The BlueArk Challenge rewards five innovative solutions

No fewer than 59 companies took part in the BlueArk Challenge call for solutions to improve water management. Of the 41 proposals submitted, five were selected by a panel of experts. The winners will each receive a cheque for CHF 10,000, as well as proactive support from the Entremont BlueArk Innovation Cluster in implementing these promising solutions.
Initiated by the BlueArk Entremont Innovation Cluster, The Ark Foundation and ALTIS, the BlueArk Challenge was organised for the first time this autumn in the form of a call for solutions. ‘We didn’t really know what the response would be, but in the end we’re very pleased with the number and quality of the projects submitted,’ says Guillaume von Roten, coordinator of the BlueArk Challenge. ‘In addition to the large number of solutions submitted, we are particularly pleased to have been able to encourage inter-company collaboration. In our view, such collaboration is essential if we are to innovate in the complex field of water management.
By the beginning of October, 17 challenges had been posted online by various industrial services, local authorities and water-related companies. In the space of around a month, 41 concrete solutions were submitted. Five of them were selected by the jury.
Five winners in the third BlueArk Challenge
The first of these, called ‘Smart Twins’, aims to make the most of water meter data. Spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team fromEPFL and HES-SO Valais/Wallis, it proposes to use the potential of machine learning to create a ‘virtual’ copy of the water network and then simulate its operation in real time. This digital network will provide a better understanding of how a region’s water network operates, as well as detecting and locating leaks, cuts and water diversions in real time. It will also be able to anticipate flash floods. All it takes is the installation of a few sensors.
The second solution that won over the jury was developed by IcoFlex. Its aim is to improve drinking water quality control. It proposes to develop a sensor that can be easily integrated into pipes, without coming into contact with the liquid. It analyses physical and chemical changes in the water in real time. The solution also includes statistical and artificial intelligence models to process the data collected.
Vaud-based start-up Flybotix SA is the third winner of the BlueArk Challenge. It has devised a solution for the inspection and 3D modelling of large water pipes. It uses a drone equipped with an HD thermal camera and LED lighting. This flying machine is designed to fit inside pipes. After this internal flight, a 3D digital twin of the pipe is created, making it possible to detect leaks and other problems, while guaranteeing the safety of maintenance personnel.
The jury also awarded a prize to the ODILE application, developed by a consortium of two companies (Hydrolina and Orbiwise) and two academic institutions (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur la Montagne at the University of Lausanne and Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment at the University of Bern). The aim is to limit wastage of irrigation water without reducing crop productivity. The solution takes the form of a decision-making aid for farmers, made possible by a large number of indicators obtained on the basis of static or dynamic measurements, as well as forecasting models. It is complemented by a platform for farmers to share their experiences and connected valves for remote control of water supplies.
The final winning project is also led by a consortium of companies (Zero-C / Climat Gestion, RedElec Technologie and NVTerra). Its aim is to recycle the 100,000 tonnes of snow cleared from Verbier every year. To achieve this, this group of Valais-based companies is proposing to create pits in places where there is a high demand for cooling in summer, and to store the snow there. Heat exchangers will be used to cool the facilities in summer and save energy. The water from the snow is treated electrochemically before being discharged. The salt contained in the water will also be recovered.
‘These five concrete solutions will be implemented over the coming months, in conjunction with the partners involved. The aim of this co-creation is to rapidly develop functional prototypes. The aim is then to be able to make them available to as many local authorities as possible, for their water management’, notes Stéphane Storelli, Director of Innovation at ALTIS. BlueArk Entremont will provide the five winners with coaching services, particularly on the economic side, as well as the opportunity to take part in various themed workshops.
A fourth BlueArk Challenge, still in the form of a call for solutions, is planned for 2021.
Source: BlueArk press release
Photo credit: Gailland et Fils
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