy technologies.

Funds from the S$20 million Exploiting Distributed Generation (EDGE) programme, which was started in 2019, would be used to develop innovative power engineering projects that will boost power engineering capabilities and support Singapore’s transition to a more sustainable energy future.

"Singapore’s energy demand is forecasted to grow in the next decade, driven by increasing electrification and digitalisation. Our power grid needs to evolve to support a more complex power system as we transition into various sources of cleaner energy and integrate them into our power system to meet increasing demand,” said Ngiam of EMA.

The second EDGE grant call is open to researchers from Singapore-based institutions of higher learning, research institutes, public sector agencies, as well as local companies and company-affiliated research laboratories/institutions. Funded projects must be implemented in Singapore. All proposals must be submitted by 15 October 2022, 1200hrs, Singapore time.

Indeed, with the increase in distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar photovoltaic installations and the rise in the adoption of electric vehicles, power systems of the future will need to be flexible and responsive.

Singapore’s power grid to evolve and adapt to variable power sources while continuing to ensure the reliability and stability of our power system. Because of this, EMA and SIT are seeking innovative solutions to manage the increasing DERs while ensuring continued grid stability and reliability.

Successful grant applicants would be able to test-bed their solutions on SIT’s Multi-Energy Microgrid at its Punggol Campus, located in the heart of the Punggol Digital District when ready in 2024. The Multi-Energy Microgrid serves as a platform for the industry and academics to catalyse R&D by allowing them to test-bed their solutions under real-world conditions. This could enable their ideas to be developed into market-ready solutions for commercialisation.

"Through EDGE, we aim to leverage Singapore’s first campus microgrid infrastructure for SIT’s Punggol Campus, which will serve as a national infrastructure that is open to the research community and businesses in Singapore,” said Professor Chua Kee Chaing, president, SIT.

“This platform allows new technologies and solutions to be tested in a controlled environment within the main grid while providing SIT students with the opportunity to work with industry partners and energy start-ups,” he added

In 2018, EMA and SIT launched the EDGE programme to support the building of capabilities in distributed energy technologies to prepare Singapore for an increasingly decentralised energy landscape. Since then, three projects in the research areas of microgrid design and distributed energy optimisation and management have been awarded.

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The  ESS will contribute to helping the SGMS to improve the energy efficiency of port operations by 2.5%. It will also reduce the port’s carbon footprint by 1,000 tCO2e per annum, the equivalent of removing around 300 cars off the road annually.

“Electricity demand will grow in the next decade with increasing electrification. The adoption of innovative demand-side technologies such as smart energy management systems and energy storage systems will help us optimise our energy supply and power grid capabilities,” said Ms Jeanette Lim, director of the industry development department at the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

She added that  innovative digital solutions such as this project will play a part in making Singapore’s energy systems more efficient and resilient.

The SGMS project is part of the S$8 million partnership between the EMA and PSA Corporation (PSA) to transform PSA’s energy usage in port operations through the use of smart grid technologies and energy management systems. A consortium led by Envision Digital has been tapped for the project, which also includes the installation of solar panels.

The EMA-PSA partnership is part of EMA’s Accelerating Energy Storage for Singapore (ACCESS) programme to facilitate ESS adoption in Singapore by promoting use cases and business models. This project will also go towards supporting EMA’s target of deploying at least 200 MW of ESS beyond 2025.

Real-time automated forecasts

With the dynamic nature of port activities, energy demand can fluctuate throughout the day. Port operations involve the use of energy-intensive equipment such as cranes and prime movers. Due to the dynamic nature of port activities, the energy demand can fluctuate throughout the day.

The ESS is managed by the EnOSTM platform uses machine learning to provide real-time automated forecasts of the terminal’s energy demand. This enables long-term planning of port assets, short-term scheduling and real-time energy management within the Pasir Panjang Terminal to reduce overall energy costs and carbon footprint.

Whenever there is a forecasted surge in energy consumption, the 2 megawatt/2 megawatt-hour battery ESS is activated to supply energy to help meet demand. With this enhancement to Pasir Panjang Terminal, spikes in energy demand of the port will be minimised.

“As a premier hub port driving innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, PSA can play an active role in contributing and co-creating Singapore’s smart grid architecture and energy systems. We are excited to partner EMA in unlocking the full potential of battery energy storage solutions to achieve cleaner and more efficient energy for our operations. As PSA enhances efficiency with port automation, we will continue to drive collaborative innovation with our partners for greater resilience in our energy future,” said Alvin Foo, head of new technologies and sustainability at PSA.

Meanwhile, at times when the ESS is not being used at the terminal, it will  participate in the National Electricity Market of Singapore to provide ancillary services to the power grid and to generate revenue. Insights from the project may also validate the possibility for commercial and industrial users to adopt ESS to serve multiple purposes, such as demand management on-site and providing commercial ancillary services to support power systems.

Sustainable development journey

Tan Joo Hong, head of global ports solutions at Envision Digital said its collaboration with the PSA will result in a reference model for ports embarking on sustainable development journey.

“With energy, machines, and systems orchestration through the use of EnOSTM, our jointly developed SGMS solution will support PSA in its sustainable development initiatives such as large-scale electrification and enable better management capabilities when PSA adopt different green energy sources,” said Tan.

Insights from the SGMS can also be applied for advanced energy management and optimisation at the Tuas Port, which would be the world’s single largest fully automated terminal upon completion in the 2040s. For greater sustainability, retired batteries from port equipment such as automated guided vehicles can be repurposed into second-life ESS.

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According to a Digitimes research report, the country’s ICT industry has shifted from focusing on hardware to hardware/software integration models. The industry is combining big data analysis and AI applications in public IoT to facilitate the development of smart city management.

Tools such as IoT, AI, cloud computing, and communications technologies are efficiently integrated with urban infrastructure to produce economic benefits and improve quality of life.

“Taiwan's expertise in semiconductor and hardware is important to smart cities' development as more data is being used to improve AI systems, resulting in rising demand for stronger infrastructure and hardware with next-generation AI semiconductors,” said Dr. Ayesha Khanna, co-founder and CEO of Addo, an AI consulting firm based in California.

Khanna will be one of the speakers at the upcoming smart city webinar in Taipei later this month to be hosted by Digitimes Asia.

Khanna believes that whether it is AI, robots, 3D printing, Internet of things or 5G, smart city's development should not start purely with technologies but the idea of assisting people to solve their problems or become the aspirational goal for citizens.

It is estimated that the business opportunities of smart cities will reach US$2.6 trillion in 2025, mainly in the Asia Pacific region. This includes sectors such as smart poles, building, parking, monitor, government, transportation, fire protection, water conservancy and WITMED.

“When people want to have better energy and waste management in their city, designers can create an AI solution for monitoring energy usage that can turn streetlights on and off with a built-in smart lighting system. They can also build a centralised trash collection mechanism with sensors and have robots powered by AI to collect waste all around the neighbourhoods to reduce traffic and road congestions,” Khanna said.

Collecting and integrating public and private data

Khanna pointed out that it also important to collect and integrate publicly available data and data from the ecosystem's private firms to form a system.

For example, by combining data of taxi companies and traffic light operation, it reduces people's waiting time for taxies, while traffic congestion can also be significantly lowered with the system's assistance in rerouting or changing the traffic lights.

Technologies for smart healthcare

Nowadays, because of the pandemic, the number of hospital visits via online meeting software or telemedicine services increased dramatically as people find it more convenient and efficient.

The technologies used by medical care system are also making improvements with some designers beginning to adopt biometric sensors onto the terminals for the machines to collect more patients' data, giving doctors more information to make intelligent diagnosis, such as handheld ultrasound products that can be connected via smartphones for patients to check on themselves via AI or by medical staff nearby and then send results to their doctors.

“Technologies for remote medical care are a key area that many IT companies have devoted their R&D effort to. Ambulances built with remote medical care system can connect doctors with ambulances care assistants for them to do check-ups while transporting patents to the hospital. The doctors can also make an examination over patients' injuries via a head-mounted display (HMD) to save time,” said Khanna.

Vital role of 5G in smart city

However, Khanna said all these innovations still rely on 5G, which allows devices to communicate with each other with its fast transmission speed, and has brought a revolution to the manufacturing industry and factories.

In Singapore, a lot of investments are being made for deploying 5G infrastructure throughout the city. This is also the case for many countries including the US.

As smart systems are adopting more sensors to enhance their data collection ability, 5G's commercialisation has become the key to unlock the potential of IoT.

With telecom carriers worldwide keenly expanding their 5G infrastructure, Dr. Khanna is optimistic about the birth of more new smart systems and the rapid development of smart cities worldwide.

“The future of smart city will not be operated by one large central AI, but multiple small ones. Issues within smart cities' key sectors such as healthcare, energy and education will continue to be overseen by government departments or public sector companies with them using AIs to optimise and create innovations for their services,” said Khanna.

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“Wi-Fi has been a key enabler of the global IIOT market, which is on track to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 23% between 2017 and 2023. Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are expanding capabilties by providing the multi-Gb/s data rates, additional spectrum, deterministic performance and other advanced capabilities necessary to support demanding applications such as Industry 4.0,” said Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance.

Entitled “Wi-Fi 6/6E for Industrial IoT: Enabling Wi-Fi Determinism in an IoT World”, the white paper delves into the efficacy of using the latest Wi-Fi standard for new IIoT applications deployed manufacturing/Industry 4.0 and logistics, involving autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated ground vehicles (AGVs), predictive maintenance and augmented/virtual/mixed reality (AR/VR/MR).

“As more equipment is monitored, wiring becomes prohibitive,” the paper says. “Industry is moving towards the inclusion of wireless technologies to lessen the cost of obtaining more information about their processes. In one recent case in the oil and gas industry, moving to a wireless installation resulted in a 75% cost reduction in installation.”

For example, manufacturers are increasingly using IIoT sensors for vibration, temperature and lubricant viscosity to catch emerging equipment problems before they result in extensive, expensive downtime. Other IIoT sensors provide real-time insights about production output, inventory levels and asset locations. Wireless has become the preferred way to network these sensors because it’s faster and cheaper to deploy than copper or fibre.

Industry-wide initiative towards next-generation Wi-FI

According to Eric McLaughlin, vice president of the Client Computing Group and general manager of the Wireless Solutions Group at Intel Corporation, said that Wi-Fi is an essential ingredient in enabling the major transformation now happening in the industrial IoT market.

“Applications like Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) and Remote Human Management Interface (HMI) industrial devices require the mobility, functional safety, high reliability, low latency, robust security and determinism that Wi-Fi 6/6E can deliver particularly when combined with TSN (time sensitive networking) solutions. We are pleased to be leading this Wi-Fi technology evolution, and applauds the work that the WBA is doing in this space.”

Produced by WBA’s Wi-Fi 6/6E for IIOT work group led by Intel, Cisco and Deutsche Telekom, the report provides an overview of Wi-Fi 6 and 6E capabilities that are ideal for sensors and other IIoT applications, such as:

• Scheduled access (SA) enabled by trigger-based (TB) uplink (UL) orthogonal frequency domain multiple access (OFDMA) in Wi-Fi 6 provides the ability to reduce or eliminate contention and bound latency (e.g. 99 percentile). This leads to increased levels of determinism applicable to all real-time and IIOT applications.
• Wi-Fi 6 provides many deterministic QoS capabilities, such as the traffic prioritization that is a key component of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for Industry 4.0 applications. Another example is Multi-link operation (MLO), a capability that helps provide high reliability for applications that cannot tolerate any packet loss.
• The Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol specified in IEEE 802.11-2016 enables both time-synchronization but also precise indoor range and position/location determination. This can be used for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) applications such as route planning, exception handling and safety-related aspects including collision avoidance based on proximity. This capability does not require additional Wi-Fi infrastructure, so manufacturers can implement it immediately, for instance as part of their Industry 4.0 migration.
• The target-wake-time (TWT) feature added to Wi-Fi 6 provides more efficient power-save and scheduling enhancement. This capability is a good fit for battery-powered IIoT nodes that need to transmit only infrequently, such as a sensor that uploads data only when a motor’s temperature exceeds a certain threshold.
• Wi-Fi 6E supports up to 1.2 GHz of spectrum, making it ideal for use cases that require both multi-Gb/s throughput and determinism, such as industrial AR/VR/MR and sensor fusion.

The 52-page report also includes RF/network deployment guidelines for factory, warehouse, logistics and other use cases. For example, it provides recommendations for leveraging 802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6 scheduling capabilities to optimize traffic patterns and manage critical QoS requirements. Another example is using high-gain directional antennas to increase channel re-use rates and work around metal racks and other signal-attenuating features commonly found in warehouses.

Ongoing projects around next-gen Wi-Fi

The WBA said there are over three dozen vendors, service providers and other organisations participated in developing the white paper.

Some current projects around the new Wi-Fi standards that have been mentioned in the paper include:

• Cisco, Intel and partners are working on use cases involving AMR and AGV, where key requirements include <10-20ms latency, <50km/h speed and .99.9999% reliability.
• Cisco and Mettis Aerospace are working on sensor applications, where requirements include very high reliability, low power consumption and high device density.
• Further work taking place on video-AMR fusion use cases such as collision avoidance, where technical requirements include <20ms latency and <1ms jitter.
• Cisco is working on safety control applications, which require <1-ms latency for applications such as automatically stopping a machine after a sensor detects that the person has left the operating position.
• Cisco, Mettis Aerospace and Intel are working on AR/VR applications with resolutions up to 80K and 90fps, where throughput requirements can be as high as 100 Mb/s.
•  Cisco is working on automotive uses cases such as logistics in high-density storage lots, where <60dBm interference is key for reliable operation.

 Matt MacPherson, CTO, Cisco Wireless, said: “The next industrial evolution will not only depend on the ability to connect more things, but to also add greater reliability, intelligence and security. This can only be done when the world’s leading companies work together with progressive Industry 4.0 customers to explore and implement new, game-changing technologies.”

He added: “We are proud of the work we have done with the WBA to ensure customers understand how, when and where to apply the latest innovations. It is because of advancements in wireless technology that Industrial IoT sits at the centre of the forthcoming industrial revolution."

 Ahmed Hafez, vice president of network convergence at Deutsche Telekom said: “Deutsche Telekom’s industrial partners are demanding ubiquitous high performance wireless connectivity to take their production processes to the next level. Converged Access combining 5G cellular and Wi-Fi6/6E Networks will play a vital role to deliver comprehensively on their application and process demands in the near future”.

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AI Dynamics' entry into the Soracom Partner Space builds on previous collaboration between the two companies in Japan, where AI Dynamics has provided pre-built, fully trained AI/ML algorithm libraries for use with Soracom's reference edge computing camera (“S+ camera basic”).

These libraries let users rapidly apply AI edge capabilities to a wide range of use cases, from inventory management and industrial process optimisation to parking lot capacity tracking, license plate recognition and more.

“Running artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms at the edge is a crucial capability for IoT, but very few customers have the tools today to develop ML systems, train models and deploy, manage, or maintain AI edge devices,” said Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO at Soracom.

He added: “Combining AI Dynamics’ strong algorithm libraries and ML expertise with Soracom’s connectivity and edge device management platform lets IoT innovators offload undifferentiated heavy lifting and focus on bringing new products and services to market quickly and operating efficiently at scale.”

AI Dynamics’ easy-to-use and highly accurate end-to-end AI platform, called NeoPulse, is simple to implement for every industry, business and device. The company specializes in solving a wide range of business problems using AI, with a focus on healthcare, life sciences and Industry 4.0.

NeoPulse enables engineers to build deep learning models faster than using off-the-shelf libraries while handling dataset management, model tracking, deployment and monitoring automatically. This proven joint solution effectively gives end users a plug-and-play AI edge camera complete with an AI/ML algorithm that suits the target use case from day one with no custom code required.

“Our founding belief remains that everyone should have access to the undisputed power of AI,” said Rajeev Dutt, founder and CEO of AI Dynamics. “We are extremely pleased with the ongoing partnered work happening in Japan, and we’re looking forward to offering the fruits of that labour to all S0racom customers and Partner Space members.”

In May this year, Soracom announced the global expansion of its Soracom Partner Space program, which now reaches more than 800 best-in-class members throughout the world, including more than 100 certified partners representing hardware, software, solutions and integration services.

Soracom Partner Space members help IoT innovators accelerate time to market with as-needed access to complementary, best-in-class solutions and services that are ready to integrate at every level of the IoT stack.

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The four Asia Pacific cities are joined on top of the list by Copenhagen, Amsterdam, London and Paris in Europe and New York and Washington DC in the United States.

The index was produced by Economist Impact and supported by NEC.

According to Ritu Bhandari, manager for policy and insights at Economist Impact, smart cities will be safer, cleaner and more inclusive urban landscapes, where citizens enjoy better public health and services, more efficient transport and major economic improvements to be shared as public goods.

“The index highlights how outlier cities are leveraging technology to improve quality of life for millions of citizens around the world. While we see strong leadership from cities in Western Europe, the table is led by major cities from a wide geographical spread. The most significant improvements were delivered against tightly defined goals – a critical success factor for urban digital transformation,” said Bhandari.

A peek at the top performers

Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Beijing, London and Seoul performed the best, with successful open data projects and major strides in smart technology-powered sustainability projects like utility management.

Cities with very defined goals realised the greatest benefits: European cities ran highly impactful traffic management systems, while Beijing made progress using applied digital technologies - tackling air pollution, optimising its utilities and promoting its sharing economy. The Atlantic nation cities led in open data innovation with a boom in travel and mobility apps.

Sustainability was the biggest impact area highlighted by the White Paper, with leading smart cities realising major gains in air quality through smart utility management. Sustainability brought the highest overall scores, with Copenhagen, Seoul and Toronto scoring highest for their use of digital technology to support urban sustainability.

Copenhagen and Singapore were the most connected cities, followed by Zurich, Beijing and Sydney. Singapore’s strategy for developing digital connectivity is built on the premise that AI, 5G and cyber security will drive the country’s growth and innovation post-covid. Smart cities are anticipated to drive economic growth: 5G alone will enable an estimated US$660 billion global mobility and transportation market by 2035.

Internet services impact smart city goals

According to the index, unaffordable, unreliable or inaccessible internet services impact other city level goal, with half-a-million households reportedly lack a reliable internet connection in New York City, for instance, disadvantaging low-income children for remote learning.

By contrast, Washington DC has offered low-cost or free services and devices to families unable to afford a broadband subscription and Paris has the most affordable mobile data of all the cities analysed.

Digital technologies enable progress in public health

Since the pandemic, digital technologies have enabled real progress in public health. In Asia, apps were central to managing COVID-19, while telemedicine and real-time remote monitoring of chronic patients has marked digitisation everywhere. In New York, for instance, a diabetes-prevention initiative for adults has reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals by 58%.

Singapore, São Paulo and New Delhi ranked the highest for their delivery of digital municipal services. New Delhi ranks high in part because of the success of Aadhar, India’s ground-breaking national digital identity scheme. In Korea, Metaverse Seoul, announced in November 2021 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will provide citizens with access to government services via the metaverse.

The index also noted that involving citizens in the design of smart city schemes underpins meaningful inclusion, a critical success factor for smart city projects, along with delivery against tightly defined goals.

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Collectively called “OT:ICEFALL”, all 56 vulnerabilities are divided into four main categories: insecure engineering protocols, weak cryptography or broken authentication schemes, insecure firmware updates and remote code execution via native functionality.

The 36-page report from Vedere Labs underscored the impact of “insecure by design” legacy of OT devices which leave them exposed to real-world OT malware such as  Industroyer, TRITON, Industroyer2 and INCONTROLLER.

“The rapid expansion of the threat landscape is well documented at this stage. By connecting OT to IoT and IT devices, vulnerabilities that once were seen as insignificant due to their lack of connectivity are now high targets for bad actors.” said Daniel dos Santos, head of security research, Forescout Vedere Labs. 

He added: “We a very long way to go to reach the summit of these OT design practices. These types of vulnerabilities, and the proven desire for attackers to exploit them, demonstrate the need for robust, OT-aware network monitoring and deep-packet-inspection (DPI) capabilities.”

The products affected by OT:ICEFALL are known to be prevalent in industries that are the backbone of critical infrastructure such as oil and gas, chemical, nuclear, power generation and distribution, manufacturing, water treatment and distribution, mining and building automation. Many of these products are sold as ‘secure by design’ or have been certified with OT security standards

Shifting threat landscape

The report by Vedere Labs has identified a shift in the community toward recognising “insecure by design” vulnerabilities.

“Only a few years back, well-known vulnerabilities like some that can be found in OT:ICEFALL would not get assigned a CVE ID because there was the assumption that everyone knew OT protocols were insecure. On the contrary, we believe a CVE is a community recognised marker that aids in vulnerability visibility and actionability by helping push vendors to fix issues and asset owners to assess risks and apply patches,” the report said.

The vulnerabilities and associated issues disclosed in this report range from persistent insecure-by-design practices in security-certified products to inadequate attempts to fix them.

It is crucial for asset owners to understand how the opaque and proprietary nature of these systems, the suboptimal vulnerability management surrounding them, and the often-false sense of security offered by certifications complicate OT risk management efforts.

Although the impact of each vulnerability is highly dependent on the functionality each device offers, they fall under the following categories:

• Remote code execution (RCE): Allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the impacted device, but the code may be executed in different specialised processors and different contexts within a processor, so an RCE does not always mean full control of a device. This is usually achieved via insecure firmware/logic update functions that allow the attacker to supply arbitrary code.
• Denial of service (DoS): Allows an attacker to either take a device completely offline or to prevent access to some function.
• File/firmware/configuration manipulation: Allows an attacker to change important aspects of a device such as files stored within it, the firmware running on it or its specific configurations. This is usually achieved via critical functions lacking the proper authentication/authorization or integrity checking that would prevent attackers from tampering with the device.
• Compromise of credentials: Allows an attacker to obtain credentials to device functions, usually either because they are stored or transmitted insecurely.
• Authentication bypass: Allows an attacker to bypass existing authentication functions and invoke desired functionality on the target device.

A full list of devices affected by OT: ICEFALL is available here, while details of each vulnerability are discussed in Forescout’s technical report.

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This was one of the key takeaways from a newly released global study entitled “The Race to Decarbonization”, which evaluate progress companies have made in pursuing  their sustainability goals.  Forrester Consulting in collaboration with Johnson Controls conducted an online survey in September 2021, polling over 2,348 sustainability strategy leaders in 25 countries  and across 19 industries.

“The survey clearly shows that business leaders in Southeast Asia see sustainability as the number one business priority now. And among the different key sustainability initiatives, energy efficient buildings and workspaces is high on the agenda, with 91% deeming this an investment priority within three years," said Charles Lim, leader, Southeast Asia, Johnson Controls. “More than three quarters of respondents have goals to reduce carbon emissions across their portfolio of buildings by 26% or more; and 11% are gunning for net zero or carbon negative.”

The global survey found that North America is the most aggressive with their carbon reduction goals. While the urgency among the private sector is picking up in Southeast Asia, more is needed. The ASEAN State of Climate Change Report noted that “there are still large gaps in implementation and ambition” based on emission reduction targets in 2030 and emission trends up to now.

Where to start a challenge

Although organisations recognise the benefits of implementing sustainability practices, many companies do not know where to start in preparing for critical business transformations. Top five hurdles today relate to managing multiple parties involved, lacking strategic plan, lacking external partners, understanding of changing policy requirements, and struggling to scale up.

The survey further found that only 18% of respondents in Southeast Asia have ESG reporting software to help measure their progress while 41% of respondents believe their organizations have a shortage of internal expertise, preventing them from tracking their carbon emissions effectively.

"In the race to decarbonisation, companies must align priorities to the demands of many stakeholders, work with partners to develop transparent sustainability roadmaps, and identify  metrics and adopt tools to track progress," said Mei Peng Hor, business development director, sustainable infrastructure, Asia Pacific, Johnson Controls.

She added: "More customers are looking for ways to make this process easier, and are transferring their sustainability commitments and the risk to reach these targets to an external partner that has the capability, scale and ecosystem. Our OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings as a Service, for example, has helped the University of Hawaii reduce energy use by 80% across four campuses, saving US$80 million, through energy retrofit and renewable energy solutions."

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These bioinspired sensors could usher in the next generation of artificial-vision systems used in autonomous vehicles and manufacturing, as well as finding exciting new applications in edge computing and the Internet of Things.

"They will greatly improve machine vision systems used for visual analysis and identification tasks," said Dr. Chai Yang, associate professor at the Department of Applied Physics, and Assistant Dean (Research), Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, PolyU, who led the research.

Improving machine vision

Machine vision systems are cameras and computers that capture and process images for tasks such as facial recognition. They need to be able to "see" objects in a wide range of lighting conditions, which demands intricate circuitry and complex algorithms. Such systems are rarely efficient enough to process a large volume of visual information in real time—unlike the human brain.

The new bio-inspired sensors may offer a solution through directly adapting different light intensities by the sensors, instead of relying on backend computation. The human eye adapts to different levels of illumination, from very dark to very bright and vice versa, which allows us to identify objects accurately under a range of lighting conditions. The new sensors aim to mimic this adaptability.

"The human pupil may help adjust the amount of light entering the eye," said Dr. Chai, "but the main adaptation to brightness is performed by retina cells."

Natural light intensity spans 280 dB. The new sensors developed by Dr Chai's team have an effective range of up to 199 dB, compared with only 70 dB for conventional silicon-based sensors. The human retina can adapt to environments under sunlight to starlight, with a range of about 160 dB.

Light detectors developed

To achieve this, the research team developed light detectors, called phototransistors, using a dual layer of atomic-level ultrathin molybdenum disulphide, a semiconductor with unique electrical and optical properties. The researchers then introduced "charge trap states"—impurities or imperfections in a solid's crystalline structure that restrict the movement of charge—to the dual layer.

"These trap states enable the storage of light information," the researchers reported, "and dynamically modulate the optoelectronic properties of the device at the pixel level." By controlling the movement of electrons, the trap states enabled the researchers to precisely adjust the amount of electricity conducted by the phototransistors. This in turn allowed them to control the device's photosensitivity, or its ability to detect light.

Each of the new vision sensors is made up of arrays of such phototransistors. They mimic the rod and cone cells of the human eye, which are respectively responsible for detecting dim and bright light. As a result, the sensors can detect objects in differently lit environments as well as switch between, and adapt to, varying levels of brightness—with an even greater range than the human eye.

"The sensors reduce hardware complexity and greatly increase the image contrast under different lighting conditions," said Dr Chai, "thus delivering high image recognition efficiency."

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The company announced its plans in the heels of securing a US$15-million Series B funding led by Meituan, China's leading tech and online retail company, and Fosun, a global innovation-driven consumer group.

"While we've previously focused on the Chinese market, 2021 has brought us more success outside China. We're looking forward to making our solutions available to a broader audience and cementing our position as a key player globally," stated Andy Lu, partner & SVP of RobotPlusPlus.

To support its global expansion, the company is set to open an office in Singapore to serve the Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

RobotPlusPlus has a portfolio of robotic solutions for crucial industries such as maritime, ship repair, petrochemicals, and power generation, with hundreds of magnetic crawler robots deployed globally. The company focuses providing aerial work safety for operators while improving the efficiency of Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair (IMR) solutions and lowering operating costs for asset owners.

With its large team of skilled engineers and operators in place, RobotPlusPlus also provides Robot as a Service(RaaS) services to clients, enabling them not only to offer timely and cost-effective services but also to gain insights into industrial application scenarios.

"An aging workforce, rising labour costs, frequent aerial work-related accidents, and the COVID-19 pandemic have had an accelerative effect on the aerial work robotics sector," said Pu Xiao, investment manager at Fosun. "RobotPlusPlus empowers people with robots while helping increase operational safety and productivity. We're excited to support the company in leveraging AI and RaaS to optimise aerial work environments and enable robotic applications."

Hua-yang Xu, founder and CEO of RobotPlusPlus reiterated the company’s commitment to delivering “more transformational results” to its customers

The company plans to use its fresh funding to upgrade current products by integrating more autonomous technologies

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To cater to the demand for reliable inspection tools, Flyability has unveiled what it claims to be  the world's first collision-tolerant drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor for indoor mapping. Powered by new SLAM engine, the new drone also creates 3D models of points of interest (POIs) as it flies.

With its new Elios 3 drone, Flyability continues its pledge to create cutting-edge technology designed to keep humans out of dangerous places to perform the most demanding inspection tasks.

"The Elios 3 has some of the very best stabilisation in the world, a modular payload, the ability to create 3D models in real time while in flight, and it paves the way towards an increasingly autonomous future," said Patrick Thévoz, co-founder and CEO of Flyability.

Flyability specialises pioneered confined space inspection drones that help companies improve safety, reduce downtimes, and cut costs for their internal inspections. Its drones are used in diverse industries from power generation, oil & gas, mining, chemical, maritime to infrastructure and utilities. It has  almost one thousand clients in over 60 countries, with offices located in Switzerland, China, Singapore, and the US.

The company has been working on the Elios 3 for four years. In that time, its engineers have spent thousands of hours on research and development and performed over 200 missions in the field to collect feedback, learn what clients want, and refine the technology in order to make the most reliable indoor drone on the market.

"For industrial inspections, the Elios 3 is a key enabler of Industry 4.0, presenting an inspection solution that can make inspections safer, more efficient, and less expensive than ever before,” said Thévoz.

Mapping areas that are out of reach or too dangerous for humans is very difficult, yet critical to support operational decisions in many industries.

The Elios 3 comes with an Ouster OS0-32 LiDAR sensor, allowing inspectors to collect data for the creation of survey-grade 3D models using software from Flyability's new partner, GeoSLAM.

By combining the best of confined space drone data capture and 3D geospatial software technology, Flyability's partnership with GeoSLAM enables professionals to produce survey-grade point clouds of the most inaccessible places in their workplace, completely removing the strain of approximations and guesswork from their operations.

In addition to carrying a LiDAR sensor, the Elios 3 can accommodate a second payload that allows it to be customised for each individual user's needs.

Creating 3D models in real time

The Elios 3 is powered by a new proprietary SLAM engine called FlyAware, which allows LiDAR Data to be turned into 3D models in real time, while the drone is in flight.

The new SLAM engine on Elios 3 delivers ground-breaking stability. Combining data from the drone's three optical cameras and its LiDAR sensor to catch the tiniest unpredictable movement and instruct the flight controller to compensate for it. This stability and other ease-of-use features make the Elios 3 easy to operate, so that new pilots can be trained and perform their first inspection in the same day.

Using Flyability's new Inspector 4.0 software made for reporting with the Elios 3, inspectors can now visualise POIs found during an inspection in a high-resolution 3D map using Inspector 4.0's 3D Map Viewer. This feature lets stakeholders navigate from POI to POI in a digital representation of their assets, providing a clear visualisation of the defects found within them to support planning, monitoring, and maintenance efforts.

"The Elios 3 is the single biggest project that Flyability has ever undertaken," said Adrien Briod, CTO of Flyability. "If you think of the Elios 2 as your classic flip phone, only designed to make phone calls, the Elios 3 is the smartphone. It's made to be customized for the specific demands of each user, letting you attach the payload you need so you can use the tool as you like, and allowing it to grow and improve over time with new payloads or software solutions."

As part of the effort to make the Elios 3, Flyability collaborated with top universities around the world by joining Team Cerberus, which competed in—and won—DARPA's multi-year Sub-T challenge for autonomous robotics in underground environments.

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The project covering over more than 4,000 hectares in the Riau Islands south of Singapore will be capable of generating more than 3.5 GW of solar PV and storing 12 GWh of renewable energy which is intended for export to Singapore via an undersea cable.

The project will be carried out by Anantara Energy Holdings, the joint venture formed last year by Quantum Power Asia and ib vogt, to serve the large-scale off-grid sector in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

To date, Anantara has secured agreements from corporates in Singapore, including MNCs and local businesses, to supply more than 4TWh a year of imported clean energy to meet their energy needs and achieve sustainability goals in line with RE100 commitments.

Anantara has responded to Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) request for proposals (RFP) to obtain licenses to supply and import clean energy from neighbouring countries including Indonesia. The RFP is part of Singapore's ongoing initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

When fully commissioned in 2032, the proposed Anantara project is expected to deliver about 8% of Singapore's annual electricity generation, thereby reducing the grid's current reliance on liquefied natural gas.

For this project Anantara has  partnered with Singapore’s electricity retailer Union Power, which will handle connectivity of imported clean energy and related services to residential, industrial and commercial customers. EMA-licensed Union Power currently retails electricity to about 22,000 retail customers in Singapore.

"The recent volatility of energy prices and challenges faced by Singapore's electricity market underscores the urgent need to review our supply of renewable energy. We are honoured to partner Quantum Power Asia and ib vogt in this transformational project which will greatly benefit Singapore homes, businesses and the nation at large as we progress towards net zero,” said Ellen Teo, CEO of Union Energy Corporation and executive director of Union Power.

The formal joint-development agreement for the Anantara partnership, Anantara's Memorandum of Understanding with Riau Islands Province, and the agreement between Anantara and Union Energy Corporation were signed yesterday in the Indonesian embassy in Singapore in the presence of Ambassador Suryo Pratomo and Ansar Ahmad, governor of Riau Islands Province.

"We are excited to present this major integrated initiative to EMA. Should we be successful in being awarded an import licence to Singapore, it will contribute significantly to the city’s journey towards carbon neutrality,” said Simon Bell, managing director and CEO, Quantum Power Asia, adding that the new facility will  become “the largest PV-Storage System globally to date”.

Empowering local communities

The new solar generation and storage facility on Riau Islands Province is expected to benefit Indonesia and Singapore by supporting new businesses, creating up to 30,000 new jobs in Riau Islands and opening up fresh opportunities in the renewable energy sector in the region.

Emphasising corporate social responsibility, Anantara team members have spent extensive time in the Riau Islands to develop programmes to empower local communities and incorporate sustainability as a cornerstone of the project. Key focus areas include developing hyper-local supply chain linkages and providing skills training to the local community.

Anantara will also initiate business activities to involve local micro, small and medium enterprises to achieve deep impact on the local communities. These initiatives will help build and rehabilitate the necessary facilities, improve energy efficiency and open up opportunities to develop infrastructure while improving access to clean water, sanitation, education and employment.

Meanwhile, Anton Milner, managing director (CEO), ib vogt, said that the bilateral energy import initiative is a landmark project globally and will be a catalyst for the region's transformation towards clean, carbon-free energy.

“Based on the work done together with Quantum Power Asia and Union Energy Corporation, we are confident we have submitted a compelling proposal to EMA in order to create sustainable long-term value both for Singapore and Indonesia,” said Milner.

Quantum Power designs, finances and operates renewable energy systems across Asia, and developed Indonesia's first unsolicited utility-scale solar PV power plant which is now in operation. On the other hand, ib vogt focuses on the global development of PV plants and the intensified development of battery storage projects with a global project pipeline of more than 40,000 MW. The company offers all integral services of the value chain from development, financing, EPC and O&M to asset management in house.

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It’s priority is to cut down its own carbon emissions – known Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from company-owned and controlled resources. They are emissions released into the atmosphere as a direct result of a company's activities. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy from a utility provider. They are GHG emissions released in the atmosphere from the consumption of purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling.

“The impact of climate change is an urgent global threat. Protecting our planet demands immediate action and fresh thinking about how the world operates. Intel is in a unique position to make a difference not only in our own operations, but in a way that makes it easier for customers, partners and our whole value chain to take meaningful action too,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel chief executive officer.

To realise this ambitious goal, Intel has set the following interim milestones for 2030:

• Achieve 100% renewable electricity use across its global operations.
• Invest approximately US$300 million in energy conservation at its facilities to achieve 4 billion cumulative kilowatt hours of energy savings.
• Build new factories and facilities to meet U.S. Green Building Council LEED program standards, including recently announced investments in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
• Launch a cross-industry R&D initiative to identify greener chemicals with lower global warming potential and to develop new abatement equipment.

Intel’s net-zero emission announcement follow on the heels of tech giants that have come out with  the same commitment. Microsoft vowed to be carbon negative by reversing carbon emissions for its corporate lifetime by 2050. Apple committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. Google claimed in 2020 to have already eliminated its carbon legacy.

A catalyst for industry-wide action to combat climate change

Meanwhile, the chipmaker is also committed to addressing climate impacts throughout its upstream and downstream value chain, also known as Scope 3 emissions.

Intel plans  to partner with suppliers and customers to take aggressive action to reduce overall emissions. To date, the company is actively engaged with its suppliers to identify areas of improvement, including increasing supplier focus on energy conservation and renewable energy sourcing, increasing chemical and resource efficiencies, and leading cross-industry consortia to support the transition to a net-zero greenhouse gas semiconductor manufacturing value chain.

To accelerate progress, Intel is committed to partnering with suppliers to drive supply chain greenhouse gas emissions to at least 30% lower by 2030 than they would be in the absence of investment and action.

“Intel has been a leader in sustainability results for decades. With leadership comes responsibility. We’re now raising the bar and entering an exciting era to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations by 2040,” said Keyvan Esfarjani, executive vice president and chief global operations officer at Intel. “This will require significant innovation and investment, but we are committed to do what it takes and will work with the industry to achieve this critical mission.”

Furthermore, Intel hopes to help its customers to achieve their own net-zero goals by providing sustainable products. For one,  Intel is setting a new goal to achieve a five times increase in performance per watt for its next generation CPU-GPU, Falcon Shores. The company remains committed to its 2030 goal to increase product energy efficiency by 10 times for client and server microprocessors.

Collaborative innovations toward sustainable solutions

Intel has also set a new goal to lower emissions related to reference platform designs for client form factors by 30% or more by 2030. These efforts are taking shape with Dell’s Concept Luna prototype device, developed in partnership with Intel to showcase future possibilities for sustainable PC design.

“Collaboration is key if we want to find solutions to the significant environmental issues the world is grappling with. Intel has been an important partner in this regard, helping us drive joint innovation supporting motherboard optimization, development of the bio-based printed circuit board and increasing system power efficiency in our Concept Luna device,” said Glen Robson, chief technology officer for the Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. “The ambition behind this ongoing work is to test, prove and evaluate opportunities to roll out innovative, sustainable design ideas at scale across our portfolio – it’s the only way we will sufficiently accelerate the circular economy and protect our planet for the generations to come.”

Also, Intel is collaborating with hundreds of customers and industry partners to create solutions that meet the need for exponentially more computing processing power, while running more efficiently and using less energy.

For instance, Intel is partnering to launch liquid immersion cooling pilot deployments for data centers across cloud and communications service providers, with companies such as Submer. This includes embracing new principles, such as heat recapture and reuse via immersion cooling.

“99% of heat generated by IT equipment can be captured in the form of warm water, practically without losses and at much higher temperatures. Through partnership with Intel, Submer is able to scale a validated immersive cooling solution that saves energy while providing the ability to capture and reuse the subsequent thermal heat,” said Daniel Pope, co-founder and CEO of Submer. “This will fundamentally change the way data centers are built and operated.”

Increasing access to renewable energy is a critical step in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Intel has developed a solution that can be integrated into existing energy grid infrastructure to create a smarter grid that can adapt to changing energy consumption needs and sources. Intel and some of the world’s largest utility operators formed the Edge for Smart Secondary Substations Alliance to modernize energy grid substations and better support renewable energy sources. France’s largest grid operator, Enedis, recently joined to upgrade its more than 800,000 secondary substations with solutions that provide real-time control across the network.

Intel’s programmable hardware and open software also deliver capabilities that enable greener solutions for customers. For example, within its data center that houses 5G communication facilities, Japan telecommunications operator KDDI reduced overall power consumption by 20% in a trial using Intel Xeon Scalable processors and Intel’s comprehensive power management and AI capabilities, giving it the ability to scale power consumption according to demand.

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In its latest report, IDC predicts that 75% of top 100 miners this year will operate remote and autonomous drill rigs throughout their operations, improving equipment efficiencies.

"In 2022, we expect to see a consolidation of learnings from rapid deployment of remote working technologies which lays down a good foundation to develop talent required for remote-operated and automated machinery. Miners have embraced DX to maintain production in astounding numbers and I expect this positive influence on the industry over the next five years,” says Ben Kirkwood, senior research manager, IDC Energy Insights Worldwide Mining.

These are the top strategic predictions that will shape how mining organisations will operate in a digital-first world within the next 12-36 months:

1. Increased Remote Equipment Adoption – Accelerated because of the pandemic, by 2022, 75% of the top 100 miners will operate remote and autonomous drill rigs throughout their operations, improving equipment efficiencies.
2. Resilient Connectivity – By 2022, 5% of global mining operations will be early adopters of 5G to utilise reliable, low-latent connectivity-reliant technologies, improving safety, sustainability, and operational performances.
3. Sustainably Controlled Operations – By 2023, 80% of mining organisations will use sustainability KPIs as part of their primary operational control parameters to help achieve their organisational environment, social, and governance targets.
4. Digitised Talent – By 2023, 25% of the top 100 mining organisations will utilise augmented reality to perform operational maintenance, reducing on-site labour requirements by 20%.
5. Increased OT Security – OT-specific security departments will be created by 4 of the top 5 mining organisations by 2023 as organisations struggle with secure IoT implementations.
6. Auditable Traceability – Enabling improved sustainability and operational tracking, by 2024, 10% of metals produced will use blockchain to track and monitor the commodities' value chain from origin to final product.
7. Enhanced Operations – By 2024, 50% of the top mining organisations will utilise cloud based operational planning and simulation tools, providing decision support, greater analytics, and improved optimisation capabilities.
8. Ecosystem-wide Partnerships – By 2025, 80% of organisations will utilise an equipment-as-a-service model in partnership with major vendors to provide support for critical operational equipment and systems.
9. Integrated Processes – By 2025, the top 5 mining organisations will deploy cloud-based platforms to deliver insights across their value chain, supporting self-service for workers and a single source of truth.
10. Satellite Supported Transformation – By 2026, as the cost of deploying satellites drops rapidly, one mining organisation will have its own satellites in orbit to support its digital mining transformation.

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Located within the premises of Mitsubishi Electric Automation (China), the centre plans to hire 100 engineers by 2025.

In recent years, there has been a growing need for a variety of specialist applications for FA products in a wide range of industries, including automotive, logistics, food and beverage as well as digital-related fields like semiconductors, electronic components, and data centers, and more recently decarbonisation-related fields such as lithium-ion batteries.

To quickly respond to the changing  needs of Chinese manufacturers, Mitsubishi Electric will leverage the new engineering centre to develop FA applications customised to the local market. The FA solutions will span custom functions, motion programs and custom screens for products ranging from programmable controllers and servos to human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and inverters.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Electric plans to open similar collaborative engineering centres in India and other countries in North America and Europe from 2023 onwards.

By 2025, Mitsubishi Electric plans to assign more than 200 engineers to these centres to fortify its FA product application development process and provide customised applications on a global scale.

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The DSD conducts regular maintenance of these facilities such as river channels and underground pipes. However, maintenance works for drainage facilities are easily affected by weather conditions and tide levels. In addition, limited working spaces in most of the underground drainage facilities constrained the use of large machinery, posing safety risks for workers.

The  new river desilting river, introduced in December last year, to remove accumulated silt at a section of the Tuen Mun River under the Tuen Mun MTR Station.

“The robot collects silt by suction, which is similar to the operation of a vacuum cleaner. The operator remotely controls the robot on a temporary working platform via a console,” said a DSD spokesperson. “The silt is located by the closed-circuit television and sonar device installed on the robot and dewatered at the temporary dewatering tank before it is transferred off site."

Compared with the traditional desilting method which requires operators to drive excavators and trucks into the river, the river desilting robot can operate under water regardless of tides and weather conditions. Hence, desilting works can be conducted throughout the year, making desilting operations more flexible and efficient.

The larger suction rate of the river desilting robot enables the collection of more fluid silt as compared with the desilting robot used at box culverts, making it more suitable for the desilting works at rivers.

Meanwhile, the remotely-operated pipeline inspection robot is built to assist in the investigation of the structural integrity and service condition of underground drains, which helps with the maintenance and upgrading of drainage systems in a timely manner.

The pipeline inspection robot is a vessel equipped with a 360-degree high-definition camera and a sonar device. The robot can operate within a drain remotely without flow diversion. The data collected can help with the formulation of desilting and maintenance works. The high-definition camera inspects the condition of the pipeline structure above water level, and the sonar device detects the profile of the siltation.

The pipeline inspection robot completed an inspection with CCTV and sonar of a 1.8-kilometres sewage tunnel in Tseung Kwan O on January 15 this year, breaking the record in Hong Kong.

"The river desilting robot and the pipeline inspection robot can greatly reduce the safety risk of workers by remote operation. The DSD expects the applications of such technology can be further extended to the maintenance works of other rivers and pipelines upon the gathering of data and experience from these trials,” the DSD spokesperson said.

In recent years,  heavy rainfall due to extreme weather has become more frequent. Over the last five years, the DSD received an average of 90 flooding reports annually.

Analysis of the flooding reports revealed that the majority of flooding cases were caused by the blockage of drainage intakes by debris such as leaves, sand, gravel or waste, which affected the discharging of surface runoff. Also, part of the flooding cases were the result of tidal caused backwater in low-lying areas. Majority of flooding cases subsided immediately after emergency clearance works conducted by the DSD.

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These pilots signal the startup’s international expansion, which comes on the heels of the recent US$1.25 million seed funding secured from investors led by Silicon Solution Partners (SSP) and SEEDS Capital, the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore.

"We hope to conduct more pilot trials with companies and governments, to showcase how remoteEye results in benefits including cost savings, improved safety/hygiene levels, improved performance and reduced reliance on manpower,” said Deepak Pitta, founder and CEO, SpaceAge Labs

In the next six to 12 months, Pitta said the company  plans to double its current headcount of 12 employees as it opens international offices in Australia and the US.

Pushing for more pilots in Singapore

At the same time, SpaceAge Labs will continue piloting monitoring projects in its home country – specifically around water consumption patterns and leak detection in facilities,  air quality in outdoor spaces, and water quality in swimming pools to name a few.

Last year, Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore collaborated with the local startup to trial an IoT-based monitoring solution aimed at preventing sewer overflows in the city state’s wastewater network.

Some 40 IoT devices have been installed in sewer manholes across Little India, Geylang and Serangoon Gardens, which were prone to overflows. These areas have a high restaurant concentration and tend to have faster build-up of fat, oil and grease in the sewer network which will eventually lead to a blockage if not cleared.

The battery-operated wireless IoT devices are installed inside the harsh, confined conditions within a sewer manhole, providing PUB with real-time alerts when waste water levels within the sewer system rises too high. When alerts are triggered PUB officers would quickly check for blockages downstream, with SpaceAge Labs informing them the areas that are likely to be clogged.

“Over a twelve-month period from January 2021 to December 2021, we successfully alerted PUB to 10 events within the wastewater network. PUB promptly cleared these blockages before any overflow events happened,” said SpaceAge Labs in a statement.

This has significantly improved efficiency of operations, and in preventing pollution to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Today, More than 750+ rEye devices deployed so far on site to monitor 1000+ remote assets for different applications.​

IoT devices trialled in greenery management

The company also conducted a pilot with another government agency in Singapore, deploying IoT devices to enable the National Parks Board (NParks) to track the completion and quality of the grass-cutting operations.

NParks manages some 400 parks, 3,347 hectares of nature reserves, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Pulau Ubin and the Sisters' Islands Marine Park  With over 13,000 hectare of green spaces under its jurisdiction, it is a challenge to physically monitor each location regularly.

The grass height sensor is currently deployed as part of the pilot of park and greenery management using digital tools in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio precinct. This project supports NParks’ landscape sector transformation plan that aims to elevate and grow the local landscape sector through digitalisation, mechanisation and “professionalisation”.

The IoT devices are worn by grass-cutters using push lawn mowers or handheld grass trimmers. They can also be installed on equipment such as sit-on mowers. The sensors transmit data on the height of grass (post-cut) as well as high precision GPS location data to the cloud. The data are available via web dashboards and a mobile app, where contractors and NParks staff can easily verify the completion and quality of the grass-cutting operation.

“It is important that we take steps to make operations more precise and think of ways to overcome physical and manpower limitations through the adoption of technology. Leveraging on SpaceAge Lab's smart technology, we have been able to conduct grass height inspections more effectively with less manpower.," said Ryan Lee, group director, National Parks Board.

Meanwhile, the IoT-based monitoring system also helps to expedite payment to the contractors as NParks can quickly confirm completed of their work. These operational data and insights also enable the contractors to improve their efficiencies, through better deployment of resources, resulting in lower labour and fuel costs.

Digitising distributed assets maintenance

Established in 2016, SpaceAge Labs started as a consulting company, designing end-to-end IoT solutions for its customers, but pivoted in 2017 to become a product company. In the same year, it became an NUS Enterprise incubatee, based within NUS Enterprise's deep-tech incubation facility in Singapore Science Park I.

The company has found its niche in transforming operations and maintenance of remote and distributed assets by collecting asset data using low power, long-range wireless IoT devices, together with advanced AI software to generate valuable insights from this data.

SpaceAge Labs’ solution aims to deliver the following benefits: asset's uptime (due to data-driven predictive maintenance); reduces cost (less manpower required) and provides peace of mind (operators gain real-time asset visibility).

Its flagship product called remoteEye is sensor-agnostic IoT/AI platform that enables connected operations and maintenance, consisting of three parts:

• rEye IoT Nodes – These are low-powered, wireless devices that read and transmit data from industrial sensors located at the assets.
• Wireless networks – The sensor data is transmitted via low power wide area wireless networks to the cloud. The networks are at low cost (from S$1 per month per device), able to transmit over long distances (several kilometres) and consume low power (up to five years of battery life).
• rEye Data Cloud – Enterprise-grade IoT/AI software that stores, analyses, and visualises this sensor data. This software is secure, easy to use and able to scale easily from managing one asset to thousands of assets. Proprietary AI software and geospatial data analysis provides useful insights and predictions that can be accessed via web or mobile.

SpaceAge Labs is initially targeting three sectors: Water/Wastewater; Urban Greenery/Landscaping; and Facilities management.

Currently, the company has IoT deployments with more than 30 customers, including two key Smart Nation pilot projects in Singapore with PUB and NParks.

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Gartner observed that in the past three years, nearly 20% of organisations have already observed cyberattacks on IoT devices in their network.

While 64% of respondents to the Kaspersky study, Pushing the limits: How to address specific cybersecurity demands and protect IoT, use IoT solutions, as much as 43% do not protect them completely.

This means that for some of their IoT projects – which may be anything from an EV charging station to connected medical equipment – businesses don’t use any protection tools. Kaspersky posits that may be due to the great diversity of IoT devices and systems, which are not always compatible with security solutions.

Barriers to protecting IoT

The study noted that 64% of businesses fear that cybersecurity products can affect the performance of IoT while 40% fear it can be too hard to find a suitable solution. Other common issues businesses face when implementing cybersecurity tools are high costs (40%), being unable to justify the investment to the board (36%) and lack of staff or specific IoT security expertise (35%).

Barriers to implementing IoT

The study also noted that 57% of surveyed organisations see cybersecurity risks as the main barrier to implementing IoT. This can occur when companies struggle to address cyber risks at the design stage and then must carefully weigh up all pros and cons before implementation.

Stephen Mellor, chief technology officer at Industry IoT Consortium, insists that cybersecurity must be front and centre for IoT. He posits that managing risk is a major concern as life, limb and the environment are at stake.

He warns that an IT error can be embarrassing and expensive; an IoT error can be fatal. But cybersecurity is only one part of making a system trustworthy.

“We also need physical security, privacy, resilience, reliability and safety. And these need to be reconciled: what can make a building secure, (locked doors for example), could make it unsafe if you cannot get out quickly,” he continued.

While IT projects such as messaging/communication, analytics, CRM, etc., have around 80% of common requirements, IoT deployments are very fragmented, loosely coupled, domain-specific and integration-heavy in nature.

Eric Kao, director for WISE-Edge+ at Advantech comments that in the case of IoT implementation, companies must deal with all kinds of legacy systems, physical constraints, domain protocols, multiple vendor solutions. They must also maintain a reasonable balance in availability, scalability and security.

“In pursuit of higher availability and scalability, certain cloud infrastructure has to be leveraged, the system has to be open to some extent, then security becomes an enormous challenge,” he added.

The bright side

Challenges aside, there remains optimistic about the potential benefits of the technology and the possibilities of protecting IoT solutions as they are integrated into operations and IT.

Andrey Suvorov, CEO at Adrotech in Russia, says IoT is widely used in smart cities (62%), retail (62%) and industry (60%). These include projects such as energy and water management, smart lighting, alarm systems, video surveillance and many more.

“Experts around the world are working on the task of effective protection for such projects but efforts should be made at every level – from equipment manufacturers and software developers to service providers and companies that implement and use these solutions,” he added.

Next steps for securing IoT

To help organizations fill the gaps in their IoT security, Kaspersky suggests the following approaches:

• Assess the status of a device’s security before implementing it. Preferences should be given to devices with cybersecurity certificates and products from manufacturers who pay more attention to information security.
• Use a strict access policy, network segmentation and a zero-trust model. This will help minimize the spread of an attack and protect the most sensitive parts of the infrastructure.
• Adopt a vulnerability management program to regularly receive the most relevant data about vulnerabilities in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), equipment and firmware, and patch them or use any protection workarounds.
• Check the “IoT Security Maturity Model” – an approach that helps companies evaluate all steps and levels they need to pass to achieve a sufficient level of IoT protection.
• Use a dedicated IoT gateway that ensures the inbuilt security and reliability of data transferring from edge to business applications.

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“Deploying solar power at pace means making the most of projects once they are up and running. It’s not just about the cost of capital and your project execution. Lightsource bp has an exceptional reputation on both fronts and once all that hard work is done, we don’t want to waste a single photon,” said Nick Boyle, group CEO of Lightsource bp.

“The partnership with Envision Digital gives us an anatomical level of insight on our assets to optimise them remotely and drive improvements,” he added.

Lightsource bp is targeting the development of 25GW of solar power projects globally by 2025 delivering renewable power at scale, and with the urgency the climate crisis requires. Through the partnership and the advanced analytics from Envision Digital’s AIoT platform, Lightsource bp will be able to gain data-driven insights to enable automation, efficiency, value and ultimately, substantial volumes of additional low-carbon power.

“We see a lot of synergies with Lightsource bp and our teams are rapidly deploying and scaling technology to power the energy transition together,” said Michael Ding, global executive director of Envision.

Envision Digital’s proprietary AIoT operating system called EnOS, currently supports more than 360GW of clean energy assets globally. As the partnership develops, and as global governments and corporations quicken net zero discussions, both companies will explore additional opportunities to drive value across Lightsource bp’s expanding portfolio of solar power projects globally.

Meanwhile, Lightsource bp is a 50:50 joint venture with global energy major bp. By leveraging this partnership with Envision Digital, as well as more than a decade of solar experience, the company expects to be able to deliver greater value at scale and enact a real change on the global energy landscape.

The 247MW Vendimia project in Spain started generating low-cost power in June 2021. The site created 600 jobs during construction and provides a snapshot of the benefits solar can provide to the economy and the climate.

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Located at the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, Brunei has a hot and rainy climate that brings frequent and intense flooding episodes, affecting critical infrastructures.  Indeed, the banks of a nearby canal at the Brunei International Airport can suddenly overflow after 20 minutes of steady rains, preventing operations in part of the airport.

Before the new LoRaWAN-based sensors were deployed, river level monitoring in the country had been primarily based on telemetry technology. And in cases where this technology was not available,  the government  mobilised significant manpower for manual monitoring.

A real-time flood detection system  is required  to prepare the population and limit the damage. The monitoring system of the water networks is also required to address water leaks and water quality. It also ensures reservoir levels can meet demand, and the state of water pumps is kept at the optimum.

Flash flood detection.

For its new smart water management system, the Sultanate’s Ministry of Development tapped IoT provider Anian to develop for The Department of Drainage and Sewerage a solution that included sensors, IoT communications gateways for connectivity, as well as data management and application dashboards. To date, some 11 communication gateways have been installed with the aim to install 200 units.

Anian collaborated Actility and IoThink Solutions, which provided the bricks of the solution and all the necessary technical support. Specifically, the solution is deployed using Actility’s ThingPark platform with the application provided by IoThink Solutions.

According to Actility, the main challenge Anian faced was the difficulty of finding an integrated end-to-end solution that includes all the necessary elements, including hardware that must adapt to complex environments and potentially destructive weather conditions.

Anian tested various entry-level sensors with a promise of IP67 resistance that proved insufficient. Even the gateways required protection against storms. Ultimately, Anian deployed ultrasonic sensors  to monitor the water level in flood-prone rivers, a solution combined with rainfall volume monitoring as well as rain gauges/tipping buckets to measure the velocity of water currents.

The solution is hosted in the Brunei government’s data centre with network operations and IoT applications being ran as managed services. To date, some 11 communication gateways have been installed with the aim to install 200 units.

The Sultanate plans to use its nationwide IoT LoRaWAN network to advance other digital initiatives such as smart city, smart building and smart energy management.

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According to a recent Frost & Sullivan analysis, both AI and IoT are expected to play a bigger role as the industry recovers from COVID-19. From a revenue perspective, the total oil & gas automation market is expected to reach US$24.63 billion by 2025, up from US$17.17 billion in 2020 and growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.5%.

"Industry 4.0 has been transforming the oil and gas value chain by enhancing connectivity, simplifying operation maintenance, and prioritising safety. The digitalisation of drilling processes in the upstream sector is a high-growth area and can significantly boost production," said Agustina DeSarriera, research analyst, for energy & environment at Frost & Sullivan.

She added: "Operational technologies (OT), such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCSs), and programmable logic controllers (PLCs), are already in place. However, to optimise automation, companies will soon have to include artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and robotics technologies in their operations."

As the industry feels the pressure to become more sustainable and less labour-intensive, there will be greater growth opportunities for technology providers of:

• AI: Vendors need to highlight the use of AI to automate drilling operations and their ability to eventually decrease the number of wells needed for oil & gas operations. AI can also help avoid incidents and improve environmental performance by predicting leakages and identifying them in real-time.
• Robotics: Vendors can help clients overcome their technology shyness by assigning robots to departments where they can demonstrate maximum value.
• IoT: By showcasing the technology's adaptability and ability to complement other technologies such as AI and OT, IoT providers will find it easier to get buy-in from clients. They can also partner with technology companies that provide OT solutions such as sensors and transmitters and help them transform into smarter tools.

DeSarriera said, "Environmental regulations and agreements are compelling the industry to become more sustainable, and participants are recognising that one of the easiest ways to achieve higher process efficiencies is automation. With the pandemic causing a resource shortage, it is imperative that oil & gas companies tap automation to reduce human exposure and perform rote tasks that were previously performed by humans."

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In addition, research suggests that there will be more than 75 billion devices connected to the internet by 2025, which equals around 10 IoT devices for every human on earth.

Various industries are using IoT for a more connected experience across their businesses. For example, manufacturing providers have increased IoT spending significantly over the past few years.

During the pandemic, manufacturers leveraged IoT to monitor and maintain equipment without a full team of staff, for tasks such as temperature and usage monitoring.

Gartner estimates that installed IoT endpoints for manufacturing and natural resources industries are forecast to grow 1.9 billion units in 2028. This foreseen estimate is fivefold the size of 331.5 million units in 2018.

As Singapore continues to roll out smart business initiatives such as the Networked Trade Platform to position itself as a leader in trade and supply chain, IoT devices will play a role in fulfilling said initiatives.

But, as IoT expands across the globe to offer a more connected experience, security undoubtedly takes a hit. IoT technology creates a broader attack surface, leaving businesses exposed to threats of attack.

The increasing attack surface of IoT devices

IoT devices are notoriously hard to monitor and secure, as most of them utilise legacy systems and infrequently connect to the internet, making them hard to track. This beckons a frustrating question for many CISOs and security teams; How can security experts secure and patch IoT devices if they don't know the device is there?

This is especially so when employees bring their devices to work (BYOD) which results in the issue of shadow IT. It refers to the use of technology without the knowledge of IT departments and this contributes to the lack of visibility on IoT devices.

As the office disruptions brought about by the pandemic are slowly diminishing, plenty of employees surveyed by EY expect to return to the office, whereas others look to a hybrid work model. This could spell an influx of vulnerable devices being brought back to the office as people return to work post-pandemic.

Furthermore, the endpoint can be deployed but with these small, unadvanced IoT devices, normal security telemetry can’t be. This poses additional threats to devices. Systems are left vulnerable when vital updates and device inventory are lacking.

IoT security nightmares

The Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore detected nearly 6,600 botnet drones with Singapore IP addresses daily in 2020, a massive spike from the 2019s daily average of 2,300. Mirai and Gamarue were the key malware types that accounted for 25% of infected Singapore IP addresses in 2020. Globally, malware types such as Mirai have been observed to target IoT devices, launching DDoS attacks.

In August 2021, the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Mandiant, a threat intelligence firm, disclosed a critical vulnerability in ThroughTek. This vulnerability allowed attackers to access millions of IoT cameras to view and record live feeds and compromise credentials for further attacks.

This discovery highlights the increasing challenges of IoT supply-chain security, which often demands immediate action to apply necessary software updates. Connected devices need to have the same cybersecurity as other IT systems to avoid exploitation which can have major consequences.

Monitor IoT with network detection and response

Organisations need to take steps like implementing sophisticated network segmentation and Zero Trust so that no asset is implicitly trusted.

At the same time, a device discovery plan should be in place for all IoT component producers to manage device inventory and containment. Businesses also need to be able to gather deep forensics insights to investigate the cause of a threat and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Connected devices require a more advanced network security tool, such as network detection and response (NDR), which shows organisations’ east/west movement and can display thorough device inventory taking the pressure off security teams.

NDR solutions, however, can see everything on the network – every device, traffic, and activity.

Security teams need to have an actionable plan in place to eradicate vulnerabilities and risks rapidly from the business environment, leaning on deep forensic insight to help. These capabilities give teams the resources they need at their fingertips to hunt, investigate, and remediate threats quickly providing a full spectrum of response and streamlining the workflow.

The growth of IoT is going to continue to explode – but so will cyberattacks. Organisations need to ensure they are prepared by putting the right tools in place now to reduce response time when an attack inevitably hits, especially with how crucial IoT has become to the functionality of supply chains and manufacturing. Being left in the dark is no longer an excuse.

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PARC, a Xerox company, has launched a new venture called Novity to commercialise predictive maintenance (PdM) technology that reduces unplanned downtime in industrial manufacturing operations.

“Over the course of many conversations with customers in the industrial manufacturing industry, we identified critical problems where current solutions fall short: they require too much data, they aren’t accurate enough, and they don’t give users enough advance notice to act before it’s too late,” said Novity general manager Markus Larsson. “Our goal with this solution is to solve these problems, ultimately enabling zero unplanned downtime.”

The Novity solution is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology that uses equipment sensors and proprietary algorithms to enable industrial manufacturers to see the future health of their production assets. The Novity TruPrognostics engine relies on a combination of machine learning and physics-based models of equipment. This allows Novity to predict equipment failures with 90% or better accuracy and lead times of months, not weeks or days.

Pennsy Supply, the leading manufacturer of aggregate, sand, asphalt, and concrete throughout the North and Central Regions of Pennsylvania, has installed a pilot deployment of the Novity technology and is already seeing benefits.

“Novity’s solution has proven itself effective very quickly. Novity has delivered an excellent PdM solution for Pennsy,” said Larry Kessler,  director of operation support, Pennsy Supply. “Within the first month, the system picked up a potential issue with a mill, allowing us to take preventative action, avoiding costly unplanned downtime.”

In addition to increasing the accuracy and prediction horizons of the solution, Novity’s TruPrognostics engine also reduces the need for large amounts of data to deliver results. By leveraging a library of pre-built physics-based models, predictive maintenance is accessible to customers who lack the historical data required by other solutions.

“As more manufacturers embrace new technologies that help their plants and factories run more efficiently, one of the things we’ve heard over and over from customers is they need a solution they can rely on to make actionable decisions,” said PARC president Naresh Shanker. “With Novity, we’re leveraging PARC’s expertise in AI, sensors and manufacturing to provide an exceptionally accurate predictive maintenance solution. This means less downtime, more productivity and profitability for our customers.”

Novity is the latest offering in PARC’s broad entry into the industrial IoT market. In 2021, Xerox announced the launch of Eloque, a joint venture with the Victorian Government (AU) to commercialize new technology that will remotely monitor the structural health of bridges and other critical infrastructure. Last year, Xerox also announced that PARC is working with the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a technology that can enable large-scale monitoring of seas under the Ocean of Things program.

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According to a latest study by Ernst & Young (EY), with nearly half or 49% of those polled saying they are using 5G primarily for process optimisation as a key application, while only 28% favour advanced 5G use cases around virtual or augmented reality.

“While the hype around how 5G low latency could power the metaverse or commercialize augmented reality continues to intensify, this study indicates that the technology has moved out of its infancy and is now actively being applied to drive real-world benefits,” said Tom Loozen, EY Global Telecommunications Leader.
He noted that 5G is following the same innovation cycle of other transformative technologies.

“Sophisticated use cases will become important in time. More pressing, however, is the need for 5G providers to tune their solutions to the practical demands of industry leaders today,” Loozen added.

This is the major takeaway of the newly released EY Reimagining Industry Futures Study. Entitled “Enterprise 5G: is the Industry 4.0 growth opportunity being overlooked?”, the study is on its third edition.

Indeed, 85%  of respondents said the impact of COVID-19  is driving their interest in 5G, up from 52% in last year’s study; 80% cited supply chain disruption for its 5G pursuit, while 71% cited the focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

However, the study pointed out there is some way to go in realizing these ambitions: 37% are concerned that 5G and internet of things (IoT) vendors’ current use cases do not meet their business resilience and continuity needs, and 47% do not think their sustainability goals are met by today’s use cases.

5G adoption roadblocks in Southeast Asia.
Similarly in Southeast Asia, 5G adoption has also met with roadblocks, according to Joongshik Wang, EY Asean Technology, Media & Entertainment and Telecommunications (TMT) Leader.

“Use cases for 5G in the private sector will need to be more clearly defined before technology operators are confident enough to take 5G applications to market. For now, governments are the main drivers of investments in 5G infrastructure public sector projects. Closer to home in Singapore, the 5G@Sentosa project provides a testbed for promising public sector use cases that could be rolled out on Singapore’s mainland,” Wang said.

Meanwhile, the study showed the growing appeal of private networks as telcos battle credibility gap, with enterprises becoming increasingly receptive to 5G solutions delivered through disruptive business models:

“Private networks are of high quality, secure and seamless. However, private network operators will need to provide a strong cost-benefit case to justify the high investment costs. The commercialisation of 5G private networks will also require governments to play an active role in outlining the key considerations and providing a clear regulatory framework on licensing for private networks,” Wang said.

The study also found that telcos face a significant credibility gap with regards their perception as digital transformation experts, with only 19% of enterprises considering them as such (unchanged from last year’s study findings). Conversely, 30% trust network equipment vendors as favoured digital transformation experts – up from 19% last year.

“Disruptive customer signals suggest that telcos’ traditional relationships with enterprise customers are under pressure and more agile go-to-market strategies are essential in a 5G-IoT world. Telcos should take steps now to help ensure that they can meet enterprise demand for private network deployments,” said Loozen, EY Global Telecommunications Leader.

Europe leads 5G investment, but global confidence stalls

5G leads all other emerging technologies tracked in the study in terms of future spending intentions, with 56% of enterprise respondents planning to invest within three years. Current and future spending intentions for 5G over this period are highest in Europe (up 5% to 76%), in contrast to last year when Europe lagged other regions.

However, the findings caution that investment should not be taken for granted, with intentions falling by 8% year-on-year to 70% in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

This caution is indicative not only of a more defensive approach toward 5G, but of stalling confidence generally, with only 24% of enterprise respondents stating that they are very confident they can successfully implement 5G (down by 1% year-on-year). This is compounded by enterprises’ poor understanding of 5G’s relationship to other emerging technologies, now cited as the biggest internal challenge to 5G perception – up from fifth position in last year’s ranking.

“There are still fundamental anxieties around how 5G works alongside other emerging technologies. 5G providers should take this on board and adapt their customer discussions accordingly. By educating enterprises on how 5G can be harnessed by other emerging technologies, service providers can boost enterprise confidence in their 5G deployments,” said Adrian Baschnonga, EY Global Telecommunications lead analyst.

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“They are specifically designed for use in electricity and water networks, and will be deployed to detect thermal fingerprints in high voltage transmission lines, substations, buildings and solar power stations,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer revealed this last Tuesday a month after the Dubai utility firm launched its first low-orbit satellite called DEWA-SAT 1 to complement the company’s terrestrial IoT communication network

DEWA-SAT 1 is part of  the company’s Space-D programme to improve operations, maintenance, and planning of electricity and water networks by using nanosatellites to support industry 4.0 applications around IoT, AI, blockchain and remote-sensing technologies.

In collaboration with NanoAvionics, DEWA launched the 3U nanosatellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex in Florida, USA. The satellite now maintains a stable orbit at 525 kilometres, travelling some 7.5 kilometres per second and takes about 90 minutes to go around the Earth.

Smart water leak detection device brings AED2.74-M cost savings

Meanwhile, DEWA has been reaping the benefits of its smart initiatives.

For one,  its smart ball  leak detection device, which was inserted into the company’s  water network, has saved the company 68.45 million gallons and AED 2.74 million since its implementation in April 2021.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce water losses, DEWA has recently deployed a smart ball leak detection to discover invisible water leakages in water transmission pipelines that are otherwise hard to see or reach.

“We adopt latest technologies in generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity and water, applying the best global practices in all its projects to raise production and operational efficiency,” said Al Tayer. "It achieved concrete savings in developing the water network to promote its effectiveness and reliability, raise the water flow to meet the comprehensive development needs and the growing demand.”

The smart ball system consists of a small diameter sphere that travels freely, driven by the water flow. Sounds generated by a leak, gas pocket or anomalies have unique characteristics.  The system captures the sounds of these from inside the pipeline with the software then able to detect the location of the leak

"In Dubai we have a comprehensive vision to ensure the sustainability of resources as part of the integrated strategy of managing water resources, with particular focus on enhancing water resources, conserving consumption and using the latest technologies as well as innovative solutions,” said Al Tayer.

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“We are excited and honoured to collaborate with ARTC. This gives us a great opportunity to further develop our automation and processing technologies and capabilities in the areas of advanced manufacturing and remanufacturing,” said Takeshi Oshima, managing director of Mitsubishi Electric Asia.

He added that they are looking forward to sharing their expertise on Mitsubishi’s e-F@ctory solutions in research and development projects with other industry members to improve and reinvent business models.

“This is in line with our mission and purpose to creating values and realising a safer, more sustainable society,” said Oshima.

The e-F@ctory solution is an integrated factory automation solution that offers value added IoT-based services and solutions for manufacturing and process industry sectors to achieve high productivity and quality improvements.

Established in 1977, Mitsubishi Electric Asia is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Group. The company has been offering high-performance products and services ranging from home electronics, industrial and factory automation, space systems, public utility systems and semiconductors to homes, businesses and industries in Asia Pacific.

According to Oshima, the company is expanding its foothold around the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) services by developing integrated solutions for manufacturing companies to accelerate digital transformation and scale up their adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in response to the Singapore’s Smart Industry Readiness Index.

Meanwhile, Dr. David Low, chief executive officer of ARTC, said the participation of Mitsubishi Electric Asia strengthen the ARTC membership ecosystem in co-innovating solutions to solve real industrial problems currently faced Singapore’s manufacturing sector.

“We look forward to working closely with Mitsubishi Electric to build novel solutions for manufacturing and robotic automation, to scale up capability development efforts in the manufacturing domain,” said Low.

ARTC provides a collaborative platform which brings together industry players, public sector research institutes and academia to bridge technological gaps in the adoption of advanced manufacturing and remanufacturing processes, from applied research to industrial applications.

Led by  A*STAR, in partnership with the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, ARTC has more than 90 members, ranging from global multinational corporations (MNCs) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). ARTC focuses on advanced manufacturing and remanufacturing and serves to accelerate the transfer of innovation from applied research to industrial applications.

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In a memorandum of understanding signed recently the three companies will also develop low-carbon electricity, storage and intermittency management solutions

"With climate change a pressing issue impacting ASEAN's sustainable development, we see this strategic partnership with global leaders, such as Keppel Infrastructure and IES, crucial for the regions,” said George Wang, chief technology officer,  Envision Energy, said.

He added: “By combining Envision's systematic net-zero capabilities and the complementary strengths from our partners, this collaboration will make a significant impact to the regions' de-carbonisation and digitalisation transition."

Envision will leverage its expertise in green technology, together with KI's strong track record of developing and operating large-scale sustainable energy infrastructure end-to-end, and IES's renewable energy solutions in the Asia Pacific, to bring innovative, reliable and competitive renewable energy solutions to end-users in ASEAN.

The MOU seeks to support the goal set by ASEAN member nation of achieving 23% of renewable energy in total primary energy supply in 2025.

Working on joint projects

This MOU will see also all three companies leverage IES's exclusive development rights issued by the Government of Lao PDR to increase the capacity of the current 600MW Monsoon Wind Power Project, which IES is developing in the Sekong and Attapeu provinces in Laos, by an additional 1,000MW. Targeted to reach commercial operations by 2025, the iconic Monsoon project will be the largest wind farm in ASEAN. The project, including the expansion, could offset over 90 million tons of carbon dioxide throughout its lifetime.

This collaboration for wind energy projects, including other potential renewables, like solar and biomass, will diversify Laos' main source of renewable energy generation - hydropower, which is mainly generated during wet season. By building and integrating renewable sources with complementary generation profiles, coupled with energy and battery storage system, this collaboration seeks to supply stable and non-intermittent, yet flexible, low-carbon electricity to ASEAN nations evenly throughout the year.

"Riding on the recent signing of the exclusive framework agreement to study the feasibility of cross-border power trade from Laos to Singapore, which is part of the Laos PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP), an inter-government project, we are excited to work with Envision and IES on this collaboration,” said Cindy Lim, CEO of KI.

She added: “ Developing large-scale renewable energy for cross-borders power trade in the region will be a significant step towards promoting greater energy security by diversifying energy supply sources as well as contributing to ASEAN's plan for a low-carbon energy future.

Lim said that aligned with Keppel's Vision 2030, KI is intensifying our involvement in renewables and end-to-end decarbonisation solutions.

“Besides renewable electricity cross-border trading, and renewable energy certificates (RECs) and voluntary carbon credits to be utilised in ASEAN in the near future, KI is also exploring the development of low-carbon energy alternatives like hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS),” said Lim.

Pursuing advanced technology

Meanwhile, the collaboration will also aspire to use state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and internet of things technologies as well as "digital twin" technology - comprising advanced control systems, data analysis, active performance control, and reliability prediction capabilities, to enhance performance and delivery of services.

“The collaboration brings each party's unique and complementary skills together to tackle today's pressing challenges with real world solutions. We are excited to roll up our sleeves to meet the challenges head on,” said Peck Khamkanist, CEO of IES.

The partnership is expected to catalyse regional power interconnectivity between ASEAN countries and cross-border multilateral electricity trading so that countries with rich natural resources and access to renewable energy can offer renewable electricity supply to other countries that need such resources.

This will in turn accelerate ASEAN's low carbon energy transition and net zero carbon future as greater regional cooperation for renewable energy export and import can support more efficient allocation of resources, achieve economies of scale, increase the use of renewable energy, as well as allow nations to reduce their reliance on carbon-based energy.

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“More and more organisations are embracing a digital-first strategy to scale their operations, enhance the experiences of their customers, and unlock the value of technologies like 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML),” said Charles Meyers, president and CEO, Equinix. “Korea and the broader Asia-Pacific market are both enablers and beneficiaries as organisations prioritise digital transformation. To address demand for cloud and digital infrastructure, we have continued to invest in the region through the expansion of International Business Exchange (IBX) capacity and locations, as well as the expansion of our hyperscale program, xScale, in Australia, and now Korea.”

The new joint venture will bring the global xScale data centre portfolio to more than US$8 billion across 36 facilities, and an expected greater than 720 MW of power capacity when completed and fully constructed.

xScale data centers offer access to Equinix's comprehensive suite of interconnection and digital services. These services will tie into the hyperscale companies' existing access points at Equinix, thereby increasing the speed of connectivity to their existing and future enterprise customers.

Equinix entered the Korean market in 2019 with its first IBX, SL1. At the facility, customers can connect their corporate IT infrastructure to global hyperscale providers, including Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Service, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud, via Equinix Fabric, for a high-performance solution and enhanced user experience.

With this xScale expansion, these hyperscale providers can continue to grow at Equinix, in close proximity to an ecosystem of more than 10,000 customers on its growing platform of more than 235 data centers around the world.

The two facilities under the new joint venture, to be named SL2x and SL3x, are expected to provide more than 45 megawatts (MW) of power capacity to serve the unique core workload deployment needs of hyperscale companies, including the world’s largest cloud service providers.

With more hyperscale providers expanding in Korea to support businesses’ digital infrastructure needs, the cloud computing market in the country is expected to flourish. According to IDC Korea, the cloud IT infrastructure market in the country is expected to reach an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% over the next five years, reaching approximately US$1.86 billion (2.2189 trillion won) in sales by 2025. The Global Interconnection Index (GXI Vol. 5), an annual market study recently published by Equinix, also estimates that Seoul will have the most interconnection bandwidth from hyperscale providers within Asia-Pacific by 2024.

To date, seven xScale data centres have opened globally, with more currently under development. The establishment of xScale data centers in Korea will allow hyperscale providers to add core deployments to their existing access point footprints at Equinix, enabling their growth on a single platform that can immediately span 65 global metros and offer direct interconnection to their customers and strategic business partners.

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The two companies will bring together Envision Digital's strengths in digitalisation and AIoT, with Mott MacDonald's infrastructure transformation expertise, to help cities, industrial clusters, transport operators and other customers achieve their net zero goals faster and more effectively.

"To overcome the challenges of decarbonising the global economy, digitally enabling infrastructure is essential to make assets smarter, greener and more efficient. Our common vision and technology capabilities will accelerate city infrastructures needed for the new net zero grid,” said Michael Ding, global executive director of Envision.

Mike Haigh, executive chair of Mott MacDonald, believes their latest partnership is a perfect fit as it enables the company  to collaborate in new areas to create innovative solutions to achieve net zero.

“Envision Digital's capabilities in AIoT and digitalisation aligns with our vision of the role digital twins can play in rising to the challenge set by the statements made at COP26."

Envision Digital and Mott MacDonald are already working together to assist Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council to facilitate the electrical infrastructure to support Nissan and Envision AESC's multi million pound investment in electric vehicle production and a new Gigafactory in Sunderland, UK at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP). 

IAMP is a hub for sustainable high value manufacturing and the project involves creation of one of the largest industrial microgrids in the UK, including proposals for on-site renewables and storage, facilitating the provision of 100% renewable electricity.

As countries, cities and companies declare their net zero target aligned with the Paris Agreement, net zero carbon and infrastructure transformation has become a quintessential part of governments and enterprises' Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) strategy. The strategic partnership between Envision Digital and Mott MacDonald will provide comprehensive sustainability offerings to help drive organisations' net zero infrastructure transformation worldwide.

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Entitled “Smart Cities: Key Technologies, Environmental Impact & Market Forecasts 2022-2026”, the study particularly lauds Shanghai’s Citizen Cloud as a one-stop point for over 1,000 different services for city residents.

Thanks to their rapid deployment of data management platforms, efficient, digitised utility management and public services have become common in many cities across Asia; allowing them to climb Juniper Research’s rankings.

“Many cities have deployed technology and data to help local authorities reduce environmental impact and energy usage,” remarked research co-author Mike Bainbridge. “The top cities in our recent ranking are finding innovative ways to leverage that technology to deliver observable benefits for their citizens as well.”

The ranking of 50 world cities is based on an evaluation of many different aspects of smart cities, covering transportation and infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management and technology, and urban connectivity.

US$70-billion smart city opportunity

Besides the rankings, the study also found that smart city initiatives will generate almost US$70 billion in spend annually by 2026; up from US$35 billion in 2021. Much of this will focus on smart grid initiatives, which will save over 1,000 TWh of electricity in 2026; equivalent to more than 5 years of energy consumption by Greater London at present levels.

Juniper Research pointed out that many areas of smart city development are still in their early stages, particularly outside the leading cities, so initial roll-outs still make up much of the market. This means savings made through smart city technologies will remain high.

“We expect energy savings alone to reach US$96 billion in 2026, making their deployment highly cost-effective in most instances,” Bainbridge.

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“Operational networks are often less secure, unsegmented, and manually managed with fewer capabilities to proactively resolve issues. Rapid growth in industrial IoT demands a new type of network with enterprise-grade security, automation, and performance combined with industrial features to meet compliance and use case requirements. And that is what we are bringing to the table across our entire industrial networking portfolio with our newest industrial switch,” said Vikas Butaney, vice president and general manager, Cisco IoT.

According to a Gartner report published in August 2021, most CIOs have responsibility for OT systems decisions, with 82% saying  their responsibility for OT systems has increased in the last three years, and 89% say it will increase in the next three years.

Indeed, operational connectivity in industrial spaces is growing exponentially as organisations seek to improve efficiencies, employee safety, business agility, and support hybrid work. As the operational world evolves, IT expertise is required to scale and secure the network as operational technology (OT) systems are brought onto the corporate networks.

Bridging the IT-OT Gap

According to Cisco, a new solution is needed to connect and secure the growing number of industrial devices. As IT and OT converge, common tools to scale and secure the network are required.

However, automation, segmentation and other capabilities to resolve network issues – which are de rigueur in the enterprise – are not as pervasive in industrial networks. Without enterprise-grade network infrastructure features, IT/OT resources are increasingly strained, putting deployments at risk.

The new Cisco Catalyst IE9300 switch aims to bridge this gap, integrating enterprise capabilities with industrial protocols in a form factor built for rugged, industrial spaces.

“Our customers are taking on massive challenges like transitioning to cleaner power sources and enhancing electric grid reliability, and the critical nature of these environments demands a network infrastructure with enterprise-grade security, visibility and automation for scale,” said Butaney. “We’re empowering our customers to modernize their large-scale industrial environments and build an agile network, while protecting their assets from cyber threats.”

Already, companies such as  Schneider Electric and World Wide Technology (WWT) – which are advancing  the smart grid to ensure energy availability – expressed optimism about Cisco’s new industrial network switch solution.

“We're delighted to see the Cisco Catalyst IE9300 switch come to market this year as it brings unprecedented performance and fibre scalability to electric grid networks, together with native cybersecurity features,” said Jim Simonelli, CTO, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric. “In combination with the APC by Schneider Electric Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), these technologies will elevate electric grid reliability to a new level.”

Adam Nathan, Utility & Energy Industry Practice Manager at WWT, said:  "To truly modernise the power grid, utilities need to ensure their substations are efficient and resilient. Developed with the robust needs of the industrial world in mind, including adhering to the stringent IEC 61850 networking standards, the new Cisco Catalyst IE9300 switch empowers utilities to accelerate substation modernization with the agile connectivity needed to power a high-demand future."

Next-generation industrial switching architecture

Based on our high-performing UADP ASIC silicon, Cisco touted the Catalyst IE9300 delivers the highest density feature switch on the market. It provides enterprise-grade switching in a ruggedized form factor with advanced visibility, security and edge compute.

The Catalyst IE9300 is based on the Cisco IOS-XE Operating System and managed by Cisco DNA Center. It provides security through the Cisco Identity Services Engine, enabling customers to leverage their IT knowledge and existing investments to modernize and secure their industrial and outdoor networks.

New features include:

• Unrivalled performance at scale: Enhanced network scalability and reliability with features such as the ability to stack up to 8 switches and manage them as one, zero packet loss failure recovery, and high precision time synchronization.
• Unprecedented visibility to assets and applications: Improve efficiencies by identifying connected endpoints for asset inventory, automatically enforcing QoS policies via application traffic recognition, and proactively detecting and resolving issues with network health monitoring.
• Enterprise-to-edge, industry-leading cyber security: Assess and strengthen the security posture of connected industrial assets and enable zero-trust security with the embedded Cisco Cyber Vision sensor and SD-Access fabric edge capability. Catalyst IE9300 is the first switch to enable zero-trust security in operational environments.

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"Both Kinéis and UnaBiz are focused on creating value for the ecosystem", said Henri Bong, co-founder and co-CEO of UnaBiz. "We are excited to work with our new partner in the new space industry as nanosatellites IoT solutions will complement our existing terrestrial offers, including LPWAN and cellular solutions, providing our partners with a truly global connectivity solution."

Satellite connectivity complements terrestrial networks – both cellular and non-cellular. And today, the new space industry is growing at a steady space, with recent studies predicting that the number of satellite IoT subscribing will increase at CAGR annual growth rate of 35.8% to reach 15.7 million units in 2025.

Kinéis forges links between New Space and IoT and connects hundreds of customers with satellite IoT – tapping its expertise in localisation and data collection, to provide low-cost, low-power, direct to satellite IoT connectivity.

Established in 2019, the satellite operator and global connectivity provider inherited 40 years of expertise in the Argos system, founded by CNES (French space agency) and historically operated by CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites).

It has seven operational satellites, with two more announced this year, Kinéis will launch a 25-nanosatellite constellation in 2023 from New Zealand, quadrupling its current network to achieve near real-time connectivity.

"We are very pleased to begin this new partnership with UnaBiz in Asia, after being granted access to the U.S. market,” said Alexandre Tisserant, Kinéis’ CEO. “Together, we can strengthen our market position by offering a complete and reliable IoT solution with global coverage which combines the best of each technology."

To kick off the partnership, both companies will begin the development and commercialisation of a seamless global IoT solution that collects data from Kinéis satellite network and integrates them on UnaBiz’s data platform designed for massive scale asset management.

The solution is initially targeted  for global logistics and transportation industry where consistent and seamless connectivity is essential. Further down the line, it will be aimed at other verticals such as useful for applications in asset tracking, maritime, utilities, agriculture, and construction.

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Each ‘accident’ would equate to downtime for the entire production line which would, in turn, lead to delays in delivering the final product to customers. You can imagine the behind-closed-door meetings trying to figure what happened and how to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The true cost of downtime

Alain Dupuis, VP Industrial Development at UnaBiz acknowledged that nothing is ever simple when it comes to estimating the cost of downtime.

“It varies greatly, from a minor annoyance to catastrophic proportion. What is difficult to evaluate is the rippling effect of one downtime over a whole process. Sometimes a small downtime can have severe consequences down the line,” he elaborated.

Those were the days when rudimentary controls were the prevailing technology, and any automation would be prehistoric by today’s standards.

Persistent downtime

Advances in IoT and industrial automation have evolved to the point that today there is a potential to significantly improve efficiency and safety through predictive maintenance.

However, Dupuis pointed out that very few aspects are currently addressed by technology.

“It is still a long way before we have implemented across it the board. There is a major cost involved to cover all the aspects and despite the best advancements in technology AI cannot do everything so it will never be 100% foolproof,” he added.

Understanding the AI equation

Given all the technology innovations, particularly the injection of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology into the production facility, for example, why do downtimes still exist?

For Dupuis, the most important action item is developing a proper digital model of a business operation through the interaction of all the processes involved.

“Then run AI through this model fed by real-time information from IoT nodes to detect bottlenecks early and balance the load between processes to remove potential showstoppers and streamline the operations. After this, use the AI to work on improving the processes themselves,” he continued.

He cautioned that one of the issues with AI is that it needs examples of failures to define what success is. For example, in predictive maintenance for a water pump, the AI needs to know what are the signals that say that the pump will break.

“Not many businesses will want or can afford to break something just to make their AI work faster and better. So, the implementation of AI in most cases can be a long process before reaching its effectiveness,” he opined.

To AI or not to AI

The quest to modernize a production line is not as simple as introducing new software. Any changes will incur costs such as a planned downtime while the new technology is being introduced to the process and the people that need time to learn to use the technology.

Dupuis highlights the very first challenge – complexity!

This is the paradox of modernization: the more you try to simplify the process, the more sophisticated the technology needs to make it happen.

“For AI to work you need a lot of things to be put into place. AI is kind of the last thing you will add when you have already a strong data collection system only when a massive amount of data is collected over time, can insights be drawn, and Machine Learning and AI come in.

“For this, you need IoT to be implemented at a massive scale. Then, you need it to relate to the enterprise IT system. This requires a lot of dedication and know-how which often companies do not have internally and with little external consultancy available for help,” he added.

Dupuis raised the second thing is cost. “All this complexity requires a heavy investment, in capital and human resources. The third aspect is linked to the second, a lack of confidence regarding the return on investment. AI is still a very new thing, and it is often difficult to measure the potential benefits,” he said matter-of-factly.

Questions to ask

Because everything involves an investment – whether it is time or resources – there should be sufficient understanding about what is involved and how it will impact people, processes and the business.

Dupuis agreed that people need to be honest with themselves in looking at the major pain points that affect running their business. He suggested going about this along with a comprehensive risk analysis.

“What needs to be put forward are those with either high recurring occurrences and/or with potential major destructive effects. Then focus on the top pain point and risk and start with this,” he continued.

He explained that this will limit the expenses and maximize the ROI. Only then to approach this effort using both Agile and Design Thinking methodologies.

“Do not look at it as a one-off effort but as a continuous work where improvements will be made along the way through refinement of the model and with the integration of new services as you will be answering more pain points and risks along the way,” he continued.

According to Dupuis, the question they need to ask themselves is: ‘Are we ready and willing to commit to digital transformation?’

“When it comes to selecting their service providers, they should avoid vendors pushing ready-made "universal" solutions even if they look like good deals at first glance. They want to choose a service provider that is listening to them and offering a tailored service because they know that every business is different. Never forget that this is going to be a very long-term work relationship,” he concluded.

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According to latest analysis by Frost & Sullivan, the growth of IoT adoption in the country is backed by strong connectivity and coverage, rising internet penetration, a surge in smart applications adoption, new business models, and government initiatives such as smart city projects.

"IoT solution deployment for manufacturing industries, including automotive, energy and utilities, smart cities (government), retail, and other industries such as logistics, will drive investments for enterprise IoT products and services," said Apalak Ghosh, associate director, Information & Communications Technologies, Frost & Sullivan. "Enterprises are becoming more technology-focused and increasing investments in cellular IoT to generate value from their digital transformation."

Ghosh added: "Use cases such as industrial automation, building automation, security, and surveillance account for the majority of the market revenue. Telcos may benefit from a share of this revenue, depending on their strategic partnerships with hardware providers and their roles in the IoT value chain."

India offers multiple opportunities for IoT providers, and the country's IoT ecosystem is expected to continue growing to offer entire new streams of revenue. Market participants should focus on:

• Private long-term evolution (P-LTE) for enhanced security: Indian telcos should focus on marketing the benefits of P-LTE to create awareness and approach enterprises with vertical-specific P-LTE solutions.
• Real-time operational intelligence for heightened risk and compliance management: IoT providers must develop hardware and applications that are interoperable and pre-integrated to offer brand-agnostic IoT solutions.
• Visual matrix solutions for improved CX: IoT providers should establish partnerships with visual surveillance system original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to jointly offer in-store, live consumer analytics along with core security solutions.
• IoT as a Service for Smart Diagnostics Laboratories: Starting with open source-based IoT solutions can reduce costs substantially and encourage the adoption of smart laboratories as a service.

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“The lack of affordable wireless coverage is holding back the growth of the IoT from contributing an additional  US$2 trillion to US$3 trillion in value to global GDP over the next decade,” said Alastair Williamson, CEO of Wyld Networks. “Combining two advanced frontier technologies of LoRaWAN and Low Earth Orbiting satellites we can enable 100% global, affordable and low power connectivity to support IoT deployments in multiple markets and segments.”

Don Miller, board member at TrakAssure, is optimistic about the launch of the world’s first LoRaWAN direct-to-satellite with terrestrial dual-mode network compatibility.

“The combined effort will usher in a fresh, cost effective and carrier grade solution opening up new applications in logistics and global asset tracking markets by not only leveraging cost-efficient terrestrial based LoRaWAN solutions, but now expanding capability with ubiquitous global connectivity via satellite which even existing cellular solutions cannot support, especially for emerging markets,” said Miller.

Called the Multimodal IoT Infrastructure Consortium (MMIIC), it will initially focus on formalising and completing all technical tests, pilots, and the commercial delivery of its first-to-market supply chain solutions.

This will be followed by the prioritisation and delivery of additional solutions designed to extend the adoption of LoRaWAN connectivity into markets that can benefit from the combination of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and terrestrial network connectivity.

Key activities being executed in support of the collaboration include:

• Currently being tested, ELO nanosatellites (Eutelsat LEO for Objects) will provide LoRaWAN coverage
• Allowing sensor-enabled devices to transmit data, irrespective of their location
• Addressing gaps in terrestrial network coverage across rural areas, shipping and transportation routes, and other hard to reach areas.

The companies are planning a commercial services launch in the second half of 2022 with pilots beginning in February 2022. The consortium is open to any enterprise, application provider or systems integrator interested in participating in a pilot or learning more about this unique service.

Under the hood: collaboration details

Through platform integrations, innovative sensor and hardware design, collaborative service delivery, and compelling pricing, the four companies are targeting the global supply chain, including container logistics and related asset tracking, as the first and anchor applications. End-to-end managed network services delivered through this collaboration will provide a new level of visibility into supply chain operations. For example:

• Containers arriving at ports are tracked via Senet’s terrestrial network
• Goods transported on cargo trucks are tracked throughout metro areas via Senet’s Network and Extended Coverage services enabled by network partners like Helium
• Rural transportation routes will be connected via the terrestrial network if detected and to the satellite network when no terrestrial network is detected, and an uplink is needed
• Distribution and retail centers will be supported by terrestrial network coverage

TrakAssure and Wyld Networks are collaborating on the design and production of a new sensor-enabled end device to be used for supply chain and asset tracking solutions.

Wyld is designing and producing the hardware module along with unique firmware. Using standard LoRaWAN compliant chips and components will allow for low cost and time to market advantages. Through its partnership with Senet, TrakAssure will be offering terrestrial and satellite LoRaWAN network connectivity for single trip, semi and permanent infrastructure-based supply chain visibility.

In addition to location tracking and presence detection, TrakAssure supports LoRaWAN devices used for temperature monitoring, geofence location alerts, proof of delivery and other supply chain visibility requirements.

Benefits of hybrid LoRaWAN connectivity

According to Luc Perard, senior vice president of IoT Business at Eutelsat, existing LPWA networks, including LoRaWAN, are ideal to connect assets that don’t send much data and need to operate on a low power budget.

However, he pointed out that they rely on terrestrial infrastructure, such as LoRaWAN gateways, which will never cover more than extended urban areas, i.e., less than 15% of the Earth’s surface.

“With its satellite connectivity offering ELO, Eutelsat will enable network operators like Senet to propose transformational, global, hybrid (terrestrial + satellite) LoRaWAN connectivity, over lands and seas, at the same low-price points.

“Because ELO is fully compatible with the LoRaWAN standard, IoT solution providers and device manufacturers like TrakAssure and Wyld can easily, rapidly and inexpensively adapt their existing LoRaWAN products to make them ELO-compatible and benefit from up to 100% Earth coverage,” said Perard.

Meanwhile, Senet will provide terrestrial LoRaWAN network connectivity and offer Eutelsat satellite coverage through its Extended Coverage services. Through unique network and device management capabilities, end IoT devices will connect to Senet terrestrial networks by default and automatically switch to satellite when coverage gaps are recognised.

In partnership with TrakAssure and Wyld Networks, Senet will also complete application integration and device testing with its network server to ensure the delivery of carrier-grade network service and robust device management for TrakAssure’s supply chain visibility solutions.

“IoT will drive economic growth for decades to come, but a comprehensive and cost-effective strategy is needed in order to deliver robust network coverage across a geography as massive as the United States,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Senet.

Chatterley added: “Senet’s terrestrial Network, extended coverage through partners like Helium, innovative LPWAN Virtual Network program, and now satellite creates the first and only true national and global LoRaWAN IoT network, covering any geographic area required. This capacity is especially important to logistics applications and is another example of Senet innovating based on unique market and customer requirements.”

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The solution will help the Sarawak Energy subsidiary improve operational efficiency and consumer engagement, includes Itron’s communications network for 180,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) endpoints as well as Operations Optimizer and UtilityIQ (UIQ) Software-as-a-Service.

As part of the 15-year contract, Sarawak Energy will leverage Itron’s Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) to deploy, monitor and maintain the communications network.

“With our open, standards-based network, Sarawak Energy will be able to easily and efficiently improve customer service, safety and operational efficiency,” said Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes at Itron. “With such a high success rate from our pilot deployment in 2018, we are thrilled to continue the expansion of this project with our long-term customer, Sarawak Energy.”

Itron enables utilities and cities to deliver critical infrastructure solutions safely, securely and reliably to communities in more than 100 countries. Its portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors help customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve.

In 2018, Sarawak Energy collaborated with Itron on a project to deploy and operate Itron’s IIoT network, including a pilot for 6,000 AMI endpoints.

With the successful implementation of the pilot, Sarawak Energy has now progressed to the next phase and awarded Itron with an expanded deployment of 180,000 AMI endpoints. As a NaaS contract, Itron will manage the network and the UIQ headend software suite on Sarawak Energy’s behalf to collect and manage consumption data. Sarawak Energy will also utilize Itron’s Operations Optimizer analytics solution to improve operational efficiency and develop business processes and workflows by leveraging insights from a variety of internal and external data sources.

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The I-6 satellites shows Inmarsat’s ongoing investment in L-band satellite services through 2040 and beyond. They deliver an enhanced platform for those looking to embrace the next wave of world-changing technologies that ELERA enables, including the rapidly growing Industrial Internet of Things (Industrial IoT) satellite connectivity market segment, by providing dramatically increased network capacity and resilience.

These new capabilities from the I-6s mean greater capacity and coverage, greater speeds and a greater portfolio of innovative connectivity solutions for ELERA and Global Xpress (GX) networks. The I-6 satellites, like all Inmarsat ELERA and GX spacecraft, are backward-compatible with existing terminals, ensuring that current and future customers will continue to benefit from new advances.

 “This launch marks Inmarsat’s newest technological leap forward as we maintain our strong commercial momentum and sector leadership. This satellite extends our mobile satellite communications services for our customers and partners, especially in the Indo Pacific region,” said  Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat.

The I-6 F1 is comparable in size to a London double-decker bus, with a deployed solar arrays ‘wingspan’ similar to a Boeing 767 and a 9 metre wide L-band reflector that will be deployed over the coming days. The satellite will then be raised to geostationary orbit (GEO) approximately 36,000km (~22,500 miles) above the Earth via its all-electric propulsion system and then undergo a thorough and extensive testing programme. I-6 F1 will enter service in 2023. Ground stations in Western Australia will support I-6 F1.

The Inmarsat-6s (I-6) are Inmarsat’s first ever hybrid L- and Ka-band satellites, incorporating increased capacity and new technological advances for ELERA’s transformational L-band services alongside additional Global Xpress (GX) high-speed broadband capacity.

Adding to an existing global fleet of 14 geostationary satellites they extend Inmarsat’s commitment to mission critical services while enabling a new generation of pioneering technologies to connect and sustain the world.

The I-6s also substantially increase the effective capacity of the network available to ELERA customers with double the beams, 50% more spectrum per beam and double the power of the I-4s, matching customer demand as and where it is needed. They also add further depth in Inmarsat’s global coverage for even greater assurance to customers of the redundancy and resilience of Inmarsat’s world-leading L-band network.

The GX6 payloads hosted on the I-6s add targeted high capacity to Inmarsat’s high-speed GX network, ensuring it continues to support the growing need of commercial and government customers for data, particularly in congested regions or hotspots where it is needed most

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WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Rise of digital twin marketplaces

Manufacturers need a range of capabilities to deploy digital twins, including Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modelling, connectivity, cloud computing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software platforms, remote monitoring, hardware for shop floor workers (tablets, AR glasses), physics-based simulation, ML, and systems integration.

This is because digital twins are not a technology, but a composition of solutions aimed at bridging the physical and digital worlds, from design through simulation, manufacturing, assembly, and after-sales service and support.

Over the last few years, digital twins have grown from a concept to become mainstream with the help of IIoT dashboards and near-real-time reporting. This level of maturity has been accompanied by new thought constructs, such as the use and implementation of AI at scale, changing requirements like the need for model libraries and standards bodies, and soon, the emergence of digital twin marketplaces that enable Independent Software Vendors (ISVs and other third parties to build relevant tools for the ecosystem.

These tools are essential for continued value creation and the wider democratization and adoption of digital twins. Spending on industrial digital twins will grow from US$4.6 billion in 2022 to US$33.9 billion in 2030 at a 28% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).

Hardware-based robot operating system optimization

Robotics processor vendors will increasingly offer Robot Operating System (ROS)-based solutions for hardware acceleration across the entirety of robotics offerings.

This should help tackle the problem of system integration and entice developers to adopt more off-the-shelf processors and hardware. Furthermore, the hardware-software optimization will provide a set of benchmarks and standards for the field, which is fairly fragmented now, accelerating the time-to-market.

As a total of 45,000 cobots and 452,000 mobile robots are expected to be shipped in 2022, a 65% and 51% Y-o-Y growth, end users are expected to benefit from the tighter integration.

WHAT WILL NOT HAPPEN

5G Will Not Permeate the Production Line

As of July 2021, there were 84 sites with publicly announced private cellular network (4G/5G) deployments. All are at large companies and facilities, with examples including ABB, Airbus, BASF, Daimler AG, Ford, Haier, Konecranes, and Nippon Steel.

While important, current deployments are mostly used as campus networks or in a lab or intermediary production development centre for non-industrial production applications. Standards work by 3GPP and 5G-ACIA continues to advance adoption and use of the technology; however, the device ecosystem and implementation/management functions lag.

There is also a question of relevance: two-thirds of manufacturers employ fewer than 20 people. In its current form, working with and trialling 5G in manufacturing favours large companies/factories with the R&D capital to test and learn.

These larger companies and locations have started to evaluate the cost and benefits of different deployment scenarios (a key progression); however, 5G will not be relied upon for production-critical applications at scale until 2024.

The democratization of robotics expertise

While the emergence of ROS and various robotics startups will offer real advances in the short term, robotics suffers from a significant shortage in expertise. In the long run, this will have an adverse effect on development and commercialization.

Considerable investment in resource- and time-intensive areas requiring experts from different fields is badly needed, but this will not happen anytime soon.

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In addition to eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments, the AI estimates the confidence level of inferences regarding factors such as machining error and then controls the FA equipment based on suitable levels of confidence. The technology is expected to lead to more stable, reliable and productive operations, particularly in agile manufacturing.

“Operating needs change frequently in agile production, so optimum conditions, such as FA equipment motion speeds, revolutions, etc., must be adjusted individually for each type of product,” Mitsubishi Electric in a statement. “Performing such adjustments manually, however, requires labour and time, resulting in decreased productivity. Moreover, declining birth rates and aging populations in many developed countries are resulting in a shortage of skilled workers capable of adjusting FA equipment.”

This is the latest deployment of an AIST AI technology in Mitsubishi Electric’s FA equipment since the two companies  began collaborating on AI development in fiscal 2017.

Moving forward, Mitsubishi Electric expects to increasingly incorporate various forms of its Maisart  AI technology in FA equipment and systems to significantly improve manufacturing productivity.

Key features

• Fast: AI achieves high-speed inferences for dynamic control of FA equipment control

In factories that use FA equipment for agile manufacturing, such as computerized numerical controller (CNC) cutting machines and industrial robots, the movements, operating speeds, acceleration, etc. of the equipment vary during the operating processes. In conventional manufacturing, skilled workers must adjust the operating parameters according to various specifications, such as the required level of accuracy. Mitsubishi Electric has now developed an AI technology that simultaneously performs high-speed inferences and equipment control for real-time FA operation. Incorporating Mitsubishi Electric’s expertise as an FA equipment manufacturer, the new low-load AI control technology performs inferences while simultaneously controlling FA equipment. Although the technology minimises its processing load, it is capable of achieving high-level inference accuracy while simultaneously guiding FA equipment control.

• Adaptable: In-process learning to adapt to constantly changing work factors

The shapes of workpieces change during manufacturing, and this can lengthen manufacturing times or lower processing quality. In addition, changes can vary by workpiece, making it difficult for FA equipment to learn in advance. Mitsubishi Electric’s new technology, however, allows the AI to learn work factors during FA equipment operation and then make real-time adjustments as needed. In addition, the technology formulates physical phenomena, such as friction, and then incorporates these mathematical expressions to enable learning during operation, making it possible to adapt to constantly changing processing factors.

• Reliable: AI performs adjustments according to inference-confidence levels

AI inferences must be reliable to ensure that real-time control of FA equipment leads to stable product quality and efficient processing. Mitsubishi Electric’s new algorithm calculates the confidence level of inferences by learning the machine characteristics of each process and each target device. By using this algorithm to control FA devices, the new AI ensures high reliability.

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“Working together, Siemens and AWS will make it easier for industrial customers to use Siemens’ comprehensive digital twin technology and AWS’s cloud services to deliver new manufacturing insights, automation, and connected services,” said Bill Vass, vice president of engineering at AWS. “Together, we’ll bring new cloud-based digital transformation solutions to market that will help companies of any size address industrial complexity and turn it into competitive advantage”.

Integral to this agreement is driving the adoption of  Siemens’ Xcelerator as a Service – making its portfolio of integrated software, services, and application development platform more accessible, scalable, and flexible. Xcelerator as a Service acts as a catalyst for fast and predictable digital transformation—including by gaining new manufacturing insights, automating processes, and deploying connected services—and offers customisable solutions for any starting point on the digital journey.

Siemens‘ Xcelerator  is already integrated with over 60 AWS services, and with the addition of AWS IoT TwinMaker, customers can apply AWS IoT TwinMaker to develop powerful digital twin solutions that are compatible with Siemens‘ design, simulation and manufacturing software.

“Siemens and AWS are coming together to help companies speed engineering efforts, optimise factory operations, and enhance customer experiences from chip to edge to cloud,“ said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and chief executive officer at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “We’re excited to combine our proven cloud and industrial experience in this expanded partnership and simplify the journey for our mutual customers to become digital enterprises.“

The strategic collaboration agreement between AWS and Siemens will see the companies cooperate to support customers; expand cloud capabilities in Siemens‘ Xcelerator as a Service portfolio; explore opportunities for innovation; and develop and take to market new solutions.

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The partnership will consolidate the expertise and strengths of both companies in clean and sustainable energy solutions to drive urban decarbonisation efforts in the region. Furthermore, the partnership is formed in anticipation of huge market uptake of clean energy solutions in the region in the next five years.

According to latest market research, the global clean energy market  is expected to reach  US$1,977.6 billion by 2030 and the Asia-Pacific region estimated to have the highest share of the market over the next decade with a compounded annual growth rate of 9.6% annually.

Shared vision

With their latest partnership, SP Group and Banpu Next will explore the applications of district cooling systems, cross-border renewable energy certificates (RECs) platform and smart city solutions to support the development of sustainable and smart energy cities in the region.

"Banpu NEXT and SP Group share a similar vision to popularize clean energy and offer tech-driven smart energy solutions for sustainability to enhance business and economic development and contribute to sustainable betterment of people's lives,” said Somruedee Chaimongkol, chief executive officer of Banpu PCL and Banpu NEXT.

Banpu NEXT specialises in providing smart energy solutions in Asia-Pacific. It technology portfolio cuts across smart data analytics, smart energy generation, smart energy storage, smart energy utilisation, and smart circular economy. The company has solar farms in China, Japan, the United States, and Australia; wind farms in Vietnam; energy storage business in Singapore; and smart city development projects in Thailand's Phuket and Chonburi provinces.

Collaborating with  SP Group, the company expects to further explore business opportunities across the region in three key areas: energy management service for district cooling systems, cross-border renewable energy certificates platform, and smart city development.

“These three areas of collaboration are aimed at achieving more efficient management of clean energy across system design and development to bring even better results in energy efficiency to customers of both partners. The customers can therefore expect lower energy costs, higher profits, and better economy of scale. By combining the expertise of Banpu NEXT in clean energy solution and digital platform designs with region-wide business network of SP Group, we will add new strengths to the businesses of both partners,” said Chaimongkol.

Combined strengths

Combined with Banpu NEXT's large, diversified portfolio of sustainable energy businesses and ground-breaking projects in renewable energy, energy storage systems, energy management system, smart energy solutions, and smart cities and campuses, the strategic partnership will strengthen both companies' clean energy ambitions. This includes an enhanced business ecosystem, new competitive advantages, expanded business network and more extensive regional portfolios, to meet the clean energy demands of the future.

"We are pleased to partner Banpu NEXT to support the clean energy ambitions of Thailand and the Asia Pacific region. Our combined expertise in developing and implementing smart and clean energy solutions will offer cities and districts more low-carbon, high-efficiency solutions to support their sustainable growth. Contributing to the region's clean energy transition is also integral to our vision of empowering the future of energy and building a sustainable future for all,” said Stanley Huang, group chief executive officer of SP Group.

SP Group designed, built, and operates the world's largest underground district cooling network in the Marina Bay district, Singapore which has been in operation since 2006, powering buildings in the district with an energy efficient air-conditioning solution to save energy and cost.

SP's district cooling expertise and technology have since been adopted for Raffles City Chongqing in China – an iconic integrated development comprising a shopping mall, a hotel, office towers and residences. SP also launched one of the world's first blockchain powered RECs platform to help customers achieve their sustainability goals by ensuring that the electricity they consume comes from renewable sources.

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Called  AWS IoT TwinMaker and AWS IoT FleetWise, the two new services were announced at the ongoing  AWS re: Invent event in Las Vegas.

AWS IoT TwinMaker is available in preview in US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), Asia Pacific (Singapore), and Europe (Ireland) with availability in additional AWS Regions coming soon. Likewise,  AWS IoT FleetWise with standard vehicle data collection is now available in preview  in US East (N. Virginia) and Europe (Frankfurt), with availability in additional AWS Regions coming soon.

There are no up-front commitments or fees to use AWS IoT TwinMaker and AWS IoT FleetWise.  Customers only pay for the AWS services used.

Building digital twins faster

Digital twins are virtual representations of physical systems that are regularly updated with real-world data to mimic the structure, state, and behaviour of the objects they represent.

Industrial companies collect and process vast troves of data about their equipment and facilities from sources like equipment sensors, video cameras, and business applications (e.g. enterprise resource planning systems or project management systems). They want to combine these data sources to create a virtual representation of their physical systems (called a digital twin) to help them simulate and optimise operational performance.

But building and managing digital twins is hard even for the most technically advanced organisations. To build digital twins, companies must manually connect different types of data from diverse sources (e.g. time-series sensor data from equipment, video feeds from cameras, maintenance records from business applications, etc.). Then, they have to create a knowledge graph that provides common access to all the connected data and maps the relationships between the data sources to the physical environment.

To complete the digital twin, a 3D virtual representation of physical systems (e.g. buildings, factories, equipment, production lines, etc.)  have to be built and overlay the real-world data on to the 3D visualisation. Once there is a virtual representation of the real-world systems with real-time data, companies can build applications for plant operators and maintenance engineers that can leverage machine learning and analytics to extract business insights about the real-time operational performance of their physical systems. Because of the work required, the vast majority of organisations are unable to use digital twins to improve their operations.

“With today’s launch of AWS IoT TwinMaker, more customers can now have a holistic view of their industrial equipment, facilities, and processes to monitor and optimize all of their operations in real time,” said Michael MacKenzie, general manager, AWS IoT.

With AWS IoT TwinMaker, developers can quickly get started building digital twins of devices, equipment, and processes by connecting AWS IoT TwinMaker to data sources like equipment sensors, video feeds, and business applications.

AWS IoT TwinMaker contains built-in connectors for AWS IoT SiteWise, Amazon Kinesis Video Streams, and Amazon S3 (or customers can add their own connectors for data sources like Amazon Timestream or Snowflake) to make it easy to gather data from a variety of sources.

The new IoT service automatically creates a knowledge graph that combines and understands the relationships of the connected data sources, so it can update the digital twin with real-time information from the system being modelled. Customers can import existing 3D models (e.g. CAD and BIM files, point cloud scans, etc.), directly into AWS IoT TwinMaker to easily create 3D visualizations of the physical systems (e.g. buildings, factories, equipment, production lines, etc.) and overlay the data from the knowledge graph on to the 3D visualizations to create the digital twin.

Once the digital twin has been created, developers can use an AWS IoT TwinMaker plugin for Amazon Managed Grafana to create a web-based application that displays the digital twin on the devices plant operators and maintenance engineers use to monitor and inspect facilities and industrial systems.

For example, developers can create a virtual representation of a metals processing plant by associating data from the plant’s equipment sensors with real-time video of the various machines in operation and the maintenance history of those machines. Developers can then set up rules to alert plant operators when anomalies in the plant’s furnace are detected (e.g. temperature threshold has been breached) and display those anomalies on a 3D representation of the plant with real-time video from the furnaces, which can help operators make quick decisions on predictive maintenance before a furnace fails. With AWS IoT TwinMaker, many more customers can use digital twins to build applications that simulate their real-world systems to improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime.

Mackenzie said AWS IoT TwinMaker includes the built-in capabilities most customers need for their digital twins, such as connecting to data across disparate sources, modelling physical environments, and visualisation of data with spatial context.

“Customers are excited about the opportunity to use digital twins to improve their operations and processes, but the work involved in creating a digital twin and custom applications for different use cases is complicated, expensive, and prohibitive for most,” he added.

Already, several AWS customers are such as Carrier Global, Siemens and Accenture are  currently the digital twin service.

Customised collection of vehicle data

Car manufacturers have been collecting data from standard vehicle sensors for over a decade to evaluate operational and safety indicators like engine temperature and vehicle stability. However, automakers today are building cars with new classes of advanced sensors like radar and cameras that improve vehicle safety but also generate exponentially increasing amounts of data.

They want to collect, standardise, and transfer this data to the cloud more cost-effectively, so they can use it to generate insights that help improve vehicle quality, safety, and autonomy. However, the ever-increasing variety of vehicle makes, models, and options that generate data in different proprietary formats creates a complex array of data across the vehicles on the road.

Collecting and transforming all of this vehicle data so that it can be analysed in the cloud requires automakers to build custom data collection systems that standardize the data across the wide variety of data formats, which is difficult and time-consuming. Instead, automakers want to select the data to collect and transfer to the cloud in near-real time based on their specific use case, but this type of intelligent data filtering doesn’t exist today. As a result, automakers are unable to put data to work to help solve common problems like diagnosing issues with individual vehicle performance, spotting fleet-wide issues before they become a growing problem, and using the data to improve vehicle performance and autonomy.

With AWS IoT FleetWise, automakers can easily collect and organize data in any format present in their vehicles (regardless of make, model, or options) and standardize the data format for easy data analysis in the cloud. AWS IoT FleetWise helps automakers efficiently transfer data to the cloud in near-real time using the service’s intelligent filtering capabilities that allow developers to reduce network traffic by selecting the data to transfer and defining rules for when to transfer it based on parameters like weather conditions, location, or vehicle type. Once the data is in the cloud, automakers can use it for applications that remotely diagnose issues in individual vehicles, analyze vehicle fleet health to help prevent potential recalls or safety issues, or improve advanced technologies like autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems with analytics and machine learning.

“While automakers have collected, stored, and analyzed vehicle data for years, they are not equipped to manage the explosion of data generated by advanced vehicle safety and autonomous driving systems, nor have they had access to the near-real-time data needed to help proactively address vehicle problems,” said Mike Tzamaloukas, general manager of IoT Automotive at AWS. “With AWS IoT FleetWise, automakers can now efficiently collect this data, transform it, and gain deep, actionable insights on the condition and usage of vehicles on the road. Automakers can now use the power of AWS to help maintain millions of vehicles, increase vehicle safety, and improve customer service.”

AWS IoT FleetWise provides automakers a managed service that makes it easier and more cost-effective to collect and transfer data from millions of vehicles to the cloud in near-real time. AWS IoT FleetWise can access the unique data format of a vehicle and then structure and standardise the data so automakers don’t have to develop custom data collection systems.

Automakers start in the AWS Management Console by defining and modeling vehicle attributes (e.g. a two-door coupe) and the sensors associated with the car’s make, model, and options (e.g. engine temperature, front-impact warning, parking assist system, etc.) for individual vehicle types or multiple vehicle types across their entire fleet.

After vehicle modeling, automakers install the AWS IoT FleetWise application on the vehicle gateway (an in-vehicle communications hub that monitors and collects data), so it can read, decode, and transmit information to and from AWS. With AWS IoT FleetWise’s intelligent filtering controls, automakers can select the exact data they need for their use cases and help reduce costs by limiting the amount of data transferred to the cloud by creating conditional rules to filter the data they want to collect and analyze (e.g. sensor data from hard-braking events associated with a vehicle make and model).

Once data is transferred to the cloud with AWS IoT FleetWise, automakers can use AWS’s breadth and depth of services to extract value from vehicle data. For example, automakers can use intelligent filtering to collect camera data from vehicles traveling on newly built highways when an autonomous driving system identifies text in road signage with less than 90% confidence. When that data is sent to the cloud, automakers can label the data for accuracy to improve the machine learning models powering autonomous driving systems. Or, automakers can use intelligent filtering to collect data from electric vehicle batteries when the temperature drops below freezing and then analyze it and run simulations in the cloud to improve battery performance in cold weather.

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Saudi Arabia unveiled plans for the world’s largest floating city this week, as it enters the new phase of the US$500-billion Neom city-state project that covers 10,000 square miles of country's Tabuk province, near its borders with Jordan and Egypt. Neom – a combination of the Greek word neos, or “new”, and mustaqbal, Arabic for “future” – is a flagship project of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Located at the southwest corner of Neom, Oxagon is envisioned to be an industrial district where the city-state’s integrated port and logistics hub will be located. It lies in close proximity to the Suez Canal where approximately 13% of global trade passes through.

“Oxagon will be the catalyst for economic growth and diversity in Neom and the Kingdom. I am pleased to see that business and development have started on the ground and we look forward to the city's rapid expansion,” Prince Salman said.

He added that Oxagon will redefine the world's approach to industrial development in the future, which will have the protection of the environment at its core. It will represent a radical new model for future manufacturing centres.

Nadhmi As-Nasr, CEO of Neom agrees that Oxagon will signal a fundamental shift of how the world views manufacturing centres.

“What encourages us is to see the enthusiasm of a number of our partners who have shown eagerness to start their projects in Oxagon These pioneers of change will establish factories, developed with the latest technologies in artificial intelligence, to achieve a significant leap for this era into the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Al Nasr.

World’s first fully automated port and integrated logistic hub

Oxagon is being touted as the world first fully automated port and integrated logistics hub that will make use of robots and AI.

The adoption of advanced technologies  of  IoT, human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence and robotics will be coupled to a network of fully automated distribution centres and autonomous last-mile delivery assets to drive Neom’s ambitions of creating a seamless integrated, intelligent and efficient supply chain.

Furthermore, the port, logistics and rail delivery facility will be unified, providing world-class productivity levels with net-zero carbon emissions, setting global benchmarks in the adoption of technology and environmental sustainability.

The agile and integrated physical and digital supply chain and logistics system will allow for real-time planning, resulting in secure on-time delivery, efficiency and cost-effectiveness for industry partners.

Speaking to Arabian Business, Al-Nasr gave a definitive timeline for Oxagon’s construction: “We expect the onshore development at Oxagon to be completed by 2030. The beginning of the offshore development will be very much underway by that point as well.

“The containerisation of our port is likely to begin in 2022 when we will also be building our advanced integrated port logistics facilities. We aim to have our logistics solutions facilities in place by 2025 as we continue to progress and deploy new technologies such as state-of-the-art high-speed rail and aerial taxis.”

The city’s first residents are expected to move in at the end of 2023,

A net-zero city powered by 100% renewable energy

Oxagon’s octagonal shape is designed to minimise impact to the environment while providing optimal land use. It will be a net-zero city with all industries within its fold to be powered  by renewable energy.

The city has identified seven key sectors for industrial development: sustainable energy; autonomous mobility; water innovation; sustainable food production; health and well-being; modern construction; technology and digital manufacturing,

Oxagon aims to be a showcase of how manufacturing can co-exist with nature and respect the environment, especially the delicate ecosystem of coastal areas.

“We will demonstrate how industry and logistics, powered by 100% clean energy, can redefine manufacturing processes with advanced technology, innovation and the clean use of land and sea areas. What we are doing here in Oxagon is a testament that exceptional liveability and industrial advancement are not mutually exclusive,” Al-Nasr told Arabian Business.

Oxagon expects to welcome its first manufacturing tenants at the beginning of 2022.

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MICSS, together with ecosystem partners including Carbonless, Interseed, Avanade, EcoLabs, FINLAB by UOB, and NCS, will work with participants to develop enterprise solutions around Energy Reset, Green Economy, City in Nature, Resilient Future, and Sustainable Living.

The challenge is open to all  early to mid-stage eco-tech startups with a software-based solution that addresses environmental or social challenges. The call for participation is open until December 5.

"As a trusted ally to Singapore, Microsoft continues to foster robust partnerships that empower our start-ups and communities to create sustainable digital innovation across the Microsoft Cloud with data and AI,” said Tarun Shiroley, partnership development manager (ISV), Microsoft Singapore.

Through the Singapore GreenTech Challenge, Microsoft aims to encourage collaboration and co-innovation between emerging eco-tech solution providers and like-minded corporates. The challenge will also bolster Singapore's position as a regional testbed for innovation, as its community creates relevant, scalable, and deployable business solutions that target the country's most pressing sustainability challenges.

During the challenge, companies will be matched with renowned experts from Carbonless and Interseed, who will offer personalised coaching and mentorship to help companies develop their solutions. This includes complimentary access to technology and support under the Microsoft for Startups program, with grants of up to S$150,000 in Azure credits, as well as development and collaborative tools such as GitHub and Microsoft Teams.

“By focusing on operationalising real-world solutions for the Singapore Green Plan together with our community, we continue to build collaboration and co-innovation across the ecosystem as we contribute to a resilient, digitally-inclusive Singapore," Shiroley said.

In the lead-up to the finals, 15 to 25 companies will be shortlisted to present their solutions to a judging panel of industry experts, which will consist of ecosystem partners and leaders in the sustainability space. This will allow finalists to connect and engage with potential clients, receive expert advice, and gain exposure to resources and opportunities, all of which will help to accelerate their business growth. Microsoft will also work closely with these start-ups to bring their solutions to life on Azure.

The winner will take home S$350,000 worth of benefits and will be able to tap the rich knowledge and expertise of Microsoft's network of partners to grow and scale their sustainability solutions, powered by the Microsoft Cloud.

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“To have sustainable traction in intelligent and innovative technologies development, we need an integrated ecosystem approach and strong partnership with stakeholders in various sectors and industries,” said Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI. “Our  continuing collaboration with CITIC Telecom CPC will lead to a meaningful exchange of innovative R&D, technologies, knowledge, and insights, which will ultimately increase operational efficiencies of the industries, uplift user experience, and create value to the community.”

“We are enthusiastic about advancing AI-AR technologies with ASTRI and leveraging collaborations and sound technological exchanges to pursue innovative and practical applications,” said Esmond Li, CEO, CITIC Telecom CPC.

The two organisations started their partnership in developing integrated AI and AR (augmented reality) solutions in June 2019, which led to launch of an AR Remote Hand Solution in September the following year.

Boosting field service productivity by up to 50%, the enhanced AR-based vision allowed field engineers to access vital information at data centres and enabled seamless collaboration between frontline and back-end teams to complete maintenance tasks. The solution also demonstrated how companies could facilitate remote work strategies during the pandemic using AR technologies.

Taking AR glasses to new heights

In Phase 2, ASTRI and CITIC Telecom CPC will be working to build innovative new features into the heads-up display of AR glasses.

ASTRI will provide the software platform and customisation, while CITIC Telecom CPC’s team will build an innovative Machine Learning (ML) model in order to integrate virtual, big data, AI, and physical data into the AR device.

The key features include:

• Data Visualisation – Computer vision techniques and machine-learning algorithms enhanced data integration will provide the remote workforce with 2D and 3D diagrams for better data visualisation. Users can use AR glasses to detect, identify, locate, and track objects positioning and project holograms of technical manuals, analytical figures, or even instructions onto the heads-up display to analyse trends or issues for quicker response.
• Cognitive Object Recognition – The AI-AR integrated service will use Cognitive Object Recognition System (CORS), which runs using CITIC Telecom CPC’s algorithm and solution to improve object mapping accuracy. Using AR glasses, users can easily define the correlation between different objects. The AR glasses can further improve workplace safety by projecting the physical (path) and logical relations onto the reality in the form of digital maps, 3D models and virtual information.
• Middleware Enhancement – Both organisations will develop middleware for AR glasses, empowering customers to work with different AR headsets such as HoloLens and Android-based headsets.

The two organisations expect the AR glasses with enhanced AI/AR capabilities will bring more business values in a range of industrial applications, such as:

• AI-AR Remote Hands for Seamless Collaboration From a Distance
• Streamlining maintenance and inspection for Utilities – The AI-AR integrated service will provide field workers with better computer vision capabilities. Field users can access manuals and analysed data or graphs for maintenance using the AR glasses while receiving immediate alerts of any wrong steps. The 5G-enabled cloud connectivity can enable supervisors to guide field users during installation and maintenance verbally.  
• Computer Vision and Cognitive Analytics Solutions for Better Decision Making
• Business Operations planning (e.g., Supply Chain Management) – The integrated service can provide workers with extra information during operations. The frontline staff can use data visualizations and object mapping to identify goods quickly and accurately for loading and unloading.
• Predictive Customer Experience for Maximising Customer Value
• Enhancing customer services experience in all industries – AI and AR allow companies to use predictive and prescriptive data to understand what customers want before they know themselves, delivering exceptional customer experiences.

“We are confident that this collaboration will result in a win-win outcome by creating viable commercial applications that benefit different industries,” said Yip.

Daniel Kwong, CIIO of CITIC Telecom CPC said: “We believe that our strong partnership with ASTRI, together with the development of new technologies, such as AI, AR, blockchain, 5G, IoT and cloud, will ensure that we will continue to find innovative and intelligent ways of helping enterprises to reap the benefits of digital transformation.”

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In a joint task force, the two organisations have specified a standard use of the Open Metering System (OMS) metering language over LoRaWAN. The new specification reduces the complexity and cost of integration for utilities, which in turn increases their return on investment (ROI). A joint demo of OMS over LoRaWAN will be shown at Enlit, taking place Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2021, in Milan.

“Standardisation is absolutely essential to achieving massive scale for the IoT,” said Donna Moore, CEO and chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance. “Given the large scale of their deployments, gas, water and electric utilities will achieve improved business value from implementing standards-backed technologies like LoRaWAN and OMS due to the interoperability and ease of deployment provided. LoRaWAN is already proven for networking smart utility applications, from metering, to leak detection, automated shut-off, and more. Using LoRaWAN with OMS is a game-changer for the European utility market that makes deployments simpler and more cost-effective, while ensuring the interoperability of legacy meters, to maximize ROI.”

The OMS specification is an open, multi-vendor, interoperable communication standard for electricity, gas, thermal energy, and water meters, as well as submetering. OMS is based on the EN 13757-x standard,  and it has been included into the EU mandate M/441 for the standardization of smart metering systems, and is compatible with the widely-used KNX standard (ISO / IEC 14543-3 = EN 50090).

Because of its special focus on low energy consumption, OMS-specifications are extremely fit for battery powered devices, like smart gas, water and thermal energy-meters as well as sensors. In addition, it is very well usable for powered systems and electricity metering.

“Utilities have long relied on the Open Metering System Specification to integrate all media––gas, heat and water, including submetering––into one system,” said Andreas Bolder, speaker of the board of OMS-Group. “Combining the benefits of the OMS language with those of LoRaWAN networking offers further standardisation of smart metering applications, increasing utilities’ readiness for IoT.”

The new joint LoRa Alliance and OMS specification enables a standard M-Bus transport over LoRaWAN, and a joint proof of concept (PoC) has validated the interoperability on all levels, from data platform down to different OMS end devices connected via the same or different LoRaWAN networks.

At Enlit, a joint demo of the OMS over LoRaWAN PoC will be featured in the LoRa Alliance and OMS-Group’s respective stands. The specification and PoC were developed jointly by members of both organizations. The specification and PoC were developed jointly by members of both organisations, and includes representation from Birdz, Diehl Metering, Elvaco, Kamstrup, Mainlink, Minol-ZENNER-Group, and Semtech.

Birdz, the IoT subsidiary of Veolia Environment Group, has been a sponsor and primary contributor to the liaison’s effort. Its CEO Xavier Mathieu stated, "This liaison and the OMS over LoRaWAN technical solution are a major achievement to bring highly efficient, standard and interoperable smart metering solutions to utilities and municipalities."

Using OMS over LoRaWAN for standard OMS applications allows utility companies that already use OMS to benefit from LoRaWAN’s advantages, including low power consumption, long range and deep indoor penetration–ideal for meters that are often underground, or in concrete or other hard-to-reach areas–and firmware updates over the air (FUOTA). The new specification also ensures interoperability with legacy OMS-based systems, frees utilities from the costly burden of deploying and maintaining radio network infrastructure by using existing LoRaWAN third-party networks. Together, this extends the systems’ useful life to achieve significant cost savings.

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According to ABI Research, the total installed based of LiDAR sensors in smart cities, security, and industry verticals will reach 16 million by 2030, higher than the 13 million LiDAR sensors to be installed in vehicles during the same time period.

This coincides with technological innovation, such as the shift from mechanical to solid-state LiDAR sensors and the maturity of 3D perception software that enable the integration into and the automation of a growing number of important processes and applications.

“This extends the opportunity for LiDAR manufacturers to not only serve highly competitive, concentrated, and price-sensitive markets like automotive, but also several large IoT markets, such as security, smart cities, and industrial automation, characterized by a larger and more diversified end-customer base,” said Dominique Bonte, vice president for End Markets and Verticals, ABI Research.

In a recent whitepaper entitled “Demystifying LiDAR: IoT and Automotive Applications, Industries, and Business Models”, the technology intelligence firm explores how the unique features and benefits of LiDAR technology will drive innovation and value across industry segments.

While the driverless vehicle market remains the largest opportunity for LiDAR sensor technologies in the longer term, there is a more imminent business proposition in various IoT markets.

“With the autonomous car market now not expected to take off until well into the second half of this decade, LiDAR suppliers are actively exploring many new use cases across various non-automotive verticals such as smart cities, security, and industrial automation,” Bonte said.

He added: “These markets are primed to leverage LiDAR’s inherent advantages of robustness in outdoor environments, reliability, range, and 3D resolution compared with other sensors such as camera, radar, and infrared sensors. Also, these IoT markets have less concentrated ecosystems representing both much larger addressable markets in terms of the number of potential buyers and more promising profit margins compared with automotive.”

Moreover, the IoT markets will reach mass-market maturity faster than automotive, yielding significant business value before the middle of this decade.

LiDAR use cases

Bonte predicts that LiDAR technology  and its supplier ecosystem will continue to evolve in two important respects.

“First, the shift from mechanical to solid-state LiDAR sensor technology will drive lower price levels, ultimately dropping below US$500, higher manufacturing scalability, and lower maintenance levels due to reduced tear and wear. Second, the LiDAR supplier ecosystem, currently consisting of more than 100 players, will mature and consolidate to between 10 and 20 key players by 2030,” he said.

Specific aspects of the use of LiDAR in the various markets are highlighted below:

• Smart Cities – While the use of LiDAR for vehicle traffic and pedestrian safety monitoring is already quite well established in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) market, new opportunities include people counting, flow monitoring, and management at airports and retail locations as well as building occupancy detection. Value propositions include protection against Covid-19, higher safety levels, increased efficiency and cost savings, improved user experiences, and the collection of marketing intelligence data.
• Security – LiDAR sensors can be deployed in security contexts for a wide range of applications and use cases, including outdoor/indoor surveillance and public safety, border control, intruder detection, access control, and perimeter defence. Critical infrastructure represents the largest security market for LiDAR with data centres, energy generation and distribution, water and utilities, nuclear facilities, and oil and gas as the main segments. Other security categories include commercial buildings, warehouses, and border control. In many environments, LiDAR will coexist with biometrics sensors to offer a full range of security features stretching from early, long-range detection to facial recognition.
• Industrial – LiDAR is currently adopted by automated material handling solutions in the industrial sector, including automated forklifts, pallet stackers, towers, and tuggers. These automated solutions help to resolve labour shortages and provide the necessary productivity gain. For effective operation, these automated solutions rely on 2D LiDAR for critical functions, including operational safety, localization, and navigation. As autonomous robots are increasingly deployed in dynamic and outdoor environments, 3D LiDAR is expected to play an important role in sensor fusion, mapping, and path planning in field environments, like mines, industrial plants, ports, and farmland.
• Automotive – LiDAR has a well-established use case in the automotive industry, providing extra redundancy in the perception stack for unsupervised autonomous applications. As a ranging sensor able to deliver helpful semantic insight, LiDAR is ideally positioned to add the vital “third opinion” to the current camera-radar mix once the human driver has been taken out of the loop. However, these unsupervised autonomous applications will take years to materialize at scale, limiting the market potential for automotive LiDAR for the next five years.

The post Non-automotive LiDAR adoption to reach 16M by 2030 appeared first on FutureIoT.

“You need to integrate data from different sources into one holistic data platform. You also need an open and agnostic data pipeline that forwards your data from the devices to your platform,” said Philipp Redlinger, IoT architect at German-based System Vertrieb Alexander (SVA). “The pipeline needs to be able to integrate data from various sources in different formats. So, it has to be agnostic pipeline that you can expand for other protocols as well. And the platform has to be open on both sides in terms of ingestion as well as output. It must be capable of sharing data and insights with end-users via desktops and mobile clients. And, of course, it needs to be able to connect to other systems via a clearly structured API.”

“In order to enable interoperability and data-driven applications and end-to-end scenarios, such data pipeline in combination with an open platform is crucial,” he stressed.

Redlinger and his SVA colleague, IoT engineer Patrick Nieto Castro, were co-presenters during the  “From Sensor To Cloud” session at last week’s .conf21 event organised by Splunk.

Redlinger added that the data pipeline of the IoT architecture should not only serve as “a simple data funnel that simply ingest all data” that cross its path.

“It should be capable of performing data processing such as transforming and filtering your data in order to increase the quality of your data at an early stage. And by turning raw data to refine data that is optimally prepared for your analytical applications, you will enable them to provide high-value insights for your business cases.”

Consequences of the silo issue

Gartner estimates that there will be 25 billion connected devices by the end of the year. And companies that have long ago deployed devices in various areas of their operations are now connecting them into an IIoT network with the hope mining the data in these devices to gain business insights to deliver new digital services.

According to Redlinger, isolated systems  and fragmented solutions that now exist within organisations create a silo problem that prevent them from getting the total picture ,

“Due to these fragmented solutions, there are a lot of inefficiencies, and the systems vendor ultimately decides what happens to your data. You do not have sovereignty over your data.   Because of this, it is very difficult to correlate data from sources and you cannot perform root cause analysis of multiple workstations, and you are missing the global perspective.”

The challenge of collecting IoT data for analysis has real consequences in terms of inefficiencies, outages and wastage, Redlinger pointed out.

“They are not just theoretical problems of missed opportunities due to the sophisticated use cases that you cannot implement. And there are also real money that is being lost basically every minute in countless ways.”

Citing a recent survey, he noted that people lost 30 minutes to two hours per working shift looking for the right data. On the positive side, a utility company in the US was able to cut the amount of outage minutes by 43.5% and reduce the cost by US$40 million a year after it dissolved legacy information silos and consolidate them in one holistic information platform.

Some ground rules before building an IoT architecture

Redlinger urged companies be realistic about technology, pointing out that architectures oftentimes are being built just for the sake of fancy technologies.

“Try to avoid this. Keep your strategies and business cases constantly aligned to your architecture,” he said. “Start with an MVP approach – start with minimum viable products. Keep it flexible and expandable so you can build on that later on.”

He also advised  companies to accept that their requirements will change as the project progresses.

“Even if you try to get a perfect information upfront, your requirements will change by an estimated 1% per month. That is a rule of thumb. So even if you would know everything at the beginning, after one month of doing the project, your requirements would have already been different, so you need to constantly readjust.”

He stressed that there is no silver bullet, so build on open standards and consider hybrid scenarios. “And keep single parts of your pipeline exchangeable so you can make adjustments later on.”

Needless to say, do not compromise on security, Redlinger said.

“There are many strong mechanisms nowadays such as network segmentation, strong authentication mechanism, encryption and analytics-driven security – which is a strong one at Splunk.”

Connecting to the cloud

According to Redlinger, the quick start  scenario for designing an IoT data pipeline is a direct integration with Splunk Cloud. And these can be done in several ways as shown below:

He enumerated the different components and protocols that are the building blocks: LP-WAN for connectivity when Wi-Fi and LTE is not an option; an edge hardware, which is typically an IoT gateway, but can be anything up to scalable edge-as-a-service platforms; and various legacy and proprietary machine protocols that need to be translated by middleware, which runs on edge Hardware or in the cloud or data centre.

He also listed the new protocols for the open IoT architecture.

“The OPC UA is the silver lining in the horizon because it is the first widely accepted open standard for machine interoperability, supported by most modern industrial equipment and software. So, keep your architecture somewhat compatible OPC UA as possible.

“And at the backend, we have the MQTT protocol, which is the open & lightweight Pub/Sub-Messaging Protocol. It is very useful in scenarios where there are a high number of connected devices or uneven network coverage – i.e., connected cars.

“And then we have the Apache Kafka, which is a fully blown distributed streaming platform. And that is very helpful if you need a central data hub for various applications and backend systems, and if you want to perform heavy workloads on your streaming data.”

Meanwhile, SVA IoT engineer Patrick Nieto Castro, the first step in building the IoT data pipeline is connecting all the actual devices.

“You have to select appropriate sensors for the measurement of your physical data of interest. And already think to exhaust any possibility of edge computing,” he said.

Castro advise that companies should ensure that they clean their data and prepare their data as early as possible before sending them any further.

“Believe me, any data scientist you are possibly working with will surely be thankful if filter out any nulled values, any non-numeric values or any crappy data before handing it to them.”

Castro shared a real-life use case where SVA worked to create the IoT data pipeline for a company that runs electric vehicle charging stations in Germany.

“For the final architecture, I will try to put some name in the architectural building blocks. We use gateways of Insys Microelectronics, one of our partners for connectivity and edge computing, at each production site. The HiveMQ, enterprise MQTT broker as a reliable and scalable data turntable. Also, my colleagues and I developed our very own extension for sending telemetry data from HiveMQ MQTT broker to Splunk Cloud where the sensor data is connected and analysed.”

Onsite at each EV charging station, Castro gave a glimpse of what it takes to physically build the IoT data pipeline.

“We have to convert current and voltage to https. First, we connect our power consumer to a power relay, which is done via an electric wiring. This is an interesting step because of the high voltage. Next, we connect the power relay to a power meter, the sensor that effectively converts  current and voltage into measurement. You all know this type of device because it is used to collect the electricity bill at your home by your local electricity supplier.

“And now we connect the power meter to an energy gateway by one of our partners.  Insys Microelectronics is one of the market leaders in the energy supply markets. They make it possible to encode the data of power meters as serial signals. And we connect the central gateway to HiveMQ, an enterprise MQTT broker that converts digital signals into telemetry encrypted data.  The central gateway has an internet connection and sends the telemetry data via MQTT using our very own extension to send telemetry data into Splunk Cloud.”

Benefits of the holistic approach to data and analytics

Redlinger said that once a company’s IIoT use case has matured enough and  having a good idea of their  analytical algorithms, then you can start deploying simplified versions of them right away on their edge devices.

“You have some kind of limited compute power that might be enough to run the simpler algorithms and then you can start generating insights right from the beginning where the data is generated.  And you can have a very tight feedback loop. So, if one of your algorithms detect an error in your production system, it can halt the production and notify a shop floor operations person in order to fix the error. You have a very fast reaction time with this, and you can also use a lot of pre-processing at the edge that way,” Redlinger said.

Redlinger explained why Splunk is an ideal choice for building an IoT data pipeline: “Splunk has very strong self-service analytics capabilities. It is easy for normal users to learn how to run communities, how to build dashboards, how to explore data. And by hierarchical segmentation of dashboards, you can build apps and dashboards for management reports down to the operational level of having an overview for shop co-operators.

“And you have machine learning capabilities: you have the machine learning toolkit, the deep learning toolkit. You can integrate custom codes for custom app, so you can have all the data-driven analytics capabilities that you need. And in the cloud, it is fast and easy to start. You have low capital expenditure – an upfront investment but you can really start your journey very quickly – see it has proven value, then quickly scale it up and down if necessary.

“And it is also very easy as the data is already globally available in the cloud to share it with other parties and other systems to create third-party services as well.

Meanwhile, Castro identified benefits of adopting a holistic approach to data and analytics in IIoT deployments.

“The digital twins accelerate  your business as never experienced before by increasing transparency of the day to day actions. Instead of sending over technicians to read out measurements, there is constant monitoring of device performance and conditions.

“We have the advantage of AIOps that train models to look for feature combinations which best explain your data. And we have predictive maintenance. You can forecast anomalies, machinery conditions, which effectively decreases unexpected downtime and increases the overall performance.”

The post Building an IoT data pipeline appeared first on FutureIoT.

“With most of the region working remotely, demand for digital services in APJ is growing, and with digitalisation comes inherent risk. In the industrial world, that risk is particularly high as previously isolated OT networks become more integrated with IT networks, and thus exposed to a whole host of cyber threats they were not designed to face,” said Yaniv Vardi, CEO of Claroty. “Our expansion in in Asia Pacific and Japan is a reflection of this growing demand as well as the success we’ve achieved to date in the region, and we look forward to working with our strong ecosystem of partners to continue building upon this success.”

According to ResearchandMarkets,  global OT cybersecurity market will be worth US$18.13 billion by 2023, with Asia-Pacific's OT cybersecurity market projected to grow at a higher CAGR in the forecast period. Manufacturing and mining will be the largest sectors with a strong growth trajectory over the study period. The impact of COVID-19 will be significant across these sectors and other key segments, including oil and gas, transportation and smart cities, and power verticals from 2020 to 2023.

Claroty noted that spending on OT cybersecurity in the region is increasing as large-scale cyber incidents impacting critical industrial operations have become more pronounced – pointing out that countries in Southeast Asia have increased their spending on industrial cybersecurity as critical infrastructure in industries such as telecommunications, finance, energy and technology become targets of persistent threat actors.

The company added that such incidents have also made regulators aware that they need to prioritise the security of critical national infrastructure, whether publicly or privately held. Thus, regional agencies are assessing how they will mandate that incident-reporting procedures and cybersecurity practices be installed and required of companies which operate in certain sectors, especially those in energy, oil and gas, transportation, finance, healthcare, and food and beverage. For one, Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has drafted a Master Plan for OT cyber resilience, and are installing expert panels to advise them.

Eddie Stefanescu, general manager of Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) at Claroty said the company’s remit with existing customers in the region has significantly expanded, as their industrial cybersecurity programs continue to mature.

“It takes specialist knowledge and experience to effectively implement cybersecurity for OT networks, and what differentiates Claroty is the depth of visibility we have into those networks when our platform is implemented,” said Stefanescu. “That’s why public and private entities, including Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (Australia, Pacific, Indonesia), BHP, IRPC Public Company Limited, and Aboitiz Power, are investing in Claroty.”

To date, the company  is experiencing hyper growth in the region, having doubled its client base and achieving 250% growth in revenue year-over-year from the first half of 2020 to 1H 2021. The company has tripled its headcount in the region over the past year, with hiring occurring across seven countries.

“Across Australia and Asia, Claroty is a strong partner for companies in the oil and gas, utilities, manufacturing, water, and electrical power industries, but our customer base is broadening. In the past year, we have also experienced strong growth in the food and beverage sector, and in the pharmaceutical sector for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines,” said Stefanescu.

Meanwhile, the opening of Claroty’s regional office in Singapore comes shortly after Claroty’s US$140 million in its Series D financial round, which included participation from Temasek.

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When Kevin Ashton first coined the term “Internet of Things” back in 1999, his primary intent was for IoT’s use in retail operations. Today, IoT applications have gone beyond retail and into industrial and commercial use.

Companies and industries are looking at carbon footprint reduction activities as a mainstream initiative that forms a significant part of their operations and their businesses.

In a report published by Ericsson, the use of IoT has the potential for reducing emissions by as much as 63.5 gigatons by the year 2030, should all industrial sectors participate. IoT is destined to be an enabler that will help industries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their energy efficiency.

FutureIoT spoke to Mehal Shah, Global Business Head, TCS Clever Energy, on his perspective on the integration of IoT technology to improve energy management and energy emission as a result.

Click on the PodChat player and listen to Mehal offer a candid look at the drivers for zero emissions and the role of IoT in realizing these aspirations.

1. Why the increased interest in carbon neutrality and improved emission management?
2. For an effective use of IoT to attain zero carbon goals or better emission management:
   1. What KPIs (milestones) should be put in place?
   1. Who should comprise the team to oversee the planning, execute and management?
3. What are the challenges that organizations will face as they plan and execute the above?
4. Can management monetize carbon neutrality and emission management initiatives? (can you cite example)
5. What are your expectations around carbon neutrality and emission management going forward (keep IoT in the frame)?

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: Using IoT to make the world a greener place appeared first on FutureIoT.

Businesses plan to spend 10% of their IT budgets on IoT projects over the next three years, a three percent increase over the average 7% previously allocated between 2017 and 2020. Planned investments in IoT are notably higher than those earmarked for other Industry 4.0 technologies, including cloud computing (9.0%), next generation security (7.5%), big data analytics (7.3%), robotics (5.3%), machine learning (4.8%) and virtual reality (4.3%).

There are, however, noticeable variations in the planned levels of IoT investments between different industry sectors. Oil and gas firms intend to invest the most in IoT over the next three years (an average of $3.2 million), followed by electrical utilities companies (US$3.1 million), transport and logistics businesses (£3 million), mining operators ($2.7 million) and, finally, agricultural businesses ($2 million).

“Our latest research reveals IoT is now the primary Industry 4.0 technology in which companies are investing over the next three years. The emergence of IoT as an investment priority for businesses, and the increasing level of cost-savings they expect IoT to deliver in the years ahead, demonstrates how well-established a technology IoT has become across multiple industries,” said Mike Carter, president on Inmarsat Enterprise.  

The research  entitled “Industrial IoT in the Time of Covid-19” is based on interviews with 450 global respondents across the agriculture, electrical utilities, mining, oil & gas and transport & logistics sectors in early 2021, a year after the start of the pandemic. The respondents are responsible for delivering IoT initiatives at their respective organisations, whose businesses have at least 250 employees and spanned across the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA.

The report focuses on measuring the IoT maturity of global industry during the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of digitalised production and supply chains. It analyses a number of key themes such as adoption, connectivity, data, skills, security and investment.

According to Carter,  Covid-19 has emphasised the importance of Industry 4.0 technologies like IoT for business continuity.

“With the world’s production and supply chains becoming increasingly interconnected and digitalised, those companies producing digital twins of their supply chains and sharing data, are the ones reaping the benefits,” he said.

Mainstream IoT adoption brings operational cost-savings

Meanwhile, the new research also reveals that the mainstream adoption of IoT is already making a significant difference in terms of operational cost-savings to many organisations.

Respondents report that IoT projects currently save their organisations an average of 9%  of their yearly costs. In the future, they expect to achieve an average of 15% cost-savings in 12 months’ time, rising to 22% in three years and 30% in five years’ time.

 “However, there are still noticeable differences between sectors and several significant areas for all organisations on which to improve to draw optimum benefits from the technology, namely: securing reliable connectivity, improving data management and addressing their IoT skills gaps and security concerns,” Carter said.

Inmarsat is positioning its ELERA narrowband network as ideally suited to the rapidly evolving world of IoT and the billions of devices that are being connected every year.

The post Firms plan an average US$2M on IoT projects through 2024 appeared first on FutureIoT.

Tanapong Ittisakulchai, chief enterprise business officer at AIS welcomed  the opportunity to work with a global partner  such as TCS to create next generation high-speed IoT solutions that help advance and enhance core industries such as manufacturing.

“Together we are creating important new digital services that can help our customers improve operations, capacity and competitiveness. Furthermore, we are pleased to be offering IoT services that will help advance Thai core industry with a focus on manufacturing, contributing to the national economic rebound and growth,” he said.

TCS’ IoT Smart Manufacturing Solutions leverage next-gen technologies such as digital twins, to enhance operational resilience, improve customer experience, and drive innovation across the manufacturing value chain. Offerings include:

• Smart Manufacturing: Solutions for industrial plants to connect production lines with 5G network within the factory and IoT devices such as condition-based maintenance, predictive maintenance, remote monitoring, remote diagnostics, digital twin, and more.
• TCS Clever Energy: An enterprise-level energy and emissions management system, powered by IoT, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud, that helps commercial and industrial organizations drive energy and cost efficiency, decrease carbon emissions, and become more sustainable.
• TCS Gen 4-Work-AR: An IoT based connected worker mixed reality solution to provide real-time contextual information for better decision support, to empower employees to work remotely with cutting edge technology such as AR/VR to supervise work, train employees, give advice about work or even solve on job site problems promptly.
• TCS Logistics Optimizer:  A unique AI & ML-based IoT solution built to synchronize the operations in the Supply Chain management process and enhances visibility across the value-chain. It is a proven solution that helps reduce logistics costs and drives e­fficiency across the network through resource optimisation & increased On-Time delivery

“Forward-thinking manufacturers are deploying IoT strategically to enable new business models, enhance customer experience, make their value chains more responsive, and drive growth,” said Vijaya Pandya, country head, TCS Thailand. “We are pleased to partner with AIS to further accelerate our go-to-market capabilities for our exciting range of IoT-based business solutions that will enhance Thailand’s industrial sector.”

The post TCS, AIS to bring 5G IoT solutions to Thailand's key sectors appeared first on FutureIoT.

According to the latest study by Juniper Research,  increased sustainability and energy security as critical to the appeal of smart grids, with analytics and demand-responsive networks able to have a dramatic impact in a renewables-heavy future.

Entitled  “Smart Grid: Industry Trends, Competitor Leaderboard and Market Forecasts 2021-2026”, the study predicts that vendors who can best combine analytics that deliver operational insights to energy companies, with low-cost sensors and connectivity, will achieve the greatest success.

“To meet ambitious climate targets and lower spiralling operating costs for utility companies, the grid must evolve rapidly into a smart grid. Leveraging connectivity and deploying analytics at scale will be vital in achieving the truly demand-responsive grid that is needed today,” said research co-author Damla Sat.

The new study found that smart grid software, which analyses energy usage in real-time to enable responsive features for utility companies, will be critical to delivering energy and cost savings. The essential nature of these benefits will drive smart grid software spend to over US$38 billion annually by 2026, from US$12 billion in 2021, reflecting its dramatically increasing importance.

Meanwhile, the study found that smart metering roll-outs are growing, with global smart meters in service set to reach over 2 billion in 2026, from 1.1 billion in 2021.

While this represents a growth of just under 95%, adoption is very uneven worldwide, with markets including Latin America and Africa & Middle East lagging significantly behind the leaders in Western Europe and the Far East & China. The research recommends that vendors lobby governments urgently to support smart metering roll-outs, or they will rapidly fall further behind.

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As IoT proliferates, promising huge business benefits, this report explores the steps businesses must take to ensure their IoT is properly secured, to enable maximum success.

Click on the link to download this report to discover more from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Trust. 

The post Futureproofing IoT appeared first on FutureIoT.

“We are expanding our scope in the region to provide analysis which enables maintenance teams to predict machine problems and act appropriately. As a result, our customers reduce downtime and increase the profitability of their machinery,” said David Nevin, industrial president for South East Asia at Schaeffer.

OPTIME is an innovative plug and play condition monitoring system for machines that prevents unplanned downtime through the use of predictive analysis. Installation can be done on existing machines as OPTIME’s vibration sensors are activated via NFC. All sensors then automatically connect to each other and the gateway to form a mesh network to begin condition monitoring.

The OPTIME system consists of three components:

• Wireless, battery-powered vibration and temperature sensors that can be attached directly to machines
• A gateway that receives the data from the sensors
• A digital service that analyses the data using proprietary algorithms that draw upon Schaeffler’s extensive technical expertise

The system is easy to put into operation, can be used without any specialist knowledge.

In Asia Pacific, the solution is also available in Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand. Schaeffler expects to launch OPTIME in Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam in the coming months

Hassle-free condition monitoring

The analytical system behind all Schaeffler CMS offerings provides an advance warning period of several weeks and specific recommendations for action. As a result, in-house maintenance personnel or even service companies can plan maintenance measures, personnel utilisation, and the procurement of replacement parts in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

As such, Schaeffler targets companies operating in system-intensive industries, where avoiding unplanned downtime means greater profitability.

Through the OPTIME smartphone or desktop app, companies can have a constant eye on the status of their plant, even with hundreds of machines, as the messages are user-friendly and prioritised according to criticality, according to Nevin.

“As a result, in-house maintenance personnel or even service companies can plan maintenance measures, personnel utilisation, and the procurement of replacement parts in a timely and cost-efficient manner. They have the flexibility to decide whether they want to draw on other services and if so, which ones. The modular service concept offers online, remote or on-site services,” he added.

An integrated solution

OPTIME now integrates Schaeffler’s SmartCheck and ProLink solutions. OPTIME therefore covers condition monitoring for a very wide range of machines and often even entire plants.  

With the latest update, three IoT-capable hardware solutions can now be connected, making condition monitoring for a very wide range of machines and often even entire plants a possibility. Status reports for all systems are clearly visualised in the OPTIME app.

In addition, Schaeffler’s CMS solutions  can be used without needing extra qualifications because the system configuration and data analysis are largely automated. This is essential for users of digital services in the industrial environment as they expect the information provided to be easily understood and the hardware and software to be uncomplicated to get around.

“This integrated knowledge is integral not only to the highly scalable OPTIME solution with wireless single-channel sensors, but also to the two systems for machines with dynamic speed and load conditions and involving environments with temperatures in excess of 85 degrees Celsius – the single-channel CMS SmartCheck and the multi-channel CMS ProLink. With condition monitoring solutions from Schaeffler, operators and maintenance personnel have an expert eye tracking the condition of practically every machine in the plant via the app,” Nevin said.

The post Schaeffler launches OPTIME monitoring system in SG and SK appeared first on FutureIoT.

Networks for the new normal

More than ever before, networks are now vital. They cannot struggle under the load of new demand. Instead, they must be able to accommodate societies and businesses during the next, connectivity-driven industrial phase. Yet, this is not just an imperative for a far-off future; it must be done now, due in no small part to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For people, ‘shelter-in-place’, ‘work-from-home’, and ‘remote schooling’ practices – in addition to people generally digitally connecting with each other during the pandemic – have led to a surge in internet traffic. In many of these instances, more people are consuming high-definition video streaming, caused by the concurrent rise in upstream traffic which, due to the greater proliferation of video conferencing and collaboration tools, require connectivity that is significantly lower in latency and higher in bandwidth.

Robust and high-capacity networks are also needed to facilitate the revolution of industries and enterprises operating within them. We are no longer at the beginning of a new industrial era; COVID-19 has shown that we are now in the thick of it. The “Automation of Everything” is already happening and it is being brought about by digital interfaces, data analysis, and control of the physical world via networks.

Automation will catalyse the digital transformation of more physical, asset-intensive industries. This is as significant productivity improvements can be generated by combining advances in information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) to enable industries to drive closed-loop automation in their physical environments.

This will involve the proliferation of advanced technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI)- and machine learning (ML)-powered deep analytics, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), robotics, remote control, and digital twinning technologies – just to name a few. These innovations will then foster new demands on the network infrastructure, and in many cases, these demands will extend far beyond what has traditionally been acceptable, even for the largest enterprise networks. This means that the capabilities of mission-critical network infrastructures must be expanded greatly.

The 5G difference

As our world’s digital transformation is gaining strong momentum, so too is the 5G race. Revenue from 5G network infrastructures worldwide continues to grow and by 2024, more CSPs are projected to commercialise more 5G services. The next few years will therefore be the bellwether of a decade of 5G innovations that will bring an expanded portfolio of mobile and wireless services to market. For people, 5G will bring broadband performance to mobile devices while industries can realise more wireless applications and industrial IoT to not only drive greater productivity, efficiency, and safety, but also make operations more resilient during unforeseen crises.

To deliver 5G-enabled innovations with agility and flexibility, radio access network (RAN) and mobile core technologies are migrating to cloud-native architectures, in addition to adopting virtualised, comprehensive ‘network slices’ to partition resources as needed. The roadmaps for new 5G capabilities are deep – ranging from immersive experiences and sophisticated video analytics for environmental applications to connected vehicles and eHealth – and will be rolled out over many years. Given that 5G RAN will generate ten times more traffic than 3G and 4G combined, their impacts on IP and optical networks will be profound and, by extension, for the services that will be made possible by next-generation connectivity.

The transformation of networks is at hand

Just like roads that were built centuries ago, quality networks are now core building block of our society and economies. Still, creating and operating modern networking infrastructures – especially those that stand up when we need them most – is highly complex.

To ensure that broadband, and eventually 5G, networks must step up to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. IP and optical networking systems must provide scalable and assured network performance, robust and secure network infrastructure, efficient and programmable network architecture. Networks that are designed and built around these principles will make them ready to deliver the needed connectivity at any time and no matter the crisis. This is because the network can respond quickly and gracefully, ensuring continuity of relationships, businesses, and life, particularly when they all are being threatened by circumstances we cannot control.

At the end of the day, networks are what keeps us going and will continue to do so. As they become more mission-critical to our daily lives, they must be reimagined for a world that has been irrevocably changed by digitalisation and global crises to help sustain societies and businesses in the future.

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To automate workload and improve safety, the telecom operator has recently been developing industrial solutions that use its 4G and 5G networks. Company executives said that these wireless communication technologies will help its smart factory clients save costs, via easy monitoring and minimising waste.

"We are on track to be a leader in this business, and LG Uplus will try to provide customised solutions to fit diverse businesses and factory sizes," said Seo Jae-yong,  smart infrastructure unit chief at LG Uplus, during an online conference last week.

The availability of an advanced and fast telecom network is necessary for the smooth operation of smart factory systems. Smart factories use embedded, automated solutions for manufacturing purposes. They help to streamline material flows required for all the specific processes involved in manufacturing across the factory floor.

The company said the smart factory solutions on its wireless network are an improvement over existing services that use Wi-Fi as they offer more stable connection while moving.

To date, LG Uplus smart factory solutions are deployed in 150 locations across the country by around 100 enterprise customers.

Enterprise market focus

LG Uplus has recently moved its traditional wireless network service, shifting its focus towards non-telecom services. In July, company CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik revealed the target to raise the share of non-telecom services to 30% of the company’s total sales by 2025. Currently, this market segment accounts for 20% of LG Uplus’ total sales.

LG Uplus’ enterprise infrastructure solution sector, which includes its smart factory business, logged sales of 134.2 billion won in the second quarter, up 34.3% on-year.

The smart factory market for South Korea's local telecom operators is estimated to value 200 billion won or (US$171.3 million) annually in five years, LG Uplan wants to capture more than half of this market.

LG Uplus has revamped its smart factory business into 12 services, which include a motor diagnosis solution that uses a big data-based algorithm to predict signs of motor malfunction in factories by analysing electrical data.

It  also offers a smart video safety system that analyses video and sound in real time to detect and notify safety issues, including sparks, smoke or steam, and abnormal temperatures.

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“Microsoft joins an impressive roster of industry leaders who back the LoRaWAN standard and are committed to its development and the expansion of our ecosystem. Tony’s insight and guidance as an Alliance board director will strengthen and accelerate LoRaWAN end-to-end solutions and zero-touch deployments,” said Donna Moore, CEO and chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance, adding that Shakib’s addition to the alliance’s leadership will further accelerate market adoption of the LoRaWan standard.

Established in 2015,  the LoRa Alliance is the global association of companies backing the open LoRaWAN  standard for the Internet of Things (IoT) low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs).  Its members collaborate closely and share expertise to develop and promote the LoRaWAN standard, which is the de facto global standard for secure, carrier-grade IoT LPWAN connectivity.

LoRaWAN has the technical flexibility to address a broad range of IoT applications, both static and mobile, and a robust LoRaWAN Certification program to guarantee that devices perform as specified. Deployed by 150 major mobile network operators globally, LoRaWAN connectivity is available in more than 160 countries to date.

Microsoft has already worked with a number of LoRa Alliance members to deploy LoRaWAN solutions globally on the Azure IoT infrastructure.

“Microsoft has invested billions of dollars to enable customers to build digital twins of the physical world,” said Shakib. “The digital twin enables customers to analyse, predict and control environments across industries, whether monitoring production lines, managing worker safety, optimising supply chains or delighting retail customers. A critical link in these digital transformations is the connectivity fabric, and LoRaWAN has unique capabilities to help fulfil that vision. We are excited to join the LoRa Alliance and deepen our collaboration with members to help our customers succeed in IoT.”

To date, some of the key projects that Microsoft has done around LoRaWAN include:

• Beyond Eyes, a brand created by Heijmans N.V., a major Dutch construction-services business, deployed 20,000 LoRaWAN-connected IoT Smart Building sensors for Heijmans’ clients in the Netherlands, based on private LoRaWAN network management provided by Actility’s ThingPark  Enterprise IoT platform,and seamless integration with Microsoft IoT Hub and IoT Central, at scale. Beyond Eyes uses wireless sensors from CLICKEY to collect anonymous data on a building’s utilization, occupation, usage and indoor environment. The solution, implemented across a wide variety of building types, provides insight into the performance and use of a building, ultimately leading to process, staffing and building improvements to enable cost savings, creating a sustainable work environment. “With native integration to Azure IoT, as well as our ever increasing collection of drivers, small and large organizations now have the perfect end-to-end stack for massive IoT projects,” said Olivier Hersent, CEO at Actility.
• MachineQ, a Comcast Company, harnesses the infrastructure and scale of Azure Cloud Services to deliver its all-in-one IoT connectivity platform for enterprises needing to build and deploy LoRaWAN solutions at scale. For Microsoft customers and partners, the MachineQ platform offers native tooling and streamlined delivery of integrated data, making it easy to visualize and analyse sensor data in Azure IoT. Among its most significant and largest customer deployments, MachineQ partnered with CoreKinect to develop an outdoor asset tracking solution to streamline inventory management, reduce operational costs, and improve customer experience. The deployment included over 325,000 LoRaWAN devices connecting to just a couple hundred MachineQ LoRaWAN gateways installed at more than 80 sites across the U.S. and Canada.
• Microshare EverSmart on Azure/LoRaWAN delivers over 20 IoT Sensing-as-a-Service solutions for Smart Spaces to global customers in any industry, especially corporate office, manufacturing and health care. With data stream endpoints to IoT Hub, Power BI, and IoT Central, EverSmart customers can take full advantage of Azure Cloud Services including Stream Analytics, Databricks and Digital Twins to gain intelligence and make insightful decisions that improve their business and enhance the experience of the people using the space. Because of the ease of deploying LoRaWAN on Azure, the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London quickly installed a solution portfolio that includes asset zoning and occupancy as well as monitoring for environment, CO₂, fridge and water temperature to get a consolidated view of conditions and equipment locations in their space. “Thanks to BT and Microshare, we are now able to automate many tasks that would have previously taken considerable time or effort to carry out,” said Toby Roberts, CIO of the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. “This technology has been extremely useful during the current pandemic, as it has allowed our staff to perform more efficiently under heightened pressures.”
• “Sodexo, through its global partnership with myDevices, provides its Vital Spaces services to a wide range of customers that require occupancy sensors, automated people counting, electric submetering, temperature monitoring, asset condition monitoring, air quality monitoring, asset tracking and many other sensor solutions,” said William Keys, MSM, director of FM technology development and innovation, Sodexo. “Through a single integration with myDevices’ platform, Sodexo can now easily source, procure and deploy pre-provisioned LoRaWAN hardware from hundreds of manufacturers, alongside its own in-house occupancy solutions provided by WX Solutions. All of the sensor data is then consolidated, normalized and transformed into our back-end platforms to gather insights using Microsoft’s Power BI and Time Series Insights.” “Our global partners, like Sodexo, require the most secure and scalable systems, and that is why myDevices’ platform uses Microsoft Azure DPS and IoT Hub to secure, scale and manage these deployments around the world,” said Kevin Bromber, CEO and founder, myDevices.
• Webee, a company that develops IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and AI solutions, has deployed its No-Code End-to-End Solution Builder, running on Microsoft Azure, and leveraging Semtech LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN standard, in a variety of industries including agriculture to industrial IoT to conserve natural resources and improve sustainability efforts. Large commercial farms are able to implement LoRaWAN powered soil moisture sensors enabling new visibility and valuable learnings about the effects of light, temperature, Co₂levels, humidity, PH, EC, water usage, as well as an irrigation controller to manage the water valves intelligently.
• The Things Industries’ customers use LoRaWAN through private networks in smart buildings, smart agriculture and food tech. Morgan Sindall executes preventive maintenance of real estate through LoRaWAN temperature and humidity sensors, supported by The Things Industries’ network server, The Things Stack. “Sensors on LoRaWAN technology have a long battery life and open standard. We use Microsoft’s Digital Transformation platform to route to applications like Microsoft Dynamics Field Services and the Power Platform,” said Phil Copperwheat, information systems director, Morgan Sindall.The Things Stack Azure IoT Hub integration enables exchange of traffic between the LoRaWAN network server and the Azure IoT Hub, which can be used for managing and monitoring devices and gateways, end-to-end encryption and leverage Device Repository, allowing high-level communication designs. “Through the low-code integration, LoRaWAN platform from The Things Industries and Microsoft’s Digital Transformation platform open endless LoRaWAN use cases, and our customers are already putting that to use across many continents,” said Wienke Giezeman, CEO, The Things Industries.

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In the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” Jay (Rob Reiner) asked: “What do they call it when everything intersects?” To which, Sam (Tom Hanks) responded without so much as a thought: “The Bermuda Triangle.”

For decades we’ve been shown the possibilities of humans working together with robots. Since the 1970s, humans have been deploying robots to help at work. In the 2017 article, Automation, Robotics and the Factory of the Future, McKinsey partner, Jonathan Tilley opined that in the next five to ten years, however, we expect a more fundamental change in the kinds of tasks for which robots become both technically and economically viable (Exhibit 2). Here are some examples.

Exhibit 2

Source: McKinsey

The next evolution of robotics – the human equation

“Fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing demand for robotics in warehouses and distribution centres,” said Dwight Klappich, vice president analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice.

A collaborative robot, or cobot, is a type of robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace.

Should employees fear the entry of cobots into the workforce?

James McKew, regional director Asia-Pacific at Universal Robots, believes that cobots are not a threat to human labour, they help to enhance the quality of production and the ability for humans and robots to collaborate.

How do we address the lingering fear that robots will replace human workers?

According to McKew, it is natural for people to fear robots since many have seen robots replacing humans. But the vision that Universal Robots was founded around is ‘Empowering People’ and shifting from ‘people working like robots’ to ‘people working with robots.’

“The purpose is to guide people who are capable of managing production processes and get them to show how robots do the dull, dusty, monotonous and non-creative aspects of production processes.”

As human workers are worried about job security during this uncertain time, what steps can be taken to assure them that cobots will not replace them?

One of the earliest visible impact of the pandemic is the closure of factories and operations. McKey argues that the beauty of what cobots can do in the current pandemic situation is to allow factories to get back to production.

“We talk about the situation where migrant workers are not allowed entry to Singapore. In this case, cobots provide a unique opportunity to get factories back into production,” he added.

He explained that cobots allow the production workers to start mastering robotics and training cobots to do the dull and monotonous jobs that talented and dexterous humans should not be doing.

With the deployment of cobots, what kind of new jobs will be created?

McKew sees robot cell operators taking the place of human-machine operators.

“For instance, 10 machines can be tended by several robots and the person who put the parts in and out of the machine initially, is now the person who is managing all those cobots.”

“They program them, optimise them, and determine if there are more creative ways that the cobots can be used to enhance production output,” he continued.

Is it safe for human workers to work alongside cobots?

McKew believes that a key differentiator between a cobot and a robot is just that – the ability to work alongside humans.

“Cobots are designed to be human-friendly, they have systems onboard that can detect humans and do not have to be caged.

“Cobots will not hurt humans whereas industrial robots may. They are easy to use, easy to program and lightweight. In fact, even operators with limited programming skills can become cobot programmers,” he explained.

How do you see human-cobot collaboration evolving?

According to McKew, Universal Robots is on a journey to shift humans who are working like robots to humans mastering robots themselves.

The opportunities are immense for countries to resume production. The pandemic has taught countries that strategically sourcing away all production is not actually very strategic.

“Cobots along with talented manufacturing workers provide companies with massive opportunities for efficient reshoring in the post-pandemic world,” he concluded.

Future trends

ABI Research cautioned that onlookers should not think of collaborative robotics as a replacement for industrial robots, but as a parallel technology development that will eventually converge.

Innovations like advanced machine vision, improved localization, haptic sensors, and superior mechatronics are all allowing cobots to become faster without neglecting safety. Strategic advances in 5G, cloud robotics, and edge-enabled AI will make the performance of multiple collaborative systems superior.

“This will gradually allow for the development of cobots that have the advantages of industrial robotic arms, while retaining the benefits of current collaborative systems, including ease of use, ROI, re-programmability, low footprint, and flexibility,” concluded Rian Whitton, senior analyst at ABI Research.

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The country’s development agenda dubbed  as Thailand 4.0 aims to reduce inequality in the country by promoting modern, tech-driven solutions to enable access to public services even from the most remote parts of the country.

“Part of this policy has been prioritising S-curve industries - a host of industries characterised by their projected growth, including next-generation automotive, smart electronics, affluent medical and wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology, and food for the future. All of these industries stand to benefit from A&R, ranging from iterative improvements to quantum leaps in productivity,” said Thailand NOW in a press statement.

To this end, the country seeks to push forward industry 4.0 initiatives in artificial intelligence, programming, and connectivity to unite manufacturing with computing power to redefine industries.

Generous incentives

With the most installations of industrial robots in ASEAN and the second-largest A&R market in the region after Singapore, Thailand is considered an important growth market A&R, according to a report by Thailand NOW.

“The advent of smart factories - the intersection of smart devices, industrial robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensors and controllers - is central to driving the 4IR taking place worldwide, including in Thailand,” said Thailand NOW.

At present, the Board of Investment of Thailand has a host of incentives for A&R procurement and production, ranging from import duty exemptions for machinery and full waivers on corporate income tax for eight years to non-tax incentives like work permits and full foreign ownership of A&R companies and property. There has never been a better time to automate businesses or to invest in research.

The "NIA Deep Tech Incubation Program@EEC”, spearheaded by the state-run National Innovation Agency (NIA) in partnership with several organisations, has been instrumental in encouraging local forays into A&R. The programme creates opportunities for deep tech innovation within the government's developmental initiative, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

“Funding has also been directed to research, development, and education. As a result, Thailand sees 80,000 new science and engineering graduates trained in disciplines directly related to automation and robotics each year at world-class institutions, providing a solid foundation for skilled labour,” Thailand NOW said.

Some of the Thai Universities that offer specific programmes on A&R engineering include Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, Assumption University, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, and King Mongkut's University of Technology Ladkrabang.

Thai students are also encouraged to compete in international robotics competitions. Many have seen success on the international stage over the past few years, including winning the Robocup Rescue competition eight times since 2006, and three first-place finishes in Robo Soccer.

Rise of robots in other industries

With the social restrictions brought by COVID-19, the deployment of robots has accelerated and spread beyond the manufacturing industry.

In the healthcare industry, a dwindling workforce due to an aging population is a major driver in Thailand of having robots and automated systems that can assist healthcare workers.

Some recent robot use cases in the domestic healthcare system includes:

• Raibo-X - designed by the School of Engineering of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, is a robot that can map out a room and completely disinfect it using UVC light. UVC light will kill any germs it comes into contact with but is too dangerous to be used by humans.
• Dinsow - an award-winning robot developed by CT Asia Robotics that is fitted with a camera as well as infrared and thermal sensors. It uses AI to monitor health, have conversations, perform personal assistant duties, and run fun activities. It's also capable of contacting family members or a hospital in case of emergencies. For people who can't afford a home care nurse, this is a very clever solution.
• AutoVacc - using a robotic arm, the "AutoVacc" system can draw 12 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from vials, up from the standard doses drawn manually (an increase of 20%). According to the lead researcher from Chulalongkorn University, putting this innovation into practice will not only lighten the workload of medical personnel, but increase the number of vaccinations. Currently, the machine is being trialled at the Chulalongkorn University Health Service Centre. Researchers will continue to develop the machine to be compatible with other vaccines.

“It is obvious that A&R has the potential to disrupt several industries and increase productivity by leaps and bounds, so it's important for the private and public sectors to be forward-thinking about how they recruit, train, and educate, so they're not left playing catch-up to a runaway train,” Thailand Now said.

It added: “Thailand has already boarded this train, enabling multitudes of benefits to investors, because for Thailand, investing in A&R is not just a savvy economic strategy, but an investment in Thailand's own future.”

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ELERA’s  foundation is Inmarsat’s world class L-band network and incorporates new innovations ranging from higher speeds to smaller, low cost terminals and Inmarsat-6 (I-6) satellites. To enhance the ELERA network, two new I-6 satellites will be launched at the end of the year.

The L-band capacity on each I-6 satellite will be substantially greater than Inmarsat’s 4th generation spacecraft and, among other enhancements, they will deliver 50% more capacity per beam; meaning that much more data can be carried over the same geographical area, in addition to unlimited beam routing flexibility.

“ELERA is perfectly suited to the needs of the connected IoT world,” said Rajeev Suri, CEO, Inmarsat. “Global reach, extraordinary resilience, faster speeds, smaller and lower cost terminals are all part of ensuring that we remain ahead of others in meeting the needs of our customers.

The new innovations that the company is investing in to bring to market in the near future include spectrum management technology to deliver L-band speeds up to 1.7Mbps, the smallest footprint, low cost L-band terminal and two new L-band satellites, which are the largest and most sophisticated commercial communication satellites ever created.

The new spectrum management capabilities (known as Carrier Aggregation) being incorporated into the ELERA network will deliver the fastest speeds globally available to L-band customers, far outstripping the capabilities of any other worldwide L-band network.

Live customer trials in commercial aviation are scheduled to start during the course of 2022 and this technology will be rolled out across a range of sector specific applications for Inmarsat’s mobility, government and IoT customers over the coming few years.

Essential catalyst for new IoT cases

The unique capabilities of ELERA, combined with Inmarsat’s superior spectrum and the ideally suited orbital position of its satellite networks, will make it the essential catalyst for new IoT use cases, across everything from autonomous transport and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to industrial and agricultural IoT applications.

“ELERA is a further sign of a company with true momentum and one that is delivering new innovations and strong performance,” continued Suri. “I expect that Inmarsat will grow strongly in 2021 compared to the previous year, and that growth will span most of our business units. Our progress was evident in the first half, where we saw strong growth in revenue and EBITDA and robust cash flow. We have sharpened our strategy to focus on driving growth, accelerate decision making, launch new innovations, and are creating a more commercially focused, customer-centric culture.”

ELERA will also see the creation of the smallest footprint, low cost terminal for L-band users, delivering the ideal framework for satcom IoT at scale, with supporting cloud-based management, for vertical sectors such as infrastructure, rail, logistics, mining, agriculture, government, maritime and aviation.

ELERA will also deliver a major extension to Inmarsat’s portfolio of voice-enabled devices, bringing new capabilities and innovations to hundreds of thousands of customers. This initiative represents our commitment to voice service innovation and underlines the company’s long-term commitment to the handheld voice services over satellite market.

“ELERA is the exciting vision of how Inmarsat is planning to transform the capabilities offered to IoT and mobility customers for years to come and confirms our long-term commitment to L-band services. We will be sharing further detail on these innovations with our partner community in the coming months and continue our programme of announcements as we achieve major milestones.” said Suri

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Radiflow has introduced the Cyber Industrial Automated Risk Analysis Platform (CIARA), which allows for a digital twin of multiple facilities to be created on the same UI in order for security and risk teams to execute OT-BAS (Breach & Attack Simulations) in a global enterprise view.  The  new enterprise-level risk management system for OT facilities allow CISOs to view all their sites in one dashboard.

This takes the guesswork out of OT by letting teams anticipate the impact of potential threats via simulations of known attacks from a continuously updated global database. They can then simulate WHAT-IF scenarios of mitigations to decide which course of action would be most suitable in light of the changes in the threat landscape.

While this has been a common practice to prepare for attacks in the IT world through twin-network simulations, it is the first time that an OT environment can benefit from this proven strategy. CIARA offers a first-of-its-kind, non-intrusive breach attack simulator that takes into account the business importance of each site so the CISO can find the most vulnerable points on their industrial automation networks across all their sires, allowing them to practice the most effective mitigation tools.

The ability to configure business importance for each site and benchmark top sites in a central dashboard – while allowing site managers to view their individual risk posture and optimise their security roadmap – is  a major step in securing potential vulnerabilities across multiple facilities. Allowing CISOs to continuously monitor and simulate vulnerabilities, based on recent attacks that have been attempted in their industry or location, has a significant impact on the quality of OT monitoring, without slowing down or stopping critical infrastructure.

“CIARA is now a central environment where CISOs can evaluate proven security techniques against the latest threats without tampering with their existing network”, said Ilan Barda, founder & CEO of Radiflow. “Using the revolutionary all-in-one dashboard to keep an eye on all global operations is a critical step to preventing any cyberattack on vital OT facilities.”

Based in Tel-Aviv, Radiflow work directly with managed security service providers to oversee the discovery and management all relevant data security points. The company’s solution is currently installed in over 5,000 sites worldwide.

Its newest CIARA software release was recognized as a vendor in the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) risk management category, which is in the Innovation Trigger of the Gartner® report titled, “Hype Cycle for Cyber and IT Risk Management”, 2021. Since its release, CIARA has earned acclaim for its capabilities in providing a data-driven approach to OT Security, especially following multiple major OT attacks, such as on the Colonial Pipeline and JBS.

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“We have seen the demand for remote services increase steadily, and the value of asset management through our remote services is proven more and more every day,” said Boufarah as the company recently announced plans to open a new remote monitoring centre (RMC) in Singapore.

The new RMC, the first for Bently Nevada in Asia Pacific, aims to provide remote monitoring and diagnostic services for industrial customers in the region. The company targets to offer continuous monitoring of key assets across offshore oil and gas platforms, liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, refineries, petrochemical plants and industrial manufacturing sites.

Leveraging its System 1 Software platform, Bently Nevada’s RMCs bring the expert machinery condition monitoring support that drives condition based maintenance planning.  The centres also provide reactive diagnostic support in near real time when a machine or process trip event arises – all  without any of the complex logistics delays and costs associated with getting expertise physically on site.

“The journey to enable remote operations relies heavily on a proper IIoT ecosystem that provides the contextualised data necessary to run day to day operations, while still maintaining an optimal asset health management strategy. This is Bently Nevada’s forte,” said Boufarah.

Bently Nevada, a Baker Hughes business, has over 60 years of condition monitoring experience and over 20 years of delivering safe and secure remote machinery monitoring and diagnostic services around the world.

Its global network of RMCs has over 1,500 customer assets at 50 unique customer sites. The company also has over 160 certified machinery diagnostic engineers globally ready to support customers remotely or on-site.

The Singapore RMC expands on Bently Nevada’s significant footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. Bently Nevada has more than 150 employees in Asia-Pacific, supporting 200 key customers with an 80% market share in power and oil and gas facilities.

“We can monitor assets and provide insights to our customers near real-time and in a cost-effective way, while mitigating safety risks associated with physical travel to customer sites,” said KH Hor, Asia-Pacific sales director of Bently Nevada at Baker Hughes.

Specifically, the RMC’s in-house machinery diagnostic engineers will analyse early warning signals for predictive maintenance and provide customers near real-time insights on potential issues and recommended actions. The new centre in Singapore will support services in English, Mandarin and Malay.

“Given the increased demand for remote monitoring and diagnostics for key assets across the energy and industrial sectors, we are excited to launch this centre to better service our customers in the region,” Hor said.

According to Boufarah, remote operations has presented “a step change opportunity in the way our customers manage and operate their critical processes” that both increases productivity and reduces HSE risks simultaneously.

“The new RMC represents our commitment to Singapore and Asia-Pacific,” said Boufarah. “We are investing for growth to support our customers’ digital transformation journeys, to continuously monitor equipment health and provide machinery insights for optimal industrial asset management.”

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The deployment not only automates waste plant operations, but also ensures process efficiency and minimises the environmental impact.

Deployed in collaboration with Hunan University, one of China’s top engineering research universities, and Hunan Qiaokang Bridge Health Intelligent Technology for Puxiang Bioenergy, Quanergy’s high accuracy M-Series 3D LiDAR sensors were applied to scan the surface of the waste piles at the incineration plant and create a 3D point cloud image, to accurately calculate the volume of the waste.

"Before LiDAR, there was no way to accurately measure the volume and density of the waste, critical data points for accurate calorific value estimation," said Enzo Signore, CMO at Quanergy, “3D LiDAR opens up clear and valuable insights that were previously inaccessible in the 2D world, not only improving operational efficiency, but also making the air cleaner and healthier by reducing emissions.”

Through accurate volume data, the waste plant can estimate the density of the waste and apply estimation logic to determine the calorific value. For example, dry waste is less dense and has a higher calorific value than wet waste. With this rich and accurate 3D data, the recycling station can now effectively prioritise burning high calorific value dry fuels while giving wet wastes more time to dry out. This both improves overall efficiency and reduces carbon emissions.

The LiDAR solution from Quanergy features industry-leading high accuracy, through its angular resolution of 0.033 degrees, and point cloud density of up to 1.3 million points per second.

“The data from Quanergy’s LiDAR sensors allows us to generate digital data sets that we can then use to optimise and scale the waste recycling process throughout an entire city and beyond,” said Professor Xiaogang Zhang, deputy dean of the  School of Electrical & Information Engineering, Hunan University. “A powerful industrial IoT application, the data from Quanergy’s sensors also gives insight into the operation of the power plant to monitor, measure, and predict the amount of power that can be generated from waste incineration.”

In addition to their accuracy, Quanergy’s 3D LiDAR sensors are robust and reliable, even in the harsh conditions of the incineration plant, providing over 60,000 hours of mean time between failure (MTBF). The sensors can be installed in any environment, indoor or outdoor, and provide reliable performance regardless of ambient lighting conditions. Furthermore, the solution can be easily scaled, compounding its value for the city.

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Rajiv Bawa, chief business officer at dtac, pointed out that 5G Private Networks can unlock the potential of Thailand’s businesses embracing digital transformation.

“This is especially true in the post-Covid-19 economy in which the deployment of IoT applications, automation, and edge computing are critical for businesses’ recovery and resilience. The key benefit of a private network is that it can be custom-built for specific use cases for each corporation. In particular, we see fantastic potential in vertical industries such as manufacturing, automotive assembly, shipping, logistics, public health, and agriculture.”

He added 5G Private Networks also support advanced requirements for digital transformation and automated manufacturing requiring ultra-high data transfer speeds or near-zero latencies – citing IoT, robots and manufacturing automation as the most significant use cases that require machine-critical performance and security.

“Not only can 5G Private Networks lift the corporate infrastructure by enabling high performance, but they are also shielded from public network threats of attacks from hackers who may otherwise use a public network to breach into corporate data or IoT devices,” Bawa said.

Collaboration with AWS

The mobile operator is working with AWS on this POC deployment at the latter’s corporate headquarters at dtac House, where a new real-time, AI-based video analytics solution – co-developed with AWS – is now running on the 5G private network.

The AI-based video analytics solution is designed to demonstrate how private networks can enable smart solutions for the new normal with an automated system designed to ensure social distancing, The solution features a smart camera that can analyse distances among individuals in real-time to detect breaches of social distancing rules. It covers COVID-19 use cases such as PPE( personal protective equipment) compliance, intrusion detection, people occupancy and physical distancing.

The solution uses 5G dtac’s 5G Private Network and AWS Snowball Edge, a device with on-board storage and compute power for select AWS capabilities. AWS Snowball Edge can do local processing and edge-computing workloads in addition to transferring data between local environments and AWS.

“We are excited to be working with dtac to launch a brand new service that takes advantage of 5G and edge cloud computing to deliver industry specific low latency use cases,” said Fabio Cerone, managing director of the telco business unit for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at AWS.

He added: “By providing edge cloud infrastructure that moves data processing close to where data is, we will allow customers to take advantage of use cases based on AI and ML running inference at the edge. We look forward to deepen our collaboration with dtac and continue to drive innovation and enhance customer experience.”

Two types of 5G Private Networks

5G Private Networks can power mission-critical systems that require ultra-high reliability, ultra-low latency, 99.999 percent availability, and very high security. When integrated with edge-computing capabilities, private networks can provide customers with a scalable, customisable platform to take advantage of developments in new generation technologies.

Dtac has two types of 5G Private Networks. The first one is a standalone private network, with network hardware that  includes edge computing operating on 26 GHz 5G and is not connected to a public network. Optimal data transfer performance is assured due to an exclusive corporate network with low latency, superior security, and isolated data traffic.

The second type is a hybrid private network. 5G and 4G connectivity are combined with base stations installed within the corporation and a public radio access network (RAN). Data processing is isolated within the corporate edge computing but can be stored in hyperscale data centres with superior security.

Apart from its collaboration with AWS, dtac is also working closely with other strategic partners, such as Telenor. In Europe, Telenor has been deploying private networks for various use cases including security, healthcare, retailing, and robots. dtac is benefiting from Telenor’s expertise. dtac currently holds a 5G license with a 26 GHz spectrum which supports 5G Private Network services for all corporate customer requirements.

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Gartner says organizations implementing IoT are increasingly focusing on the business outcomes of the technology. IoT initiatives are no longer driven by the sole purpose of internal operational improvement.

The bad news is that this expanding universe of applications of IoT in industrial, government, consumer and commercial is drawing the interest of cybercriminals recognising a burgeoning opportunity.

From the Mirai Botnet (aka Dyn Attack) of October 2016 to the discovery of hackable cardiac devices at St. Jude Medicals in 2019 to the hacking of a Bluetooth speaker that allowed the criminals to eavesdrop on a CFO’s private conversation, the threat is real, and it is now.

The why of IoT security

Beng Hai Sim, head of Technical Sales at ESET, Asia Pacific, defines IoT security as the act of securing the IoT device and the network it is connected to.

“The interconnection of IoT poses a significant challenge for organisations due to the serious security risks posed by unmonitored and unsecured devices connected to the network. The need to think about security on a daily basis has never been greater, especially given that the number of internet-connected devices is expected to grow at an exponential rate,” he added.

Bots: the who/what of IoT security

Sim said IoT botnets are a type of malware that commonly targets IoT devices. He explained that IoT devices that have been compromised by bots are frequently used as communication channels to other compromised devices in the network known as botnets. Unpatched vulnerabilities may also exist in routers to which the IoT devices are connected.

Citing ESET telemetry, Sim revealed that ESET scanned nearly 200,000 routers during the first four months of 2021 and discovered that over 2,200 of them had at least one known vulnerability. The most common type of router attack is distributed denial of service (DDoS).

DDoS attacks affect 70% of organisations polled on a monthly basis.

IoT security starts here

Echoing a security industry theme, Sim says cybersecurity is a shared responsibility.

From an IoT security perspective, he says the CISO has the responsibility to educate employees on cybersecurity awareness training.

Beyond regular training and continuous awareness, he suggests that when purchasing IoT devices, organisations should first select a well-known, dependable IoT device provider who is likely to be around in the long term. This ensures that the manufacturers will be able to provide patches and fixes to the IoT devices in the future in a timely manner.

“It is crucial that the IoT devices that they have selected are secure by design, with security being a key goal at all stages of product development and deployment,” he added.

The reality of IoT security

Sim acknowledges that not everything can be secured immediately!

“Given that there are so many IoT devices out there, it is unrealistic to consider the security design of every single IoT device, but businesses can look at cybersecurity infrastructure and techniques to reduce risk,” he opined.

He recommended adopting the Zero Trust security model requiring all users, both inside and outside of an organisation's network, to be authenticated, authorised and continuously validated for security, configuration and posture before being granted or maintaining access to application and data.

He also suggested network segmentation as a useful approach to isolating IoT devices from other network systems.

“A simple analogy I’d use is the current pandemic situation, where we enforce social distancing to minimise the spread of the Coronavirus,” he continued.

According to Gartner, utilities will be one of the highest users of IoT endpoints, totalling 1.37 billion endpoints in 2020.

An expanding universe of applications

“Electricity smart metering, both residential and commercial will boost the adoption of IoT among utilities,” said Peter Middleton, senior research director at Gartner. “Physical security, where building intruder detection and indoor surveillance use cases will drive volume, will be the second-largest user of IoT endpoints in 2020.”

Building automation, driven by connected lighting devices, will be the segment with the largest growth rate in 2020 (42%), followed by automotive and healthcare, which are forecast to grow 31% and 29% in 2020, respectively.

In healthcare, chronic condition monitoring will drive the most IoT endpoints, while in automotive, cars with embedded IoT connectivity will be supplemented by a range of add-on devices to accomplish specific tasks, such as fleet management.

Click on the PodChat player and listen to Sim describe the why and some options for securing the Internet of Things.

1. Define security as it relates to the Internet of Things?
2. What some of the most common vulnerabilities in IoT devices found in enterprises?
3. Why is it important for organisations to pay attention to securing IoT devices?
4. Who is responsible for securing IoT devices in an enterprise?
5. What should organisations do to secure their IoT devices?
6. Is it realistic to think that we can secure all the 50 billion IoT devices connected out there?
7. It’s been said that remote work has accelerated IoT further. What is your advice to organisations today as regards securing known devices and protecting against the unsecured unknown?
8. What should enterprises look for when it comes to security solutions to address IoT devices in the network?

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These are the findings of the 2020 Report on Threats Affecting ICS Endpoints released today by Trend Micro researchers who warned of the  growing risk of downtime and sensitive data theft from ransomware attacks aimed at industrial facilities.

"Industrial Control Systems are incredibly challenging to secure, leaving plenty of gaps in protection that threat actors are clearly exploiting with growing determination," said Ryan Flores, senior manager of threat research for Trend Micro. "Given the US government is now treating ransomware attacks with the same gravity as terrorism, we hope our latest research will help industrial plant owners to prioritise and refocus their security efforts."

Flores is referring to the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline at the US East Coast  that locked down its systems last May for several days, causing a spike in gas prices, fuel shortage and panic buying in affected areas. US authorities suspected Russian hackers behind ransomware attack. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice, last month, was reported to have issued a guidance elevating investigations of ransomware attacks to a similar priority as terrorism.

Downside of IT/OT convergence

The growing trend towards Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated the coupling of IT and OT networks. While great business and operational benefits are derived from being able to access data from connected devices, it also unfortunately expanded the enterprises’ attack surface. And it has been recognised for several years now that ICS endpoints are the weak links in the chain.

IT/OT networks use ICS endpoints in the design, monitoring, and control of industrial processes. These endpoints are a crucial element of utility plants, factories and other facilities.

According to the Trend Micro research paper, there has been a significant rise in ransomware activity affecting industrial control systems in 2020, mostly due  to increased Nefilim, Ryuk, LockBit, and Sodinokibi attacks from September to December. Together, this  group of ransomware makes up more than half of ransomware attacks affecting ICSs last year.

The US is by far the country with the most ransomware detections affecting ICSs, with India, Taiwan, and Spain a far second.

“The US is a big country, with a vast number of organizations that can fall victim to ransomware. If we take the percentage of organizations running industrial control systems that had ransomware affecting their systems, Vietnam, Spain, and Mexico actually makes up the top three,” Trend Micro researchers said.

They added that Vietnam’s ransomware detections were residual infections of GandCrab, a ransomware that  was seen targeting Vietnam in 2018. but has since been mainly out of sight — likely because of its distributor’s arrest in 2020.

Legacy malware thrive

Legacy malware such as Autorun, Gamarue, and Palevo became rampant in 2013 and 2014 but have since waned as security policies that disable autorun have become widely adopted.

However, Trend Micro researchers pointed out that they still thrive in IT/OT networks. While they are found in less than 2% of organisations, they are detected frequently and on several endpoints within the same network, signifying a localised outbreak.

“There are a couple of practices that contribute to the situation. First, transferring files and data via USB thumb drives is usually performed as a convenient solution for bridging air-gapped networks; however, this allows the propagation of such legacy worms.

“Second, asset owners create system backups or cold standby terminals and store them in removable drives but do not perform security scans against the package that might harbour malicious software,” the researchers said, adding that their continued presence in IT/OT networks suggests inadequate security and poor maintenance of data backups and removable drives.

Other threats

According to Trend Micro, coinminers are another financially motivated malware affecting ICSs. While a coinminer’s code is not designed to destroy files or data, the mining activity’s CPU utilisation can  adversely affect ICS endpoint performance.

“In our factory honeypot research, we have experienced  unresponsive ICS endpoints after attackers installed coinminers in them. Indirectly, a coinminer can cause loss of control and view over an ICS, especially if those computers have low CPU capacity and/or running outdated operating system, a setup that is not rare in industrial environments,” researchers said.

The top coinminer family found on ICS endpoints for 2020 is MALXMR, a post-intrusion coinminer. It was usually installed through fileless techniques, but starting in 2019, we have seen MALXMR infections that use Equation group tools to exploit the EternalBlue vulnerability to aid distribution and lateral movement.

Of the countries with MALXMR running on ICS endpoints, India accounts for more than a third of detections. However, this does not mean that India is specifically being targeted by MALXMR gangs to run their cryptominers. A look at WannaCry ransomware infections showed that India also had more than a third of WannaCry infections on ICS endpoints.

“This suggests that India has the most MALXMR infections because a lot of computers running ICS software are vulnerable to EternalBlue, as Equation group tools used by MALXMR and WannaCry both exploit the said vulnerability. This data shows how a country’s general patch level makes it susceptible to certain threats,” they said.

Meanwhile, Trend Micro still sees Conficker (aka Downad) as a persistent threat for ICS endpoints. First discovered back in 2008, this computer worm is still being persistently detected on 200 unique endpoints.

“We found that at least 94% of the endpoints we analysed were running Windows 10 and Windows 7 operating systems. The most widely known propagation method of Conficker is exploiting the MS08-067 vulnerability that could allow remote code execution if an affected system received a specially crafted Remote Procedure Call (RPC) request. But MS08-067 does not apply to Windows 10 and Windows 7, which leads us to the conclusion that these infections are propagated using either removable drives or dictionary attacks on ADMIN$ share,” researchers said.

Trend Micro said security should be a major consideration when interconnecting the IT network with the OT network. Specifically, security issues that are used by both the legacy malware and the latest attack trends should be addressed.

“We recommend that IT security staff approach ICS security by understanding the unique requirements these systems have and why they were set up that way. With that in mind, IT security staff should work with OT engineers to properly account for key systems, identify various dependencies such as OS compatibility and up-time requirements, and learn the process and operational practices to come up with a suitable cybersecurity strategy to properly protect these important systems,” researchers said.

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The new funding will also be used to accelerate the company’s expansion into new verticals and regions.

“Our mission is to drive visibility, continuity, and resiliency in the industrial economy by delivering the most comprehensive solutions that secure all connected devices within the four walls of an industrial site, including all operational technology (OT), Internet of Things (IoT), and industrial IoT (IIoT) assets,” said Yaniv Vardi, CEO of Claroty. “With this new investment, we have the financial runway to execute on our proven product strategy in a hyper-growth market, with a world-class leadership team and a strong ecosystem of partners to take us there.”

That latest round of funding is led by Bessemer Venture Partners’ Century II fund and 40 North, alongside additional strategic investors such LG and I Squared Capital’s ISQ Global InfraTech Fund. All previous investors, including Team8 and long-time customers and partners Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Schneider Electric, have also participated. The round brings the company’s total funding to US$235 million.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, global ransomware damage costs are predicted to exceed US$265 billion by 2031, up from US$20 billion in 2021. As these incidents show no signs of slowing, Claroty’s new investment has firmly placed the company at the forefront of the market with the resources, experience, and capabilities needed to shore up industrial cyber defences for the future.

Claroty protects organisations’  industrial assets, connections, and processes, with deployments in thousands of locations and facilities across 50 countries in all seven continents. For one, the company has worked closely with Pfizer to secure its COVID-19 vaccine supply chain in its race to meet unprecedented global demand.

Other customers include General Motors, BHP, Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (Australia, Pacific, Indonesia), IRPC Public Company Limited, Aboitiz Power, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Schneider Electric.

The company’s  platform connects seamlessly with customers’ existing infrastructure and programs while providing a full range of industrial cybersecurity controls for visibility, threat detection, risk and vulnerability management, and secure remote access—all with a significantly reduced total cost of ownership.

To date, Claroty has deployed its solution in a range of verticals, including pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, automotive, chemicals, mining & materials, manufacturing, medical devices & life sciences, oil & gas, electric, water & waste.

Meanwhile, the Claroty Research Team continues to lead in investigating potential risks to industrial control systems (ICS). The team is known for its development of proprietary threat signatures, protocol analysis, and discovery and disclosure of ICS vulnerabilities. Equipped with the industry’s most extensive ICS testing lab, the team works closely with leading industrial automation vendors to evaluate the security of their products. To date, the team has discovered and disclosed more than 120 ICS vulnerabilities.

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With this latest partnership, the two companies will combine WEGoT’s  ultrasonic water meters and cloud application in LoRaWAN networks with Kerlink’s carrier-grade outdoor Wirnet iStations and industrial-grade Wirnet iFemtocell indoor gateways, which receive sensor-generated data and transfer it to building and facility managers.

This move will allow water utility companies in India, such as water-delivery companies and water- and sewage-treatment plants to get a real-time picture of operations and make informed decisions for preventive maintenance.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, India faces ongoing challenges providing adequate water for residential and industrial consumption. NITI Aayog, a public-policy think tank of the Indian government, predicts that only half of the demand  for the country’s water supply will be met by 2030.

To help address the water shortage problem, WEGoT developed its Aqua IoT-based solution to monitor water-supply systems by tracking detailed consumption data via its highly accurate, ultrasonic sensors that measure water flow, pressure, and quality, and transmit the data to property managers’ dashboards and smartphones in real time. The solution is targeted for facilities ranging from hotels, hospitals and factories to high-rise residential buildings.

The system consistently has enabled users, such as large residential communities, to reduce their water consumption by 40% to 50%, bringing a 40% reduction in water-related costs. Property owners typically achieve an ROI within 12 months of installing the system. In addition to monitoring consumption, the WEGoT Aqua solution also sends water-leak alerts to users’ mobile apps, which can be used to stop the supply of water to the source of the leak.

“WEGoT’s Aqua solution is an innovative, necessary tool for reducing water consumption – and waste – supported by a customer-friendly business model that provides users with details of their use, and encourages them to take their own steps to manage consumption and create an sustainable living,” said Girish Dadheech, vice president of Kerlink India. “The market for this timely solution delivered in LoRaWAN customised private networks is large.”

According to Vijay Krishna, WEGoT’s vice president for networks, the company’s latest partnership with Kerlink seamlessly dovetails with their plan to expand and accelerate the deployment of the Aqua solution.

“Kerlink equipment is being used in diverse Indian LoRaWAN networks and has proven to be robust and reliable under any conditions. Because of this, the company understands how to do business in India, which helps make our system rollouts for customers simple and quick,” Krishna said.

To date, WEGoT estimates that its systems now installed in more than 30,000 homes and 40 million square feet of commercial space have save more than three billion litres of water, since the company started in 2015.

With its partnership with Kerlink, the company plans to deploy the system in a million more homes and more than 5,000 commercial and industrial facilities by 2024 – targeting to save over 10-billion litres of water in the next three years.

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Inbavanan Rathinam, senior director for solutions & services , Asia-Pacific at Rockwell Automation, said the new services enables customers to  be future-ready through the convergence of IT and OT by incorporating agility and flexibility in both infrastructure and processes.

“Industrial players in Asia face the dual challenges of upgrading and integrating legacy infrastructure while building a more sustainable operations framework. LifeCycleIQ Services enables our customers to better plan and service every aspect of the plant, from design to safe operations, enabling reduced energy usage, minimised wastage, and maximised output,” Rathinam said.

The new services represents the expanding ways that customers can engage with Rockwell Automation technology and highly trained professionals to improve their performance and reimagine what’s possible across their industrial value chain.

By combining digital technologies with expansive human know-how, the services help companies work faster, smarter and with greater agility at every point in their business cycle. The services can help companies realise the power of a Connected Enterprise during the design, operations, and maintenance stages in greenfield and brownfield facilities.

In the Asia Pacific, LifecycleIQ Services hopes to bring its transformative partnership with enterprise customers in key areas such as automotive, chemicals, food and beverage and life sciences.

According to Rockwell Automation, the new services can help industrial companies on the following:

• Capturing more value from digital transformation initiatives: Using the knowledge and experience within LifecycleIQ Services, companies can strategically plan, implement and scale their digital initiatives. Support can begin with defining strategic objectives, identifying use cases and quantifying business value. Rockwell Automation can then continue to support customers through implementation, ongoing maintenance and continuous innovation.
• Reducing risk with comprehensive cybersecurity support: Fewcompanies have specialists with both information and operations technology (IT/OT) security knowledge. Rockwell Automation is uniquely equipped to address complex security challenges in IT/OT environments. The company understands the OT environment and how it interfaces with IT and follows industry security standards.

LifecycleIQ Services can help companies adopt a proactive cybersecurity approach and address the entire attack continuum – before, during and after an event. Also, as more companies connect their plants to remote workers and partners like original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), it can help protect those connections with secure remote access and security posture assessment services.

• Improving workforce support: LifecycleIQ Services can help companies address their unique workforce challenges and gaps by assessing needs, identifying priorities and creating workforce development programs. Rockwell Automation also uses remote support capabilities and augmented reality technologies to help companies interact virtually with support engineers, strengthen skills with virtual training, and provide safety and security services without sending people into plants.

Meanwhile, LifecycleIQ Services is  introducing a new way to receive multiple services in one contract. An Integrated Service Agreement allows companies to select a package of offerings to simplify their support needs and have just one number to call to access experts and receive priority service. Companies can get 24x7 technical support, repair services, reports and analytics, field services and more, all in one integrated contract.

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The introduction of the new family of products comes a little more than two weeks after the company launched its first IoT modem solution that is equipped with 5G connectivity and optimised for Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications. The Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem-RF System is a modem-to-antenna solution designed to support the IoT ecosystem in building upgradeable LTE and 5G devices for IoT verticals.

The newly released chipsets span across entire market segments from entry level to premium tier, and purpose-built to support emerging IoT devices and solutions designed for industrial and commercial applications.

“We have two variants of products. One classified  under the QCS family, which is an application processor with WiFi connectivity; and the other is classified under the QCM, which is an application processor with an integrated cellular connectivity,” said Nagaraju Naik, senior director for product development at Qualcomm.

He added: “With the understanding of the IoT portfolio across industrial and enterprise applications, there is a need for extended hardware availability as well as extended software support. So, we have defined that as a programme. All the new chipsets are extended life chipsets with a minimum hardware availability of at least eight years; and we have an extended software support programme that is very well established, which offers security bug fixes on a quarterly basis.”

The new Qualcomm IoT chipsets are:

• Qualcomm QCS8250 | Target applications: connected healthcare, digital signage, retail, and video collaboration

This premium-tier offering is optimised to deliver maximum performance to enable compute intensive AI at the edge with support for Qualcomm® Wi-Fi 6 solutions and 5G connectivity. It offers a new Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for ultra-intuitive AI in addition to machine learning for compute-intensive IoT applications to enable smart cameras, video collaboration, AI hubs, connected healthcare and smart retail. Purpose-built for industrial and commercial applications, this platform delivers ultimate performance experience with flexible options enabled by Qualcomm’s 3rd party ecosystem to accelerate deployment and commercialisation at scale.

• Qualcomm QCS6490/QCM6490 | Target applications: connected healthcare, logistics management, retail, transportation, and warehousing

With the Kryo 585 CPU architecture this solution delivers powerful performance and is purpose-built for industrial and commercial IoT applications such as transportation, warehousing, connected healthcare, logistics management and across retail point of sale (POS) kiosks. Equip to support 5G mmWave/Sub-6 GHz and Wi-Fi 6E, this solution helps enable the latest generation of ruggedised handhelds and tablets, industrial scanners, and human machine interface systems. Through powerful connections, reduced latency, along with dynamic triple ISPs and advanced Edge-AI and compute based on 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine, this solution delivers astonishing performance at reduced power compared to previous generation solutions.

• Qualcomm QCS4290/QCM4290 | Target applications: cameras, industrial handhelds, and security panels

These chipsets offer maximum mid-tier benefits. With the Kryo260 CPU architecture for increased speeds and robust on-device performance, in addition to the 3rd generation Qualcomm AI Engine, this platform delivers powerful performance, dynamic camera capabilities and broad connectivity options (LTE Cat13, Wi-Fi 6-Ready),ideal for industrial and commercial IoT applications such as industrial handhelds in logistics and warehousing, security panels and cameras. For increased intuitive on-device intelligence, devices based on this new solution will help enable productive and efficient work environments.

• Qualcomm QCS2290/QCM2290 | Target applications: camera applications, industrial handhelds, retail and tracking

These are robust entry-level offerings, enabling reliable performance and power-conservation with LTE connectivity, upgraded features and memory support for low power consumption. Equipped with the Cortex A53 CPU architecture, the entry-level platform is a cost-effective solution, delivering greater performance, higher graphics capabilities, better quality images, and improved power performance. This platform is well-suited for, retail point-of-sale (POS),industrial handheld, tracking and camera applications. Also, QCS2290/QCM2290 baseband chip is pin-to-pin compatible with QCS4290/QCM4290 which helps customers use hardware and software across various IoT devices to reduce cost and time to market.

The Qualcomm QCS8250, Qualcomm QCS4290/ QCM4290, and Qualcomm QCS2290/ QCM2290 solutions are available now. The Qualcomm QCS6490/ QCM6490 solution are expected to be available in second half of 2021.

Enabling the IoT ecosystem

With its latest family of IoT chipsets, Qualcomm hopes to enable its more than 13,000 IoT customers accelerate their development of connected products.

“We uniquely positioned to lead the IoT ecosystem forward with our systems-level approach. Along with the recently announced Qualcomm315 5G IoT modem, these new IoT solutions further exemplify our commitment to driving global digital transformation and providing a portfolio of solutions to transform industrial and enterprise IoT applications to achieve cutting-edge performance and seamless connectivity,” said Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president and general manager of connected smart systems at Qualcomm .

He added: “We believe in the power of technology to enrich lives through purposeful innovation with solutions to support the ecosystem in reimagining how the world connects, works and communicates. These new IoT solutions are a step towards achieving that goal.”

A number of the company’s customers and partners have expressed optimism about the new IoT chipsets.

“The announcement of Qualcomm Technologies’ newest IoT solutions is an exciting step forward in the global proliferation of next-generation IoT devices. Coupled with Fibocom’s end-to-end IoT modules and wireless communications solutions, these new solutions will enable powerful, intelligent, and revolutionary IoT solutions across a variety of industries and vertical applications,” said Lingpeng Ying,chief executive officer, Wireless Inc.

"As a leading IoT solution distributor in Taiwan, we have strong application insights and support customers from concept to design to manufacturing. The Qualcomm QCS8250 is a leading AI computing platform, and we are pleased to be collaborating with Taiwan customers to enable the high-performance, low-power computing IoT platform in 1H2022, including a SMARC module from biases and video conference solution from Aver," said Eric Cheng, president, Hongtech Electronics.

“Qualcomm Technologies’ newest IoT solutions are a strong step forward for the retail market and IoT ecosystem to enable the global proliferation of next-generation devices. We are proud to work with Qualcomm Technologies to continue to enable the growth of this market and ecosystem.” said Tom Luo, executive vice president, PAX Computer Technology (Shenzhen).

“Based on our long strategic relationship, we congratulate Qualcomm Technologies on the launch of these cutting-edge solutions,” said Julie Johnson, vice president of product management, Zebra Technologies. “This innovation gives us more flexibility than ever before to build the right technology solutions for our customers based on their specific needs.”

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By deploying connected sensors, companies can use IoT analytics to deliver temperature-sensitive COVID vaccines, analyse crop data to deliver higher-quality food, improve energy forecasting to reduce utility bills, and protect people and property from dangerous flooding.

For some time now, SAS has been working with key partners including Microsoft Azure and Stress Engineering to apply customisable analytics to cold chain logistics integrity challenges.

“We use data and analytics in the cloud to help protect the efficacy of temperature-sensitive medications while simultaneously addressing security and regulatory mandates,” said Jason Mann, vice president of IoT at SAS. “It helps companies maximise efficiency, align demand, and minimise waste and fraud.

According to a 2019 study by IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, failures in temperature-controlled logistics – like those required for storing and transporting the COVID vaccine – result in US$35 billion in annual biopharma losses. IQVIA anticipates cold chain logistics will account for nearly a quarter of pharmaceutical companies’ R&D budgets in 2021 and beyond.

IoT analytics in crop and livestock farming

SAS has been collaborating with partners such as like Ernst & Young, Semtech , DunavNET and a host of universities and colleges to apply IoT analytics in precision agriculture.

“It helps field crop and livestock farming organisations enhance quality and maximise yield, so the world’s food supply is safe and abundant.” Mann said.

Again, through connected sensors, crop and livestock farmers to monitor the situation in the fields in real-time.

According to an IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Agriculture 2021 Predictions, 75% of livestock farmers will use wearables by 2026 to provide real-time information about animal health and activity levels. This will improve profits and operational efficiency. The experts also expect 35% of farmers will use drones to monitor and manage field crops and animals to reduce labour costs and manage more acreage.

By using data streaming from sensors integrated with the LoRaWAN standard on livestock or smart drones surveying field crops, SAS analytics  help farmers protect crops, increase yields and meet customer demand.

One company that hugely benefitted in using IoT analytics is  the 5,600 -acre 13. Jul – Plantaze, which owns Europe’s largest single complex vineyard. The company produces more than 20 million kilograms of grapes and approximately 15 million bottles of wine annually.

13. Jul - Plantaze uses SAS analytics deployed by partners DunavNET and the University of Donja Gorica to monitor the presence of grape moths, which can cause significant problems.

“The SAS analytics built into the DunavNET agroNET solution have helped us move our operation into the digital future,” said Dr. Vesna Maraš, director of the development sector at Plantaze. “Monitoring plant health and pests is key, but so is modernising our entire viticulture and

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Catherine Chong, director for the SMEs Go Digital programme at IMDA, urged the industry players to seize the opportunity to kickstart their digitisation journey by tapping on the IDP, which served as a roadmap through the whole process.

“With increasing shortage in skilled manpower and rising global competition, it is vital for SMEs in the M&OE industry to build greater resilience to adapt and thrive in the digital future,” Chong said.

“SMEs can seize new growth opportunities by integrating and investing in relevant digital technologies to enhance their productivity and business performance, such as Project Scheduling and Workforce Management systems, and Predictive Monitoring & Maintenance using AI and IoT technologies. Ultimately, we hope to see these digitalisation efforts boost the industry as a whole,” she added.

Jointly developed by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the IMDA, the IDP was developed based on consultations and feedback from industry players in 2020 which showed that SMEs were keen to streamline operations and maximise productivity through digital tools. In line with the needs of the industry, the IDP comprises two roadmaps – the Digital Roadmap charts out different digital solutions SMEs can adopt at each stage of their business growth and digital maturity; while the Digital Training Roadmap offers a corresponding training roadmap for employees, to equip them with the right skill sets.

This latest digital roadmap, follow two similar IDP launched by ESG and IMDA last month targeted food manufacturing and environmental services industry respectively.

The M&OE IDP includes specially curated solutions such as Workforce Optimiser, Project and Scheduling Management, and Asset Monitoring and Management System. Companies who have adopted such solutions have seen productivity improvements and better time management by employees.

Esther Xu, M&OE Services director at ESG  noted that apart from the impact of COVID-19, the industry is facing major shifts, such as the accelerated global transition towards cleaner energy and rapid advancements in technology such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing, robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“As an export-oriented sector, SMEs will need to leverage digital technology and solutions to manage current challenges and in the longer run, stay ahead of global competition. This is not just about knowing which digital solutions are available, but understanding how different technologies can be applied to deliver business value and impact. However, the use of technology must be complemented by a workforce that is equipped with the necessary digital skillsets. This IDP provides a framework for M&OE SMEs to start their digital journey,” Xu said.

Already, several local MO&E companies have started digitising their operations. For one, Masterscan Engineering recently adopted a Workforce Management solution. Together with their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, this has enabled them to reduce the time needed for invoicing and payroll by about 50% and 30% respectively.

Another SME, Completion Products, implemented an ERP solution to streamline their corporate functions. In addition, the company adopted new software and machinery such as Quality Management System (QMS) and semi-automated Screen Wrapping Machine to reduce material waste and project lead time. This helped lower their operating expenditure by 10%.

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This is one of the major pieces of advice given by Frost & Sullivan in its latest analysis of the global critical infrastructure cybersecurity market. Segmented into oil and gas facilities, utilities (electric and water), maritime (ports and entry points), and airports, the research firm estimates the market will reach US$24.22 billion by 2030 from US$21.68 billion in 2020.

Despite the ever-increasing threat landscape and their incredibly high-risk profile, the Frost & Sullivan study pointed out that critical infrastructure organisations remain far behind where they should be in their cyber maturity and digital resilience strategies, necessitating a rapid push to fortify cyber defenses and manage their cyber-risk profiles.

"While oil and gas facilities will continue to remain, the largest segment investing in cybersecurity solutions, airports will prove to be the fastest-growing one, with a CAGR of 10.1%. Spending is expected to reach US$1.87 billion by 2030," said Danielle VanZandt, industry analyst for security at Frost & Sullivan.

"This is driven by the ongoing construction of new facilities, significant digitalization upgrades within existing airports, and the incremental updates being made to cybersecurity systems to keep up with the changing cyber-threat landscape and improve detection capabilities," she added.

Besides ensuring that their data traffic monitoring for OT systems are up to scratch, the Frost & Sullivan analysis said cybersecurity vendors should focus on the following in order to tap into a potentially lucrative market:

• Network topology solutions for vulnerability and risk assessment: Market participants seeking to provide network topology capabilities need to ensure that they can identify and discover the variety of information technology (IT), Internet of Things (IoT), and operational technology (OT) devices within an organization's network architecture to begin building the topological model.
• Continuous discovery for organisational assets: For security vendors, emphasizing continuous monitoring and automatic discovery tasks will help attract new customers and improve their market share.
• Predictive analytics and threat intelligence for incident detection: Cybersecurity solutions providers must emphasize automatic and predictive capabilities in their system tests and proofs of concept with customers to show how these systems will not overwhelm their existing security functions.
• Secure-by-design initiatives for operational technology assets and systems: Security operators that want to update older OT assets and devices should look at any components that are not engineered via secure-by-design manufacturing.

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The potential of this technology is vast for manufacturers in Southeast Asia seeking to develop and scale their digital infrastructure. Manufacturers across the region are taking bold steps to digitise operations by integrating IT and operational technology systems. IIoT technologies connect sensors, equipment, controls, and industrial computing platforms to give warehouses and factories visibility and control of equipment and processes. The industry is also becoming smarter with the deployment of artificial intelligence to unearth the value of big data for analytics and insights that can open up new revenue streams and improve customer satisfaction.

Infrastructure limitations

Relying on the cloud to support real-time analytics and decision-making for all of these devices is not feasible. The sheer volume of data generated by sensors and these other devices can be overwhelming. With edge computing supporting IIoT, a durable and reliable IT infrastructure can maximise production and facility efficiency.

Before proceeding on this digitisation journey, factory, warehouse, and other production plant operators should consider all of the network assets that are enabling business-critical operations. IIoT devices need to be on the factory floor instead of data centres or centralised offices which, in turn, exposes it to harsh and potentially damaging conditions.

Condition-based monitoring (CBM) collects operating data from industrial equipment in real time and allows operators to assess the actual condition of components as well as the implementation of proactive service. This way, maintenance can be conducted as needed, rather than scheduled to minimise downtime.

Manufacturers should ensure that the network infrastructure includes the following characteristics to operate at optimal efficiency.

1. Power Continuity and Quality - To avoid power disruptions or delays that can adversely affect system availability, it is essential for devices at the edge of networks to have a dedicated power backup through connections to uninterruptible power supply (UPS). For manufacturers operating in harsh conditions, it is advisable to use an industrial grade UPS that carries a high fault tolerant rating and other rugged features.
2. Air Quality - It is no secret that the air quality in industrial settings leaves a lot to be desired. The high concentrations of airborne dust and particles can compromise the reliability and life expectancy of IT equipment if it ends up in server fans. Means of protection can include dust-protected or sealed IT racks, and enclosures that keep unfiltered air away from the equipment. It is equally important to integrate a dedicated cooling system to create a clean, temperature-controlled environment.
3. Physical Security - When computing and storage hardware are located nearby like in a manufacturing environment, the possibility of a human breach is never far away. The risk of unauthorised access will increase the vulnerability of the edge computing architecture. Securing the devices in lockable cabinets and putting sensors on doors are highly-recommended best practices.
4. Network Edge Infrastructure Visibility - With manufacturing facilities and factories located in rough environments where dedicated technical resources and support might not be available, remote monitoring capabilities are crucial to give IT specialists the visibility to assess equipment performance promptly.

However, there are challenges to be considered, such as deployment times and over-stretched IT resources, that can be obstacles to establishing a standardised infrastructure across multiple facilities. A more effective approach would be to leverage integrated, micro data centre solutions that are designed to provide superior performance and reliability in tough conditions.

IIoT adoption can enable enterprises to increase the value of IT assets and resources, but maintaining these devices at the edge of networks also illustrates the problems that can arise without proper equipment protection. Enterprises that deploy integrated micro data centres with remote monitoring capabilities can reduce latency and disruptions to operations. The speed at which manufacturing works today means increasing operational efficiency and minimising risks of downtime must be high on the agenda to successfully future-proof production processes.

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“The manufacturing industry is a crucial sector to the overall economy of Thailand. To brace for changes with the application of technology in business operations will be inevitably necessary for the entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry,” said Chang Foo, chief operating officer, Tencent Thailand.

Chang has been touting his company’s smart solutions for Industry 4.0 in the Southeast Asian country for some time now, saying that “an intelligent manufacturing system is an important cog to drive an effective transformation of the Thai manufacturing industry into Industry 4.0”.

Indeed, Tencent Thailand has been tapped by Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII) to deliver the end-to-end cloud-based solution that would help the world’s largest contract electronic equipment manufacturer to build, deploy and operate its industrial internet.

FII has adopted a “smart manufacturing + industrial Internet” strategy using sensor technology, smart logistics and automated industrial control systems. Most of its production lines and factories are fully automated, including several “lights-off” factories that are run entirely via robots. Enabled by the industrial internet and cloud computing, lights-out factories reduce costs, improve manufacturing quality, cut down on energy use and increase data and production safety, among other notable benefits.

FII’s industrial internet connects brilliant machines, big data, and people at work to enable person-to-person, person-to-machine, and machine-to-machine communication.

Tencent Cloud and FII worked together to bring FII’s manufacturing strategy to life with a highly effective industrial cloud platform. The Foxconn Industrial Cloud Platform (FII Cloud) combines operations technology and information technology to create a secure connection between manufacturing plants and the FII Cloud, using the Tencent Internet ecosystem. FII deployed various components and applications of its platform product BEACON on Tencent Cloud, making seamless access between multiple locations a reality.

“As a business enabler, we help all organisations transform into digital systems efficiently,” Chang said. “With these smart cloud solutions, businesses can increase the production capacity to meet changing market demands successfully. Furthermore, they can elevate their business operations and the production system, leading to an increase in competitiveness in the global market.”

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Through its latest collaboration with global mobile satellite communications operator Inmarsat, Honeywell’s new SAT-IDP portable satellite terminal can track, monitor and control high-value assets in virtually any environment anywhere in the world, using the Inmarsat network.

Once an asset has been equipped with a SAT-IDP terminal and deployed in the field, the terminal can be programmed to send and receive customised data from internal and external sensors including temperature, humidity, vibration and shock.

“With high-value assets moving throughout the world, our portable next-generation satellite terminal gives shippers, fleet companies and their customers valuable data to help make sure their goods will make it to their destination safely,” said Kenneth Deville, general manager of Honeywell’s Global Tracking business. “The terminal’s new features provide greater insights into the quality of shipped goods, location of critical assets and the status and control of remote industrial systems.”

The SAT-IDP also introduces several new features including multiple input/output ports for third-party digital support, and Bluetooth connectivity to enable wireless terminal management for local scripting and configuration in addition to wireless sensors and messaging applications. The SAT-IDP features a compact design allowing inconspicuous deployments with several options for tailored installation.

The terminal operates globally on the highly reliable L-band satellite network from Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, using the IsatData Pro (IDP) service. IDP is often used where no other communications networks exist, but also complements other networks such as 4G as a reliable fallback for mission-critical data.

“Inmarsat is pleased to support Honeywell and its customers with an evolution path for existing applications and an opportunity to further innovate in the digital transformation of remote industries,” said Mike Carter, president of Enterprise at Inmarsat. “Inmarsat and Honeywell partner on various initiatives and share a common mission to improve safety, sustainability and efficiency for our customers.”

Inmarsat owns and operates the world’s most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks. Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.

For existing Honeywell customers using previous SAT-series terminals, the rugged, high reliability SAT-IDP offers a drop-in upgrade path from legacy satellite IoT services to IDP, which will extend application lifecycle and customer investments by ten years or more.

Honeywell and Inmarsat have worked together for nearly two decades to deliver solutions for several industries, including personal tracking, global GPS and aerospace.

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The new centre is run by the Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence division, which provides solutions that use data from design and engineering, production and metrology to make manufacturing smarter. Hexagon specialises in sensor, software and autonomous solutions, which data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications.

“Singapore is a strategic location for Hexagon’s innovation centre in the ASEAN region, where we have seen a rapid rise of new innovations and start-ups in the region and the unfolding of 5G technologies,” said Paolo Guglielmini, president of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division said. “We look forward to supporting the application of advanced technologies and smart manufacturing to support growth in industries such as electronics, medical technology or eMobility.”

The new centre is the company’s flagship facility in Southeast  Asia and is currently manned by over two dozen people.

It will carry a range of smart digital manufacturing technologies and autonomous connected ecosystems. This includes Hexagon’s latest advanced Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) solutions for design engineering; Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software for production applications; precision metrology, superior sensors, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, data management and analytics solutions.

An environment for innovators

Indeed, the new centre will offer design and production engineers the best environment to learn, experiment, interact, and facilitate deeper learning and knowledge transfer in areas such as reverse engineering, additive manufacturing, shop-floor automated inspection and digitalisation of operations.

“This centre marks our on-going drive to bring Hexagon’s smart solutions into this region for the benefit of businesses here. It offers an environment for innovators, design engineers and manufacturers to test proof their inventions for quality, safety and productivity with access to our latest offerings which are a part of Hexagon’s Smart Solution portfolio,” said  Lim Boon Choon, president for Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, Korea, ASEAN, Pacific, and India.

Solutions at the Hexagon’s Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre include:

• Advanced CAE solutions for design engineering, for simulation in the areas of comprehensive Computational Fluid Dynamics and Modern manufacturing simulation process such as forming, stamping, welding and additive manufacturing
• CAM software for production solutions like NCSIMUL and VISI Reverse
• Asset management and connected shopfloor digital solutions like SFx Asset Management
• Quality analysis solutions such as Q-DAS, VGSTUDIO Max and Laser Trackers
• Statistical Process Control to collect data for analytics

Lim hinted at exciting updates on the horizon. “More of Hexagon’s revolutionary smart technologies including the latest advanced non-contact sensors fitted on-machine, on coordinate measuring machines (CMM) as well as on Laser Trackers, to elevate quality and precision to the highest level possible will soon be featured at the centre. This is a pioneering achievement, one that the industry has not seen to-date.”

Eye on Southeast Asia

Industry research points to a shifting tide towards autonomous smart manufacturing in the next five years in Southeast Asia, especially with many industries and governments pushing for digitalisation.

Lim highlighted that the aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical technology as well as energy industries would stand to especially benefit from the new facility.

“Hexagon’s Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre allows us to move closer towards creating an autonomous future where business, industry and humanity sustainably thrive,” he added.

Hexagon currently has smart manufacturing innovation centres and factories in Hongdao, China; Detroit, USA; Tokyo, Japan and several European countries. It will be expanding its footprint to include Thailand, Vietnam, India and Korea in the near future.

The post Hexagon puts stakes on ASEAN's smart manufacturing pie appeared first on FutureIoT.

ENGIE, which specialises on sustainable energy innovation, will develop and construct the DCS plant, which will have a cooling capacity of close to 30,000 refrigeration-tons[1], equivalent to cooling 8,000 4-room HDB flats.

With a 4km centralised piping network connected to customers in the district, the plant is expected to reduce 3,700 tons of CO2 emissions per year at full development and achieve up to 30% reduction of energy consumption compared to standard commercial buildings. The design phase contract, awarded to ENGIE in 2019, has also achieved the Building & Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum award.

Beyond a reduction in carbon emission, the DCS contributes to PDD’s vision of not just being a sustainable mixed-use district, but a smart one. The system will be integrated into PDD’s Open Digital Platform where monitoring and machine learning of building usage patterns will be carried out.

“Technology is a key driver in advancing sustainability at Singapore’s first smart business District. The Open Digital Platform at PDD integrates various systems across the district, including the district cooling system. This will allow us to track energy consumption patterns, as well as optimise energy distribution and cost efficiencies across the entire District. This is an exciting partnership with ENGIE, and we welcome more players to join us," said David Tan, assistant CEO  of Development Group, JTC.

Part of urban transformation master plan

In line with Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) urban transformation master plan to optimise land use, key infrastructure for the district cooling system will be laid below ground. By implementing district cooling, more spaces can be used for green parks and social amenities, development of renewable energy such as rooftop solar panels.

Moreover, ENGIE will leverage construction innovations such as mechanical pipe couplings for a more efficient and environmentally friendly installation, which aligns with the nation's push to promote the adoption of sustainable construction materials and practices.

“We are proud to partner with JTC to build a world-class smart district cooling system that contributes to Singapore’s sustainability agenda. Increasingly, district cooling solutions will play a critical and essential role to help Southeast Asia meet its cooling needs while achieving its sustainability goals towards climate action,” said Thomas Baudlot, CEO, ENGIE South East Asia.

The selection of ENGIE to design, build, own and operate the district cooling system for PDD marks another significant step for the company, as it continues to make headway in strengthening South East Asia’s energy efficiency through innovations in district cooling and other smart and sustainable technologies.

“The development and construction of the plant is right at the heart of ENGIE’s vision to enable businesses, partners and governments to make the shift towards carbon neutrality,”  Baudlot added.

Expected to be completed in 2024, the underground plant will be operated by ENGIE for a period of 30 years. The district cooling facility will provide air conditioning in a reliable, sustainable and cost effective way to the business park, community, retail outlets, and transportation nodes within the district. It optimises resources, land use and operational efficiency by allowing individual buildings to avoid operating and maintaining their own air conditioning systems.

The post ENGIE to build district cooling system in Punggol Digital District appeared first on FutureIoT.

“This will help to detect problems earlier, reduce delays caused by road closures for manual inspections and repairs, and help to find problems more quickly and accurately in the case of bridge strikes or other unexpected events,” said Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan.

The state government has partnered with technology vendor Xerox  on a joint venture  named Eloque to commercialise the new technology that will remotely monitor the structural health of bridges.

“The technology has already been deployed on 7 bridges in Victoria and will be progressively deployed on priority bridges, particularly those that regularly deal with heavy loads and are at the most risk of deterioration. This is solving a major pain point for customers and allowing them to better manage their assets,” said VicTrack chief executive Campbell Rose AM, who has taken the role of CEO of Eloque to support the company through its early establishment.

The Eloque solution is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology, that accurately measures and estimates structural strain, thermal response, bending, loads, vibration on bridges. Advanced analytics are then used to evaluate the sensors’ data and deliver insights directly to the bridge owners and operators in real time, to monitor whether a bridge is being over or underutilised, has structural problems or damage that needs repair.

Aging public infrastructure challenge

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, in the United States alone, 42% of all bridges are at least 50 years old, and nearly 231,000 bridges need repair and preservation work. This problem extends across the globe. An estimated 70% of Australia’s bridges are more than 50 years old, around 11,000 of Germany's 25,000 rail bridges are over 100 years old, and 7% of bridges in France are already at risk of collapse.

“Aging and deteriorating public infrastructure is a global problem. We are pioneering technology that maintains the safety of bridges, extends their useful life and positively impacts planning,” said Xerox vice chairman and CEO John Visentin. “Our partnership with the Victorian Government not only allows us to solve this problem for Victoria, but also rapidly expand to customers around the world facing these challenges.”

The technology was developed at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and trailed through a partnership between Xerox and VicTrack, the Victorian Government state-owned enterprise that owns all railway and tram lines in the state. PARC’s solution uses sensors and advanced analytics to monitor structural health in bridges to optimize asset life.

“While our initial focus will be rail and road bridges, Eloque’s technology is versatile and we plan to adapt it for use on other critical structures in the future,” said Ersin Uzun, general manager of IoT for Xerox and Board Member of Eloque. “We are already looking to expand the technology to tunnels, ports, multi-story parking garages and other critical infrastructure assets.”

Xerox is the majority owner of Eloque, and this is part of its strategy for broad entry into the IoT market with new industrial offerings. Last year, Xerox also announced that PARC is working with the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the development of a technology that can enable large scale monitoring of seas under the Ocean of Things program.

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With monitoring level up of up to 60m detection range, the low-energy,  battery-powered  sensor is designed to optimise stock replenishment, cut operational costs and reduce dangerous silo audits at great heights.

The new Terabee LoRa Level Monitoring XL device can be conveniently installed on top of silos and tanks, providing over-the-air data about real-time fill levels of stocked materials, whether they are liquids, solids or powders.

“Wireless communication and battery-power are features that our customers have frequently requested  in the past year. We’re glad to be responding to customer and market demand by launching this product. This will now allow our clients to reduce cost, time and complexity during device installation on top of silos. It will also enable easier deployment in remote locations,” said  Max Ruffo, CEO and founder, Terabee.

IoT enables more efficient stock monitoring

Until recent years, monitoring stock and materials levels has been dominated by both contact-based and non-contact transmitters.  The growth of IoT has seen an increase in contactless level sensors, capable of providing years of autonomy through their battery powered design, while achieving cost-effectiveness. Moreover, kilometres of data transmission coverage is gained through LoRaWAN technology.

Terabee plans to work with IoT solution providers and integrators, who are looking for third party, ready-to-install devices that will feed existing applications with useful data about material stock in silos and tanks.

“We’ve also received interest from a wider range of sectors and organizations than expected — people who are looking for effective ways to digitize material levels in places and in assets not previously digitised. This includes telecommunications companies providing LoRaWAN network infrastructure, silo and farming equipment manufacturers, material transportation and storage companies, to name some,” said Ruffo.

A range of benefits

According to Ruffo, Terabee’s new level monitoring device has positive impact across operations, budget, staffing deployment and planning.

Some of the key benefits include:

• Time and cost savings - Installing Terabee IoT sensors on top of silos, eliminates or minimises time spent by staff to manually inspect remaining content levels in silos and tanks. This results in lower operational costs and enables staff to focus on other critical business functions.
• Improved staff safety -With the use of Terabee LoRa Level Monitoring XL sensors regularly measuring and sending (over the air) data about real-time material level in customer silos, there is no need to have people climb and visually audit remaining contents. This often can be a dangerous task and requires specific equipment.
• Ensure optimal use of equipment - In some cases, silos are emptied and not re-filled nor used for weeks or months. This mostly happens because silo owners do not know that the silos are empty. Knowing the current fill level of silos will minimize equipment downtime and ensure more efficient use.
• Optimise stock replenishment process - With everyday data being gathered from each silo, the overall material restocking process can be better planned and optimized, saving costs and time in the process. This can be done by looking at historic refilling cycles at different periods.

For farmers, this enables leaner material restocking. Material providers, such as animal feed producers or suppliers, will have far more accurate estimations of upcoming production quantities and route optimization for deliveries. As a roll on effect, CO2 emission will be cut too.

• Eliminate unreliable approximations - From client discussions Terabee heard a number of old school methods to approximate remaining content quantity in silos or tanks. One that stood out was “banging on the bottom part of the silo and listening for acoustic feedback”. Material in different quantities would produce a different sound and give the user a rough idea on the remaining contents.

Such methods, unfortunately may result in errors in material quantities which may lead to:(a) running out of stock too fast, which can put farm animals at risk or block production lines; (b) delivering stock too soon and having no space to receive and stock the new delivery before the current stock is consumed. The user either needs to find new, unsecure ways to stock the material or pay extra for a return delivery at a later date.

Modern industry cannot rely on quaint, outdated methods - like banging the bottom of a tank - and remain competitive. Digital stock level monitoring is the new way to get smart and gain efficiency.

Founded in 2012 in France, Terabee digitises movement to enable digital transformation. Mastering multiple sensing technologies, the company provides sensor modules and sensor-based solutions for Industry 4.0, smart buildings, smart agriculture, mobile robotics – and during this global pandemic, Covid-19 relief.

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This latest move follows closely on the heels of the new IDP that charts the digital roadmap for food manufacturers in the city.

The ES IDP, however, has been in place since 2018 – forming part of IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme that aims to make going digital simple for SMEs. It includes a three-stage digital roadmap, which charts out the digital solutions that SMEs can adopt at each stage of their growth. Larger enterprises can also use the digital Roadmap to guide their digital journey

Pandemic exacerbates manpower shortage amid demand surge

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the demand for and expectations of environmental services. With manpower challenges across the cleaning, waste management and pest management sub-sectors, Transforming the industry to be more productive is therefore critical to ensure continued delivery of environmental services to provide a clean, liveable and sustainable environment in Singapore.

“The COVID-19 situation has underscored the critical role of the Environmental Services industry in safeguarding public health, and provided an impetus for companies to improve their operations to become more efficient and productive as they experience an increase in demand for their services while facing manpower constraints,” said Dr Amy Khor, senior minister of state for sustainability and the environment.

She pointed out that  adoption of technologies and digital solutions such as cleaning robots and smart toilet systems has not only led to higher productivity, but also enabled companies to upskill their workforce and enhance jobs.

“The refreshed ES IDP, which now includes the pest management sub-sector, is yet another milestone in our efforts to transform the Industry. We encourage companies to tap into the refreshed plan build a future-ready workforce,” she said.

Pest management subsector added to expanded scope

The IDP now covers the pest management sub-sector as well, in addition to cleaning and waste management. New digital solutions for the environmental services (ES) industry have also been added. These enable the  whole industry to look forward to a more employable workforce, such as preparing multi-skilled professionals who can move across various sub-sectors. Businesses can also synergise cleaning, waste management and pest management services to reap greater efficiency and productivity.

Furthermore, the refreshed ES IDP have incorporated into its list newer and more advanced technologies such as robotics, augmented and virtual reality as well as blockchain, as their commercial applications are now more mature and readily accessible.

Some of these solutions are now relevant even for SMEs at an earlier stage of their growth. SMEs can tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) for the ES industry to adopt pre-approved digital solutions recommended in the ES IDP.

Using the PSG, eligible companies can be supported with up to 80% of the qualifying cost, capped at S$350,000, until September 30, 2021. Latest statistics shows 1,500 PSG applications have approved for 518 companies, with about S$36 million of the PSG being  committed as of early April.

Continuous upskilling of ES workforce

Since 2019, the NEA has worked with partners to develop short courses for members of the ES workforce to learn more about the use of digital technology in environmental services.

For one, the  “Introduction to Digital Technology in Environment Services” course offered by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) includes robotics and automation, as well as software and management systems[. Ngee Ann Polytechnic also offers a course on Digitalising Environmental Services. To date, about 200 people have attended both courses.

To ensure that the ES workforce is adequately equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt digital solutions, companies can refer to the Digital Roadmap on Training in the ES IDP, which includes the type of courses available to equip their employees with the relevant skills and knowledge.

Meanwhile, the Digital Roadmap on Training will also be continuously updated to ensure that the industry’s workforce is adequately prepared with the necessary skills and knowledge to adopt digital solutions, so that they are ready for changes that come with digital transformation

The IDP will be updated over time as the industry progresses and new, more relevant technologies are introduced. NEA will continue to work with partner agencies to champion initiatives to attract and retain local talent, upskill the workforce and accelerate technology adoption. Together with the support of the trade associations, we can build stronger businesses and enhance jobs in the ES industry.

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The deal is expected to accommodate future network expansion and will further deepen the partnership between the two companies, which have already collaborated on LTE, 5G and digital projects.

Indeed, this latest partnership between the two companies further cements their intention to empower enterprises in South Korea to use 5G to deliver new smart digital services and to further advance industry 4.0 across the country.

“Nokia’s AirScale system will help provide seamless 5G connectivity in indoor locations and environments. Its cost-effective, flexibility and compact design enables us to enhance our 5G offering,” said DaeHee Kim, senior vice president and head of Network Infra Technology Group at LG Uplus.

Being the first deployment of its kind in South Korea, Nokia will install its cost-effective, next-generation small cell AirScale Indoor (ASiR) systems in a range of indoor locations including shopping malls and office buildings. Composed of Nokia’s Digital Baseband unit and ASiR-pRRH solution (pico Remote Radio Head), the system features multi-operator and multi-band support and will enable LG Uplus to provide 5G connectivity.

The compact and flexible nature of the ASiR indoor system means it can be deployed quickly in strategic locations when additional capacity is required and is ideal for both consumers and enterprise customers. ASiR facilitates a simple service upgrade to 5G New Radio with minimal on-site working if required, and features a web-based manager, enabling remote configuration without need for a separate application - making it an ideal replacement for traditional, complex and expensive distributed antenna system (DAS) systems - with flexibility further enhanced by cell combination and splitting.

“We are delighted to have been chosen by LG Uplus to provide infrastructure that will be critical to a seamless 5G experience. Having worked with LG Uplus on a number of other recent projects, we believe the AirScale system is the right Tommi Uitto, president - mobile networks  at Nokia.

Enabling smart digital services with 5G

The latest equipment deal between the two companies follows on the heels of another agreement announced last month that Nokia will conduct a 5G Business-to-Business (B2B) digital platform trial for LG Uplus.

Once deployed, the platform will allow LG Uplus to reduce time-to-market for launching 5G-powered services to its enterprise and business vertical customers. The platform will also enable LG Uplus to address new business segments, including Industry 4.0, and smart factory.

After deployment, the solution will promote the use of 5G by enterprises and verticals to grow their business, aligning with the South Korean government's Digital New Deal initiative.

The proof-of-concept test of the 5G B2B digital platform will be completed in two phases starting in February. While the first phase involves a demonstration in the Nokia Lab, the second phase with a field trial is planned in the LG Uplus Regional Operation Center in KyungNam.

"We are committed to providing best-in-class and innovative services to our customers and this trial is a crucial step in this direction. Once deployed, Nokia’s 5G B2B digital platform will help us expand our enterprise business by allowing us to provide new use cases rapidly. Nokia is our trusted partner and we look forward to working with them on this important trial,” said Jaeyong Seo, vice president of Smart Infrastructure Business Unit at LG Uplus.

Nokia's 5G B2B digital platform is based on multi-domain technology and ensures full automation and near real-time delivery of services. The solution includes a service platform powered by Nokia’s Digital Operations software, Cloud Operations Manager, Network Exposure Function, Registers, Cloud Packet Core, Software Defined Networking, and gNB (5G version of eNodeB), across Nokia’s cloud platform.

LG Uplus will use the platform to cost-efficiently automate the design and deployment of 5G network slices for the delivery of new services. In addition, LG Uplus' enterprise customers will be able to leverage 5G capabilities to enhance their business and operational efficiency leading to overall economic gain.

The service will give LG Uplus customers the flexibility to directly control and manage the platform to meet their needs. Further, it will help LG Uplus offer newer use cases such as smart factory and smart harbour with 5G wireless connectivity and associated services like network slicing.

We are excited to conduct this pathbreaking trial for LG Uplus to enable its enterprise customers to improve business processes with 5G,” said Kevin Ahn, head of Korea, at Nokia. “Nokia’s 5G B2B digital platform will allow LG Uplus to transform its B2B service creation with agility and automation and delight its enterprise customers with new use cases and operational excellence.”

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In a reseller agreement signed recently between the two companies, Yokagawa agreed to add the Claroty platform either as an added service or embedded within its own managed security services. The agreement expands upon Yokogawa’s and Claroty’s reseller agreement in Europe, which was established last year.

“We are continuously investing in secure products and services as part of our commitment to quality, safety, security, reliability, and sustainability, with highly competent and experienced resources in Asia,” said Charles Lim, head of digital innovation & security solution at Yokogawa. “Our partnership with Claroty further reinforces process operation cybersecurity protection and will deliver plant security lifecycle services based on the defence-in-depth approach corresponding to international standards for enhanced operational resilience.”

The industrial automation business founded in 1915 engages in broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control, and information. Yokogawa provides vital products, services, and solutions to a diverse range of process industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, and pulp and paper. With the life innovation business, the company aims to radically improve productivity across the pharmaceutical and food industry value chains. The test & measurement, aviation, and other businesses continue to provide essential instruments and equipment.

Yokogawa co-innovates with its customers through a global network of 114 companies spanning 62 countries, generating US$3.7 billion in sales in FY2019.

Assets in industrial environments – including operational technology (OT), Internet of Things (IoT), and industrial IoT (IIoT) – are hard to detect, hard to manage, and even harder to secure. Adding to this challenge is the accelerating convergence of IT and OT networks, which enhances the efficiency of industrial operations, but also increases the attack surface available to adversaries. As a result, industrial enterprises and critical infrastructure providers need to be able to detect and respond to cyber threats more quickly and effectively than ever before.

The Claroty Platform reveals 100% of OT, IoT, and IIoT assets on enterprise networks and protects them from vulnerabilities, emerging threats, malicious insiders, and unintentional errors. Its threat detection model continually monitors the network for both known and unknown threats, automatically weeds out false positives, and gives clear direction on how to take action. This is all enriched by Claroty’s extensive ecosystem of third-party technical integrations, as well as the latest threat signatures and remediation guidance from the renowned Claroty Research Team.

“Our software combined with Yokogawa’s expertise gives organisations like IRPC Public Company Limited Thailand deep visibility into their industrial environments, comprehensive security controls for those environments, and actionable insights that allow them to better assess and improve their security posture,” said Eddie Stefanescu, general manager of APJ at Claroty. “We are delighted with the proven success of this collaboration with Yokogawa to date and look forward to its continued global expansion.”

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As the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) arrives, the industrial communications market is predicted to grow to US$23.5 billion by 2025, as companies increasingly turn to technology to deliver significant business improvements.

Meeting needs of 4IR

By leveraging data through Internet of Things (IoT) devices and incorporating machine-to-machine communication and automation, industries can achieve an uptake in productivity and efficiency. All of this requires scalable, interoperable, reliable communication and connectivity. A key focus for the HomeGrid Forum is industrial automation and G.hn technology is perfectly suited to meet the needs of 4IR.

Facilitating fast communication, G.hn is bridging the gap between legacy systems and newer technology to transform operations with reliable, fast connectivity. It comes as telecommunication technology and industrial automation member, Teleconnect, launches its G.hn system on module (SOM) solution to enable Gigabit-class data transfer for intelligent networks within industrial environments.

“Offering a strong backbone, with the ability for bidirectional data traffic, G.hn is the key to unlocking the potential of future industrial applications – most critically because it can be simply integrated into the legacy systems commonly in use in industrial environments,” said Livia Rosu, chair of the HGF Marketing Work Group.

Although machines, components, and devices have become increasingly wireless, communication on wired legacy systems still retains a large core of communications within industrial settings. With few alternatives to address the ongoing changes within the industrial sector, operators and system controllers must incorporate G.hn into their networks to provide next-generation applications with the reliable, high bandwidth connectivity required.

“The technology’s highly interoperable nature and scalability enables communication between all applications within the network and gives operators the possibility of adding more devices in the future. HGF’s industrial IoT vision comes with end-to-end IP connectivity and agile control to empower the 4IR,” said Rosu.

Essential infrastructure

Within the industrial sector, low latency and reliable communication are imperative in preventing chaos due to downtime or degradation of service. G.hn acts as essential infrastructure with its robust nature allowing for mission critical communication and network self-healing capability. Its interoperability and scalability are also vital for being able to handle the large number of devices found in an industrial network, which sees vast amounts of information being gathered and exchanged for machine-to-machine communication, IoT-powered robots, automation and various other purposes.

Until recently, IoT devices have been primarily consumer-focused, providing smarter connectivity inside homes and buildings. However, the industry is rapidly capitalising on its deployments and expertise to address industrial IoT, such as the networking of factory machinery and industrial-grade sensors.

Able to work through four forms of media: powerline (PLC), coaxial cable (COAX), telephone cable (TP) and plastic optical fibre (POF), G.hn allows for fast installation and works seamlessly through existing wiring to provide low latency connectivity upon which industrial applications rely. G.hn is well-suited for environmental sensors, video surveillance and safety panels for employee welfare, thanks to its real-time two-way traffic handling and high bandwidth.

Teleconnect has developed its GHN.SOM product with different mounting options and different data connectors options for PLC, COAX and TP, to offer a high degree of flexibility for customers by allowing for the easy incorporation of G.hn into any industrial environment.  Since it is possible to enable the use of three different transmission media, this module is ideal for an extended range of applications. Utilizing a G.hn Wave2 Chipset from MaxLinear, customers can define the physical layer on the input slide of the GHN.SOM to provide a transparent bridge for data transmission through G.hn.

“By working with HomeGrid Forum we have managed to create a module that allows for rapid implementation of G.hn technology, which will revolutionise the future of industries worldwide,” said Alexandre Schäfer, head of sales and marketing at Teleconnect. “With all the flexibility that G.hn provides, the future possibilities of this technology are endless when it comes to industrial automation, machine-to-machine communication or anywhere that robust fast communication is required.”

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Called Amazon Lookout for Equipment, the new service ingests sensor data from a customer’s industrial equipment (e.g. pressure, flow rate, RPMs, temperature, and power), and then it trains a unique machine learning model to accurately predict early warning signs of machine failure or suboptimal performance using real-time data streams from the customer’s equipment.

The service is available today in US East (N. Virginia), EU (Ireland), and Asia Pacific (Seoul), with availability in additional regions in the coming months

Avoiding expensive downtime

Industrial companies are constantly working to improve operational efficiency by avoiding unplanned downtime due to equipment failure. Over time, many of these companies have invested heavily in physical sensors, data connectivity, data storage, and dashboards to monitor their equipment health and performance.

To analyse the data from their equipment, most companies typically use simple rules or modelling approaches to identify issues based on past performance. However, the rudimentary nature of these approaches often leads customers to identify issues after it is too late to take action, or receive false alarms based on misdiagnosed issues that require unnecessary and timely inspection. Instead, customers want to detect general operating conditions or failure types (e.g. high temperature due to friction) along with complex equipment failures (e.g. a failing pump indicated by high vibration and RPMs but low flow rates) that can only be derived by modelling the unique relationships between sensors.

“Many industrial and manufacturing companies have heavily invested in physical sensors and other technology with the aim of improving the maintenance of their equipment. But even with this gear in place, companies are not in a position to deploy machine learning models on top of the reams of data due to a lack of resources and the scarcity of data scientists. As a result, they miss out on critical insights and actionable findings that would help them better manage their operations,” said Swami Sivasubramanian, VP Amazon Machine Learning, AWS. “Today, we’re excited to announce the general availability of Amazon Lookout for Equipment, a new service that enables customers to benefit from custom machine learning models that are built for their specific environment to quickly and easily identify abnormal machine behaviour—so that they can take action to avoid the impact and expense of equipment downtime.”

With Amazon Lookout for Equipment, companies can detect equipment abnormalities with speed and precision, quickly diagnose issues, reduce false alerts, and avoid expensive downtime by taking action before machine failures occur. There are no up-front commitments or minimum fees with Amazon Lookout for Equipment, and customers pay for the amount of data ingested, the compute hours used to train a custom model, and the number of inference-hours used.

How it works

Industrial and manufacturing companies can now quickly and easily build a predictive maintenance solution for an entire facility or across multiple locations. To get started, customers upload their sensor data (e.g. pressure, flow rate, RPMs, temperature, and power) to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and provide the relevant S3 bucket location to Amazon Lookout for Equipment. The service will automatically analyse the data, assess normal or healthy patterns, and build a machine learning model that is tailored to the customer’s environment.

Amazon Lookout for Equipment will then use the custom-built machine learning model to analyse incoming sensor data and identify early warning signs of machine failure or malfunction. For each alert, the service will specify which sensors are indicating an issue and measure the magnitude of its impact on the detected event. For example, if Amazon Lookout for Equipment detected an issue on a pump with 50 sensors, the service could show which five sensors indicate an issue on a specific motor, and relate that issue to the motor power current and temperature. This allows customers to identify the issue, diagnose the problem, prioritise needed actions, and perform precision maintenance before issues happen—saving them money and improving productivity by preventing down time. Amazon Lookout for Equipment allows customers to get more value from their existing sensors, and it helps them make timely decisions that can materially improve operational efficiency.

In addition to Amazon Lookout for Equipment, AWS offers industrial and manufacturing customers the broadest range of cloud-to-edge industrial machine learning services, including Amazon Monitron (for predictive maintenance using an end-to-end solution comprised of sensors, gateways, and a machine learning service), Amazon Lookout for Vision (for visual anomaly detection using computer vision models in the cloud), and AWS Panorama (for visual inspection using an Appliance and Software Development Kit that brings computer vision models to on-premises cameras).

Positive response

Amazon Lookout for Equipment is available directly via the AWS console as well through supporting partners in the AWS Partner Network.

Siemens Energy offers products, solutions, and services across the entire energy value chain to support its customers on their way to a more sustainable future – no matter how far along the journey they are. “We work with our customers to improve performance, reliability, and safety through our existing business lines enhanced with digital service solutions. Digitalisation is a key driver for a sustainable energy future,” said Amogh Bhonde, senior vice president digital solutions at Siemens Energy. “With Amazon Lookout for Equipment, we see an opportunity to combine AWS machine learning with Siemens Energy subject matter expertise to give improved visibility into the systems and equipment across the entirety of a customer’s operation. Amazon Lookout for Equipment's automated machine learning workflow makes it easy to build and deploy models across a variety of assets types with no data science knowledge required. Siemens Energy values AWS as a trusted partner accelerating our continued development of the Omnivise suite of digital solutions.”

Cepsa is a global energy and chemical company operating end-to-end in every stage of the oil and gas value chain. Cepsa also manufactures products from raw materials of plant origin and is driving a new strategy to become a reference in the energy transition. "At Cepsa, digital transformation is focused on people. In that regard, our professionals are the engine behind our transformation. With Amazon Lookout for Equipment, we are bringing machine learning insights to the experts that know the equipment best—reliability and maintenance engineers—allowing them to make more informed decisions to drive higher uptime and lower operational costs,” said Alberto Gascón, head of advanced analytics at Cepsa. “Solutions like predictive maintenance for equipment traditionally involve manual and complex data science such as choosing the right algorithms and parameters, but Amazon Lookout for Equipment automates these processes so that engineers can focus on solving the most critical challenges that impact their business."

Embassy of Things (EOT) is the creator of Twin Talk, a secure and scalable ETL++ Data Delivery System designed to tap into the unrealized value hidden within operational data from SCADA systems and historians and enable industrial operating companies to leverage the power of cloud-based data analytics, machine learning, and AI. "Using predictive analytics and anomaly detection for not just one, but across all production sites is the key that enables our customers to achieve the highest level of production optimizations as well as cost and emission reductions. Our Twin Talk System liberates operational data to enable cloud-based, event-driven real-time architectures for Amazon Cloud Services like IoT SiteWise and S3,” said Matt Oberdorfer, CEO of Embassy of Things. “We are leveraging Amazon Lookout for Equipment to our suite of solutions which enables an automated machine learning process that improves the accuracy of detecting the most meaningful insights and enables insights to action faster. Lookout for Equipment is a true game-changer because it puts AI in the hands of maintenance engineers by abstracting away traditionally data-science-heavy steps being scalable effectively across assets."

RoviSys is a Global Operational Technology systems integrator, and a leading independent provider of comprehensive process automation solutions and services. "Machine learning is one of the most promising technologies for industrial customers, and has the potential to provide major value by decreasing maintenance and operational costs,” said Bryan DeBois, director of industrial AI at Rovisys. “RoviSys is working with AWS to integrate Amazon Lookout for Equipment with data from on-premises equipment and infrastructure using AWS IoT services, in order to enable advanced machine learning maintenance solutions at scale. This technology lets our customers leverage existing infrastructure, but unlock even more value from that data quickly and easily."

Seeq is an advanced analytics solution that enables engineers and subject matter experts in process manufacturing organizations to rapidly investigate and share insights from data in historians, IIoT platforms, AWS services, and manufacturing and business systems. “We are pleased to be announcing our work with AWS to develop solutions that deliver diagnostic, monitoring, and predictive analytics powered by big data and machine learning innovations,” said Megan Buntain, director of cloud partnerships at Seeq Corporation. “Using Seeq with Amazon Lookout for Equipment will help organisations turn data into insights that deliver continuous improvement and sustainability objectives.”

TensorIoT is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner delivering complete end-to-end products and solutions in IoT, data engineering, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. “TensorIOT builds solutions with AWS services to accelerate integration of machine learning in products and processes across industrial operations,” said Charles Burden, vice president of consulting at TensorIoT. “Leveraging Amazon Lookout for Equipment can help reduce the heavy lift of leveraging machine learning by automatically developing, managing, and supporting the continuous improvement of anomaly detection models. This greatly reduces the number of manual touchpoints needed, and allows engineers to turn insights into operational improvements. Simply put, Lookout for Equipment allows companies to innovate faster.”

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Sectors which were already largely digital were able to quickly adapt to evolving demands and market conditions. An example is e-commerce, where disruption was mostly positive as more consumers and businesses went online. Contrariwise, more physical sectors like manufacturing and the supply chain were left more exposed, as many related enterprises only accelerated their digital transformation in full force during the crisis.

We have now reached a critical point for digitalization – for businesses of myriad types and sectors. Yet, for physical industries, the need to transform is even more acute; they must invest more heavily and strategically in Industry 4.0 to help them survive and withstand future shocks.

With more widespread 5G rollouts on the horizon, the time has come for industries to assess and implement next-gen connectivity that acts in concert with a broad ecosystem of key technologies, collectively termed as 5G+. This will lead to the next Big Inversion of industrial digitalization – one that can help restore the parity between digital investment and their broader economic contributions.

What is 5G+?

Despite the pandemic, the 5G revolution dampened only slightly. In Asia, governments have been doubling down on 5G, to the point that regional deployments are even ahead of other established markets like Europe. Hence, 5G will soon be more pervasive, but physical industries seeking to realize their full potential must catch up and accelerate adoption, in addition to going beyond just having foundational 5G networks.

Figure 1: Digitalization adoption in physical industries

This is what it takes to be truly 5G+ ready, companies will not just have any 5G network infrastructure, but one which enables the confluence of enterprise ICT (information and communications technology) and industrial OT (operations technologies). This means the advancement of both digital and physical systems, which would then work in tandem with each other to the organization’s benefit.

However, there are many elements that fall under industrial digital and physical systems and it can be a daunting task to figure out which 5G+ technology solution to prioritize.

As such, Nokia Bell Labs identified a suite of technology enablers that can power the 5G+ transformation of industries: pervasive 5G networks, edge infrastructure and cloud platforms, augmented intelligence and machine learning systems, private networks, advanced sensor and robotics, end-to-end (E2E) security, and network-as-a-service business models.

Alongside the enablers, 5G+ also includes enterprise applications, services, and platforms impacted by the aforementioned technologies. These comprise enterprise computing platforms, general and vertical-specific applications (including application development and business intelligence solutions), as well as professional and managed services and projects impacted by 5G+ technologies.

These constituent solutions will help enterprises of various sectors optimize their use of 5G+ when building the infrastructure foundation to digitalize their operations. The fusion and interplay of 5G and associated technologies holds broad application and a massive promise towards realizing a purposeful future.

How 5G+ enables strategic resilience via SPE gains

Physical industries – both those leading the way in digitalization and those still catching up – are now expected to make more significant ICT investments in the years ahead. But to ensure that they can reap the most benefits at faster speeds and scale, they must optimize their 5G+ technology usage to digitally augment themselves along the lines of SPE (safety, productivity and efficiency) improvements.

But what do 5G+ SPE improvements entail? Let us use augmented intelligence and machine learning (AugI/ML) as a 5G+ enabler and apply it to these areas, namely within a manufacturing environment.

Firstly, safety improvement can be defined as measuring the reduction in safety-related incidents. For instance, factories using augmented intelligence and machine learning (AugI/ML) can couple it with intelligent video sensing to detect an accident before it happens, thereby improving worker and equipment safety.

Meanwhile, productivity improvement – the prime determinant of overall SPE gains – means the increase in the volume of goods or services produced from the same asset base. With AugI/ML systems, factories can better forecast specific market demands which could then allow for anticipatory operations, while also shortening response times and allow for the maximization of the organization’s operational capacity.

Additionally, AugI/ML can help optimize product and/or systems design to facilitate mass customization and streamline operational processes.

Lastly, efficiency improvement deals with the ability to reduce the number of resources consumed for the same output level. For example, innovative sensory technologies powered by AugI/ML can detect machine failures in factories before they occur.

This helps keep unexpected disruptions to a minimum, as video analytics can forewarn a possible quality issue to prevent resource wastage, while enabling real-time control of factory operations to ensure minimal inventories.

Altogether, achieving SPE benefits can help industries do more with less at greater speed and scale. This is because 5G+ enablers can provide enhanced operational flexibility.

They can also be further enhanced by network-as-a-service business models (namely those that are programmable and aimed specifically for 5G technologies) and better network redundancy, in addition to improved business intelligence that is powered by digital acceleration tools.

Our factory in Oulu, Finland provides multiple use cases as to how 5G+ enablers (such as E2E 5G networks and cloud automation) are enhancing applications, services, and platforms.

We have also introduced 5G+ in a real-world setting, such as in Japan, by deploying an industrial-grade private wireless network in a manufacturing design center to innovate the production process.

Figure 2: 5G+ driven SPE gains in physical industries

5G+ is defining the new normal for industries

During the wake of the pandemic, ICT spending across Asia, especially for more traditional technologies, dipped. However, there has also been an inverse reaction to technologies that could help enterprises better navigate the ongoing crisis’ challenges. This was expected once sectors and businesses adapted to the crisis, leading to the current rebound in IT spending. This – as well as the increasing number of 5G deployments in the region – means we have already arrived at the key inflection point for mass 5G+ adoption.

Figure 3: Journey to a new normal

We expect wider scale 5G+ deployment once the regional economy stabilizes in line with the new normal, and the pervasive availability of such technologies will then steady ICT investments. This is how the Big Inversion for Asia’s industries will happen and by then, it will be chiefly led by physical industries – by those both leading and lagging behind their industry’s wider digital transformation.

However, there remains much work to be done. As companies emerge from the COVID-19, industries must begin planning their ICT investments along 5G+ lines as soon as this year. By taking a more proactive stance, industries and enterprises can ride the wave of initial adopters and gain a competitive advantage by realizing SPE benefits. These gains will then be compounded once mass adoption of 5G+ continues across Asia – resulting in a broader impact and contribution to the wider economy and GDP.

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Land access to rural areas has been the most critical issues in the mining sector. Connectivity issues as well as mining maps that are not up-to-date hinder effectiveness in operations. Lacak.io's Fleet Management System helps map optimal routes for deliveries with the aid of GPS-enabled sensors and geofencing. Fuel usage and loads are optimised with Lacak.io's fuel and axle load sensors that immediately send fleet information to headquarters.

"IoT and other Industry 4.0 technologies must augment human work that is the lifeblood of cities, such as responsive emergency services and up-to-date communication with communities and businesses,” said Fariz Iskandar, founder and CEO of Lacak.io.

The startup is supporting the government's "100 Smart Cities Movement" by making it easy and cost-effective for Indonesian cities to adopt IoT across various sectors.

According to Iskandar, his company’s fleet and field service management solutions are easily translatable to industries where transportation and worker resource allocations are key, such as mining, plantations, and the public sector.

"Data collected is automatically managed using Big Data, blockchain and cloud technologies towards improving scheduling and loading. Soon, we will no longer see long queues of overloaded mining trucks at ports or plants," Fariz said.

Field service management solution to enhance public service processes

Meaningful digitisation initiatives are also applied to the government officials and public sector, such as using Lacak.io's smart technology to help schedule public transport resources, while maximising fuel usage.

"We apply Field Service Management (FSM) solution to encourage accountability and transparency in government, ensuring local government workers respond efficiently to citizen complaints, complete needful repairs or escalate issues to relevant agencies in line with client charters," added Fariz.

With FSM solution, Lacak.io also validates data using blockchain in multi finance sectors, while offering companies an on-premise solution that keeps customer data onsite. Besides protecting data, it also reduces the risk of human error in inputting data, while freeing up workers to do more productive efforts such as case management.

Digitising agriculture to help accelerate smart farming

The second largest contributor to Indonesia's economy is the agriculture, yet its labour-intensive nature and dependence on millions of smallholder farmers require IoT that improve farming and harvesting efficiency.

Backed by Big Data, Lacak.io's smart farming technology improves productivity by digitizing the plantation process from fertilisation to harvest time while monitoring crop and yields using dedicated sensors that measure light, humidity, temperature, and soil moisture.

For deliveries, Lacak.io's GPS vehicle tracking helps farmers manage fleets and monitor cold storage trucks to ensure that their produce remains fresh at all times.

"Lacak.io is ready to aid these transformations, backed by our fleet and field service management solutions that make IoT onboarding a breeze while saving costs and gleaning meaningful data that influence organisational decision-making," Fariz said.

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In its latest document entitled IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT/OT Convergence 2021 Predictions — Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Implications to help enterprises in the New Normal, IDC stressed that developing a system that can ingest, analyse, and present decision options rapidly and effectively is required, and being able to do so in a consistent, defined, and accessible framework.

It added that digitised processes and role-based apps like ERP, CRM, APM, and PLM are connected to physical entities representing business processes, assets, products, designs, and so on. The applications are then connected to a digital thread layer that ingests and contextualises the data. A digital twin development platform can take contextualised data to create digital twins for any product, asset, design, process, or operation. The decision-making framework will depend on AI due to the size of the data sets, the complexity of the multivariate relationships in the data, and the speed at which data will be ingested.

IDC’s latest IT/OT predictions highlight the laser focus that the COVID pandemic has placed on the foundations of enterprise and operational data, data governance, connectivity, and enterprise architecture. Companies still have a spaghetti of paper-based processes, spreadsheets, applications, and approaches across operations and the enterprise that limits the flow of data and value across the value chain. Getting an end-to-end approach in place from a process and system perspective for critical operational capabilities such as asset operations, supply chain, and production execution will be a key going forward as they take steps towards putting physical/digital models in place to support decision making going forward. Technologies like cloud and AI particularly have a huge role to play in enabling that integration.

Indeed, with the shift in maturity of integration of IT and OT systems, processes and organisations have become a critical focus, according to IDC.

The technology research firm further pointed out that in 2020 companies in Asia Pacific have been challenged by the requirement to manage their operations remotely, and to enable a level of visibility and integration across the operations and the enterprise well beyond previous expectations. Hence, the ability of operations to consume data insight and enable resilient decision making will become a critical factor of competition differentiation for industry leaders.

“Driving a strategy of IT/OT convergence is a priority that more than 90% of industrial organisations have, but in practice the integration is still very difficult. Companies have expressed that the biggest challenge when utilising data for decision making is the integration of OT systems across siloes, and of those systems with enterprise systems – in particular enterprise resource management systems (ERP),” said Emilie Ditton, associate vice president for Energy and Manufacturing Insights at IDC Asia/Pacific.

Some of the key Future of IT/OT Convergence that will impact operations leaders and technology buyers and suppliers in Asia/Pacific are:

• By 2026, 40% of A2000 organizations will have invested in a common IoT platform layer that provides access to data collected through various point solutions.
• By 2024, 50% of industrial organisations will be integrating data from edge OT systems with cloud-based reporting and analytics, moving from single-asset views to sitewide operational awareness.
• Industrial enterprises that fail to implement an enterprise data governance model enabling the foundation for resilient decision making by 2023 will underperform on profitability by 10%.

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Both companies are entitled to an investment of up to US$4 million in total from AEF and its co-organisers Hong Kong Cyberport and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP).

“The Hong Kong and global markets have faced severe challenges over the past year. We are happy to see that many startups still hold on to indomitable, innovative and flexible thinking during their journeys. The support from enterprises is crucial to the growth of startups. With the help of Cyberport, HKSTP, as well as other sponsoring companies and institutions, we will have abundant resources to match startups with mentors to share relevant experiences in entrepreneurship and management,” said Cindy Chow, executive director of AEF.

Established in 2017, this year’s competition received over 2,000 applications from 100 countries worldwide vying in four different categories:  retail, fintech, smart city and deep tech industries. Moving the entire event online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, JUMPSTARTER 2021 nevertheless proved to be the largest in terms of scale with over 220 semi-pitch sessions that attracted more than 126,000 fans and supporter globally.

Rice Robotics bagged the prize in the smart city category and was also given the Social Impact Startup award.  The Hong Kong-based company is building the infrastructure for companies to deploy robot fleets. It has four robots: Rice (delivery), Jasmine (disinfection), Valencia (patrol and guiding) and Waiter (food court delivery), each of which are autonomous, navigating in crowded areas and charging without help, and run by the management software RiceCore.

China’s  Lingxi AR Technology received the Top Innovative Startup Award for its waveguide AR technology – the first to be developed in the Mainland, which various companies from consumer electronics, smart-eyewear manufacturers and industrial enterprises can apply in their see-through wearable displays.

Due to the pandemic, JUMPSTARTER 2021 moved the entire contest online for the first time. It received an overwhelming response with over 2,000 applications from 100 countries and regions around the globe. Startups from Greater China and Asia Pacific are the most active among the applicants. With the support of collaboration partners, more than 220 semi-pitch sessions were held online, attracting more than 126,000 fans and supporters worldwide. The scale of the event was the largest since its inception, showing the passion of startups and their supporters, even amid the pandemic.

The competition has been opened to startups in the retail, fintech, smart city and deep tech industries. Among the top 200 finalists, retail startups made up a relatively high proportion of entries. The judging panel of JUMPSTARTER 2021 believes that due to the popularity among fintech in the last few years, participants in this area will face fiercer competition in the market. By region, startups in the Mainland are concentrating on deep tech such as biotechnology, while startups in Hong Kong are focusing on retail and fintech. Startups in Southeast Asia meanwhile are showing strong interest in the retail sector.

JUMPSTARTER 2021 winners in the other categories are:

• Retail – Outpos of Indonesia for using digital solutions to integrate  street food  hawkers into a modern street food ecosystem at a fraction of the cost and time it takes to setup a traditional restaurant.
• Fintech – Benefit Vantage of Hong Kong for improving mobile authentication and the user experience without compromising security and privacy through IPificiation, where mobile users can be easily authenticated via their Public IP address. The company also creates extra revenue for telco partners and helps service providers win trust with safe and seamless authentication.
• Deep Tech – Hinyeung Limited of China, which is committed to manufacturing high-speed, high-definition 3D visual devices. Its products are known for precision and are primarily used for robot navigation and industrial inspection. It has successfully worked with sectors including food, electric appliances, logistics, ceramics and shipping

The judging panel of JUMPSTARTER 2021 believes that due to the popularity among fintech in the last few years, participants in this area faced fiercer competition in the market. By region, startups in the Mainland concentrated on deep tech such as biotechnology, while startups in Hong Kong focused on retail and fintech. Startups in Southeast Asia showed strong interest in the retail sector.

Making Hong Kong Asia’s startup hub

Peter Yan,  CEO of Cyberport said innovative technology has become an important driving force for the global economy under the new normal.

“In face of current challenges, I look forward to seeing more startups solve real world pain points in innovative ways to create value for society. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to promising startups, and will work with institutions and investors to promote the development of Hong Kong's startup ecosystem,” Yan said.

According to Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP said Hong Kong is home to a diverse talent pool with direct access to the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asian markets, a diversified capital market and many factors to support startups.

“In recent years, the government, private companies and investors have strongly embraced the innovation and technology sector, making the city a great place for startups to develop their businesses. We have cooperated with Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and other organisations to create and nurture the innovation and technology ecosystem. We are confident in the startup development in Hong Kong,” Wong said.

Lukas Petrikas, head of Innovation and Data Lab, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) said, “We are excited to see the breakthroughs achieved by a growing number of Hong Kong startups. Hong Kong’s thriving corporate venture capital ecosystem bodes well for local startup success stories. HKEX looks forward to welcoming some of these home-grown startups to our world-leading equities market soon, adding more vibrancy and innovation to this international financial centre.”

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In an exclusive interview, FutureIoT spoke with Philippe Chiu, co-founder and chief technology officer of UnaBiz, about the smart meter project in an in-depth interview that covers the impact of COVID-19, the importance of supply chain, challenges around customisation and integration and more.

Singapore-based UnaBiz is the product design and hardware device manufacturer, who together with SORACOM, developed the Space Hotaru from NICIGAS’ original concept.

(Third of three parts)

By the end of this month, UnaBiz expects to complete the deployment 850,000 units of Space Hotaru as it winds down the first phase of the NICIGAS smart meter project.

Once installed, the two-way exchange of data between the IoT-based reader and the NICIGAS systems automatically begins. And the real work around big data gives the Japanese utility company a first-hand knowledge on the demand this steady stream of voluminous information has on its IT infrastructure.

“Previously, it was manual reading, there was no continuous stream of data going into the system. There was zero meters sending data to NICIGAS IT system. They had to scale the entry point of the system, because now there is a hundred of thousands of gas meters reporting in the data. And on that aspect, you have to add resources on the IT side of things,” said Philippe Chiu, co-founder and CTO of UnaBiz.

There is immense pressure on the enterprise network once it begins integrating IoT at scale. Chiu compares it to an “attempt of denial of service where hundreds of thousands of devices are hijacking and trying  to attacking the same target”.

“Massive IoT it is a bit like controlled denial of service because you do have those hundreds of thousands of new devices that have to report to your system, and you have to find a secure and stable way to welcome them, otherwise, the data cannot enter. This is just the network side of things,” Chiu explained.

To ease the IoT integration with NICIGAS’ IT systems, UnaBiz and the other partners worked on standardisation that simplifies the management of the devices and wireless networks.

“It is better to make that life easy so NICIGAS can deal with their internal challenges – rather than having the whole set of challenges, which is a huge mountain to climb,” Chiu said

Dealing with big data

From churning out one meter value once per month, the NICIGAS meters deliver several data points “every hour every single day of the year” according to Chiu.

“There is also a strain on the storage side of things, as previously one meter had one data point for every month. Just last year, we had 1.2 billion data points. What will happen in 2021? That is where the CIO of NICIGAS will have to scale its storage, computing capability. The point I'm trying to make is now we can talk about big data,” he said.

All the data collected from the smart meters are helping NICIGAS to augment and improve services delivered to customers.

“Just for the sake of security or their peace of mind, customers could just take the app, switch down, turn off the gas meter just remotely, with a fraction of the cost. This is really what is game-changing because this existed before NICIGAS had Space Hotaru, but the cost was between 5-10 times higher than the current solution,” Chiu said, adding “If the cost is so high, the consumers have some difficulty accepting the pricing. Thus, cost is an extreme and critical factor in the project. It is happening massively as  really drive the costs down”.

Meanwhile, Chiu said NICIGAS has been made a practice of anonymising gas consumption data and sharing them to the community.

“They have also organised contests with independent developers, among others, regarding prediction models. This  makes sense, because even if you are very qualified, what we're talking about is innovation. They are looking for new and  different angles of analysing the data and expecting that to happen in-house is narrowing the dream,” Chiu said.

He added the demand to ensure the big data present an accurate picture is one of the major factors for the fast deployment of Space Hotaru units.

“The more meters are connected, the more the data set makes sense,” he said.

To date, the Space Hotaru churn rate – the number of devices failing out – is extremely low. And UnaBiz is seeing huge growth in the meters’ live and historical data.

“We have extremely precise dashboard. We are monitoring battery levels, network capacity, hourly reports of the meter, which is volumetric,” Chiu noted. “It's a very interesting because some are increasing, which means that [customers are staying longer inside] the household. Those dashboard are shared with SORACOM and NICIGAS to assist them in the diagnosis. It is really about getting into the maturity of managing such large fleet of device.”

Again, Chiu pointed out the close partnership between NICIGAS, SORACOM and UnaBiz goes all the way down to data sharing.

“It's a one- of-a-kind project in terms of size. I respect data specialists, but I don't believe they have experience in actually dealing with such volume, in terms of actual devices plus their data points. And that's why we're extremely close with SORACOM and NICIGAS because of how things are going, there is no reference in the market,” he explained.

Every abnormal behaviours captured by the devices are analysed and diagnosed.

“Sometimes, we even discovered cables between the readers and the meters are slightly severed in the middle where you can't see it. We had to tear down the plastic wrapping of the cable, observe the copper and realise that the copper has some issues. That’s the daily life of the project managers of the Space Hotaru,” Chiu said.

Indeed, with its experience on massive IoT projects such as the one with NICIGAS, a key learning for UnaBiz is to look beyond the software capabilities of partners, which should already be a given for companies working at this level.

“When  we have to set up that circle of partnership, we no longer evaluate software not because software is not important. But the same way you take a brilliant guy who graduated from Stanford, and you don't test him with math,  you've just expected  him to know math. However, we try partners and collaborators on other scale, such as how would they behave in managing chaos. From supply chain to integration, there are simply too many moving parts [in a massive IoT project].”

Massive IoT: Entryway to big data

Looking forward to the next 12 months, UnaBiz sees unprecedented rise in data volume following massive IoT deployments. With this, the company expects the redefinition of what big data means and signifies.

“Big data is not about clicks – not   about people watching videos; it’s not just about audience. Big data is either poor static data versus live data, audience on videos, how many people click, etc. So, it's kind of measuring the intense, but this is not the real data.

“You have physical limited data versus a huge data set that is not very reliable – and that has been big data for the past 10 years. I think as massive IoT happens with high-quality actual physical data,  it will challenge the existing data models that are based on very poor data.  I think this is going to be a trend in the next 12 to 24 months,” Chiu said.

He foresees the failure of the current data approach as development is hampered to a slowdown by the lack of good quality data.

“We call it IoT, but what is happening in reality is just data extraction. So, we have more accurate data, more volume of data and what do we do with then,  I think we'd be back into a data time where we try to leverage existing algorithms, figure out they're not actually feeding that type of volume, or we figure out the data are wrong,” he explained.

The emergence of massive IoT and the high-volume data with better accuracy will bring forth a whole new set of services, according to Chiu.

“Massive IoT is the entry door to have big data being useful to common people. That is how I see IoT. Of course, we always have those little projects with researchers that will be able to solve something – but, I don’t see them contributing to massive IoT to change people’s lives,” Chiu said.

Related story:

Under the hood: Supply chain essential to massive IoT projects

Under the hood: Integration and device customisation in IoT projects

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McKinsey notes that as IoT become easier to implement, it will open the door for wider adoption by enterprises spanning industry, business focus and even the size of the organisation.

IDC forecasts IoT investments to grow at 13.6% per year through 2022.

To be clear, IoT is not limited to smart devices such as wearables and smartphones. IoT can be found in climate control, traffic systems, medical practice and even in education. At issue is given the disparity in the device use and the extent to which these connected devices have intelligence built into them, how do you keep the enterprise secure?

Vulnerabilities that come with IoT

The case of a major bank heist in Asia of a few years back was brought about by the discovery by cybercriminals of an old router in the bank’s datacentre. In that instance, the router – an IoT device – had unpatched firmware which made it vulnerable to hacking. And that was what happened. But Jonathan Jackson, director of engineering, APAC at Blackberry, is more worried about another element that more current generations of IoT technology can do, and are doing in some use cases, and that is the capturing and storing of data.

That IoT devices store data is not a new or novel thing. Our smart devices, phones, watches, headsets and earpieces, are all IoT devices and many store data. Jackson says it is the storing of data and information which has an impact on consumers with regards to their data, and obviously, their privacy.

IoT and consumer IoT devices have found a place in our home network. This has, according to Jackson, effectively become a big problem for enterprises during the COVID situation where everybody is working from home.

“It now means that the home is becoming a new kind of makeshift enterprise. And that is a big challenge for enterprises, who are struggling with an expanding threat footprint, trying to protect data and devices, and assets and people.”

According to Jackson, this has the spillover effect of an acceleration in threat actor activities.

“They (threat actors) have now got multiple avenues for an attack at their disposal. Previously, everything was protected by an enterprise in a powerful set of security controls and measures. But suddenly that has been eroded and taken away overnight because now everybody is suddenly accessing corporate information and accessing data on an unsecured potential home network. And that is a big problem for a lot of companies out there today,” he surmised.

What’s with the Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has launched the Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme (CLS) for consumer smart devices, as part of efforts to improve Internet of Things (IoT) security, raise overall cyber hygiene levels and better secure Singapore's cyberspace.

Under the scheme, smart devices will be rated according to their levels of cybersecurity provisions. This will enable consumers to identify products with better cybersecurity provisions and make informed decisions. The scheme hopes to become an incentive, in and of itself, for device manufacturers to develop more secure products, even as they respond to shorter time-to-market cycles.

According to Jackson, Singapore’s CLS is along the lines of other frameworks such as in the UK. He lauds the effort and says it will give consumers insight into the potential protection and the security controls that are provided. It will also identify which manufacturers are taking security seriously.

“We know that IoT devices are usually created with – from a consumer perspective – to be functional, capable, very productive devices – just get things done with slick UI and design. Often security is not even thought about. If it is, it needs to be bolted on right at the end. And that is a big challenge. Initiatives, like CLS, are going to help to address consumer confidence in IoT devices that are coming into our homes and enterprises,” he commented.

IoT in the WFH – a CIO/CISO concern

Jackson noted that in Australia, homes typically have different smart devices connected to a flat network. With people now working from home, that same home network now has access to corporate data.

One technique that may be deployed in WFH environments is micro-segmentation – a technique used in data centres to create logically distinct security segments down to individual workload levels and define security controls and security services for each unique segment.

Here Jackson brings the idea of zero trust – making sure access to data and networks is limited to only authorised devices, and that those devices go through the authentication process each time a request is made.

Highlighted by the FBI as an IoT best practice, Jackson acknowledged that implementing zero trust is a big challenge for organisations today, especially in this COVID-19 world that we are currently living in.

He warned that threat actors are actively looking for opportunities with the least resistance, and unfortunately, some IoT devices present unsecured open opportunities to the internet – a way to backdoor into a home network that has corporate data on it. The Mirai botnet attack is an example of a threat.

Cyber hygiene – real of hoax

Asked whether people understand the idea behind cyber hygiene, Jackson skirted the query instead commenting that people should understand the data and privacy implications of the information that they are sharing. They should also understand the vulnerabilities that exist on unpatched systems, on unmanaged devices where there are no security controls, he added.

He alluded to the digital detox which involves a review of cyber hygiene and cybersecurity practices.

“It is taking stock of what has access to what information, where is your data being stored, how it is being encrypted, who has access to information and what will happen if an organisation or device or system or cloud environment is breached,” he explained.

For him, it comes back to zero trust.

IoT responsibilities

Jackson says IoT device manufacturers must take the security aspect of the devices they make seriously. These devices now store information, they have data traversing the cloud with data stored somewhere. Manufacturers must look at a security-first approach to software engineering, what Jackson calls industry SDLC (software development life cycle) – a set of measures to make sure that security is built into the products they are delivering from the start and is not bolted on afterwards.

For CIOs (and CISOs), they need to have the assurance that the devices that are being used by the consumers in their home or even in the enterprise, must meet a minimum standard set of security capability and requirements to ensure that corporate data is secured at all times.

“And that is a big challenge today for organizations. But things like this initiative from Singapore with the labelling scheme is a great start to be able to bring security front of mind to both manufacturers of IoT devices as well as organizations and consumers who are utilising these devices today,” he concluded.

Click on the podchat player to listen to Jackson as he candidly discusses some of these vulnerabilities and ways around protecting both edge and core.

• Let’s start off with what does BlackBerry have to do with IoT?
• What vulnerabilities are we seeing with consumer IoT devices and what kind of spillover effects could this have in a work-from-home world?
• What is your take on the Singapore governments Cybersecurity labelling Scheme?
• How does the scheme help in tackling the problem of hacking and cybersecurity in the IoT ecosystem?
• How do you see CLS contributing to the overall cyber hygiene levels of end users?

The post PodChats for FutureIoT: Securing edge, core and everything in between appeared first on FutureIoT.

This was the key insight to the latest research from Frost & Sullivan, pointing out that the pandemic challenges have catalysed technology trends across the globe and accelerated organisations' digital transformations sooner than initially predicted.

“More than 50% of businesses have already invested in IoT and digital visualisation. The former offers potential for enhanced CX for organisations in insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing with its monitoring capabilities, and the latter can be valuable for agent desktops to improve employee performance,” said Alpa Shah, Global VP of CX Research at Frost & Sullivan.

She added: “"The retail/wholesale, travel/hospitality, energy, and education industries will invest in AI to facilitate innovation and are most interested in using the technology to boost CX. On the other hand, banking and finance companies, along with government and transportation, are focusing on cost efficiencies."

Other key findings of Frost & Sullivan’s latest research, include:

• Big data analytics takes the lead on investments in transformative technologies, followed by IoT and data visualisation. More than 75% of organisations will be investing in these solutions by 2022.
• Post-pandemic plans for technology investments are focused on moving applications to the cloud (31%), followed by video conferencing (25%). Over the next two years, 80% of CX solutions are expected to be in the cloud.
• The key digital transformation objectives in 2021 are adapting to the new work modes (35%), accelerating digital customer engagement self-serve (31%), and enhancing e-commerce capabilities (30%).
• For 44% of companies, customer satisfaction is the prevalent method for measuring digital transformation success, which aligns with top business goals and investment priorities.
• Cybersecurity continues to be the top concern for 51% of companies; this is only exacerbated by the number of remote workers caused by the pandemic. COVID-19 has augmented the move to the cloud and the use of digital commerce and digital marketing. While CX is a top corporate goal, CX investments are not ranked high.

The research report stated that delivering a holistic customer journey is top of mind among end-user businesses. Finance, healthcare, and travel and hospitality organizations are focused on managing the entire customer journey; high-tech and transportation companies want to leverage CX information across all departments.

"Companies recognise the importance of CX and even measure their digital transformation success on customer satisfaction but tend to invest in solutions that only solve short-term problems," Shah said.

The post Frost: Firms eye IoT and AI to upgrade customer experience appeared first on FutureIoT.

Frost & Sullivan said the managed services market will see an uptick as companies recognise the benefits of assistance across connectivity, cybersecurity, data management, device management, and infrastructure management.

The company’s latest research encompasses regional trends in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa across five managed services segments—connectivity, data, device, infrastructure, and security.

"While the recent pandemic adversely affected expansion across verticals, the impact is expected to be short to medium term, and businesses will recover," said Deepali Sathe, senior industry analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "Technology adoption across verticals has been increasing as the benefits of IoT are quantified for companies to move from pilot and proof-of-concept stage to implementation. Almost all verticals, such as manufacturing, retail, healthcare, utilities, and energy, are expected to regain strong growth trajectories."

Sathe added: "In the IoT-managed services market, APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing region, followed by North America. Regional disparities in terms of infrastructure development and regulations are a challenge for mobile network operators, an important segment within paid IoT connectivity. North America and Europe lead when it comes to 5G, LTE-M, and Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) deployment, but high costs of spectrum lead to higher cost of services, affecting providers. Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia lag, with 2G and 3G still forming the bulk of connectivity infrastructure. In APAC, some countries are ahead as governments promote infrastructure development."

The research cited that the lack of standardisation in the IoT industry has resulted in an extremely fragmented ecosystem; and, users struggle to find solutions and devices that are interoperable and compatible with their existing systems.

Frost and Sullivan pointed out addressing this challenge and focusing on the following strategic recommendations will offer tremendous growth prospects for IoT-managed services providers:

• Private mobile networks: Vendors that want to deploy private mobile networks should look for partners that can provide relevant connectivity solutions.
• eSIM and iSIM for global connectivity: As more digital-first devices are launched into the market, IoT-managed service providers can leverage this growth opportunity with eSIMs and iSIMs.
• Vertical solutions: Companies must leverage the services and expertise of a managed services provider that can embark on a long-term collaborative partnership to execute their IoT strategies and enable their vision.
• Intelligent edge: Managed services providers can deliver the benefits of intelligent edge, including reduced costs, latency, and security risks.

The post IoT managed services set for five-year growth spurt appeared first on FutureIoT.

In an exclusive interview, FutureIoT spoke with Philippe Chiu, co-founder and chief technology officer of UnaBiz, about the smart meter project in an in-depth interview that covers the impact of COVID-19, the importance of supply chain, challenges around customisation and integration and more.

Singapore-based UnaBiz is the product design and hardware device manufacturer, who together with SORACOM, developed the Space Hotaru from NICIGAS’ original concept.

(Second of three parts)

UnaBiz is nearly done with the phase 1 of the NICIGAS smart metre project, with the installation of 850,000 units of Space Hotaru in Japanese household within the month, overcoming the unavoidable delay caused the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Once a device is deployed, it goes live immediately and starts producing data that are fed into NICIGAS systems.

“The first layer is a hardware layer that is connected to the gas meter and enables access in and out, which means that you can read from the meter and you can send instructions to the meter, which means that it is a network access,” said Philippe Chiu, co-founder and chief technology officer of UnaBiz.

KDDI subsidiary SORACOM, a mobile operator that specialises in IoT, has been enlisted to deliver the software and the network connectivity between the devices and NICIGAS systems.

Integration is crucial to massive IoT projects

Chiu pointed out that the close-knit “triangle of collaboration and partnership” between NICIGAS, SORACOM and UnaBiz was the glue that has kept the smart metre project on a steady course, which was particularly crucial to manage the chaos that ensued with the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To pipe to proper data onto the traditional systems, it's not a complete new solution. It's integrating with what the existing platforms. And this is done commonly between UnaBiz and SORACOM, which has the field knowledge and proper communication to facilitate efficiency between the teams,” said Chiu.

Initially, there were 700,000 units that have to be deployed, and that would mean a very large number per day of installed meters of Space Hotaru. To do that, Chiu emphasised the need for  constant synchronisation of and management of operations.

“It is often a point that people fail to consider. We are talking about an actual device being deployed all across hundreds or even thousands of square kilometres, and you need actual people, and not robots to do this,” he said.

Chiu added that Integration is not just about software side of things – to which people are very used which involves data and others.

“It starts with real life, pure hardware and the actual field integration of that. This has been the heavy work. And it is not just the physical installation, there is a lot of testing tools on the field. Not every field installator has a PhD. So, you have to have extremely optimised, simplified field application and deployment,” he said, adding that a deployment mobile application has been created that is very specialised and dedicated to roll out.

This mobile deployment application is enabling the project team to move fast with installation and to sustain the speed of implementation.

“If we take the pace at which this project has been rolled out and how efficient it was, it would not be fair, not to mention the integration at the hardware layer. Data will come back, but it would probably be the second or third layer after that. But we need to first have the connection. The integration work starts at this point, the whole logistic, operation, synchronisation and management with the field teams of NICIGAS and even their contractors,” Chiu said.

“Deployment operations, which involves hardware, mobile apps, cloud services and others, are extremely important. I believe that in the post-COVID era, the whole logistic industry will have a whole new set of ecosystem and partners managing that chaos,” he added.

Furthermore, Chiu said the integration involves a lot of supply chain work, having all of these devices, reaching the right locations, direct check points, having them connected to the right meters.

“This is a tremendous work, and we can never do that by ourselves, and that is where local presence is absolutely necessary. That is why UnaBiz is very close to SORACOM, and NICIGAS is extremely happy about that,” he said.

No wasted network signal

According to Chiu, the project team deploys a mixed technology solution network-wise, citing that Space Hotaru is actually a family of products – the initial device supports Sigfox 0G low-power network and a new version that supports 4G.

“It is a solution with different types of hardware for different radio protocols. In remote area, we use the LTE-M version which is a lighter version of 4G, or we have Sigfox and 4G combined, depending on the situation,” he said. “We have to optimise how the device communicates, and in simpler words, it means we are not wasting any single bit of the signal.”

Indeed, UnaBiz has completely design from ground up the  network protocols, the way the device dialogues with Sigfox or the 4G. “This know-how is our competitive edge,” Chiu said.

Almost 100% device customisation

UnaBiz designed and developed the Space Hotaru specifically to work and integrate with NICIGAS gas meters.

“ We have customised 98% of the smart reader – the remaining 2%t is the standardisation of the gas metre as established by the Japanese authorities,” Chiu said. “Luckily, the Space Hotaru is not by itself supporting 80 different meters, that has 80 different standards as that would have taken a lot more time. Space Hotaru is matching the gas meter standard, established in Japan.”

Furthermore, UnaBiz optimised the casing and firmware inside Space Hotaru.

“The initial version NICIGAS had had three times more battery capacity compared to the final version. We had to optimise the whole behaviour of the device such that you do not having to purchase such huge batteries to be placed in the device, which is saving cost,” Chiu said.

Also, the company designed the Space Hotaru in a way that would enable NICIGAS to take the data from the device the way it does from any other IT systems.

“If we go deeper and it ends up in the JSON format. In this way, it is easier for them to ingest the data to integrate with the existing system. It would have been a very big difficulty if they had to customise something specific to accept Space Hotaru,” Chiu explained.

He added: “The customisation happens between as close to the meter, all the way to the middleware and then it's standardised and sent properly to NICIGAS. It is similar to the petroleum industry. When you get the crude oil, you can't just put that in your car. You have to transform that oil, optimise it and make it arrive at the right gas station and then it's edible by the cars. That’s why it's customised because all that route did not exist before. The different layers of the hardware, networking and application are completely customised and designed for that.”

Unabiz believes massive IoT projects work best when the IoT hardware is purpose-built.

“Most of the time, the behaviour of the device, the way it's attached, etc. is almost always customised 100%. It is very different from the vision of IoT, where I buy a device, put it on my set, and I can do it by myself.

“We don't believe that massive IoT can happen by off-the-shelf solutions. This might sound cheap and low-cost to do but it is not sustainable. Most of the time, it will face multiple issues and it’s not helping, because – in the end - the top management would see IoT as a failure rather than an opportunity.”

Next: All about data and the future of IoT projects

Related story: Under the hood: Supply chain essential to massive IoT projects

The post Under the hood: Integration and device customisation in IoT projects appeared first on FutureIoT.

In an exclusive interview, FutureIoT spoke with Philippe Chiu, co-founder and chief technology officer of UnaBiz, about the smart meter project in an in-depth interview that covers the impact of COVID-19, the importance of supply chain, challenges around customisation and integration and more.

Singapore-based UnaBiz is the product design and hardware device manufacturer, who together with SORACOM, developed the Space Hotaru from NICIGAS’ original concept.

(First of three parts)

UnaBiz aims to complete the installation of the first batch of 850,000 units of NICIGAS’ Space Hotaru by March this year.

Checking the real-time dashboard that tracks the deployment process in late January, Philippe Chiu, company co-founder and CTO, said approximately 720,00 units have been connected and even now are already transmitting data back to NICIGAS.

“The actual figure is just a figure, but what matters in the end is that it's progressing as planned, which is by itself an achievement. We’re only a hundred thousand units away from our first milestone,” Chiu said.

The NICIGAS project was spurred by the Japanese government’s push for the standardisation and “smartification” of gas meters across the island nation.  In fact, gas meters in the country are designed to automatically switch off when triggered by external events such as earthquakes.

“The issue is that these smart features are in tech, we say local, which means that there is no remote or wireless activation or deactivation of those meters. Thus, you could have meters that have been switched off and without NICIGAS knowing about it,” Chiu said.

In the past, the utility company would heavily rely on manpower to check deactivated meters; and delays would be inevitable as company staff had to  physically go onsite to thoroughly inspect each unit. However, this typical task could be optimised and enhanced using remote access that Space Hotaru seeks to deliver.

A year of  development

It took UnaBiz a full 12 months to finetune the Space Hotaru and get it ready for deployment. According to Chiu, to getting the shape of the device right is only part of the process.

“Just having a device that shape doesn't take a year, but it's all the different phases of testing, validation, reliability testing. The full development started Q1 2019, and production line was ready on Jan 2020,” Chiu said.

He recalled:  “Our prototype was out after two months, from nothing to a lot of ideation and how it would look like etc. The whole project had at least ten different types of shapes and you have 10 different proposals justifying each design. We compress that time and  made a decision in just a little over two months.”

After the design of the device was approved, the team proceeded in the next eight to 10 months  to conduct testings, reliability certifications that includes the factory set up, all the different quality checks involving different aspects of the device.

Grappling supply chain challenge caused by COVID 19

UnaBiz started production of the Space Hotaru in early 2020 with the first trial run conducted before Chinese New Year. Everything was running smoothly with the rate of production and shipping was planned for the rest of 2020.

In early February, the initial impact of the COVID-19 hit on the global scales. Factories closed as governments imposed citywide lockdowns.

“Everything planned perfectly became a huge question mark. It is uncertain when everything is going to resume, everything is under lockdown and we're not pushing because it's a health and safety issue. It's dangerous, we're talking about people's lives and that was a huge question mark, which created quite some delay and uncertainty. We have been spending a whole year on R&D, and finally seeing it happening and then you take one of the largest crises worldwide,” Chiu said.

Like most technology companies, UnaBiz has multinational operations that require a highly synchronised supply chain.

While the company is headquartered in Singapore, its R&D and manufacturing partners are located in Taiwan, the port is in Hong Kong, the manufacturing is being done in China and the customer is based in Japan.

“Never underestimate the deployment. Having such volume in tens of thousands at international level, you realise very realistically and concretely the importance of physical logistics and supply chain.

“IoT is really much more than just a bunch of youngsters having great ideas and saying, I'm going to do a lot of things with your data. The fact is so many things can go wrong, with that international way of doing things. You could just ask DHL to do that, but it would be way too expensive for you to manage. The customer won’t pay, so there's no deal. The rollout plan and the supply chain is key in such projects, without that no project for everyone,” Chiu said.

UnaBiz has a fully dedicated supply chain team of roughly 15 people – comprising one quarter of the company headcount – doing the supply chain, buying components and making sure they reach the right points at the right time to avoid delays.

"We do have a second and third layer of factories, some being not in China. Post-COVID and given that we have much more to produce, we definitely need to have alternative locations. I cannot explicitly mention where it is, but it is still in Asia, and it's definitely not in the same country as the main factory, where we did the first batch. It's a very common practice in the industry, which is called multi-sourcing. So, that is in place even for factory," Chiu said.