Did you know that a printer consumes almost the same amount of power when it is on as it does on standby? That cold drink dispensers are some of the most energy consuming machines? That more energy is usually spent cooling a building than heating it? This excess energy consumption is what the Brussels Region aims to reduce by 40% by 2030.
The war in Ukraine has made it decrease by 10%… in a few months. Crises and wars have a direct impact on our wallet and therefore force us to rethink the way we consume. And that’s what IoT Factory has decided to capitalise on.
From nothing to the Internet of Things
In 2002, Lionel Anciaux created Mobile Token, a tracking solution for professional vehicles (construction, logistics) based on a GPS tracker, a technology then called M2M (Machine to Machine).
M2M then gave way to IOT and Mobile Token merged with another Brussels-based company (BF Engineering) to become EMIXIS in 2013.
The advent of low bandwidth/low energy networks (LORAWAN, SIGFOX, NB-IOT) opened the door to a host of new business opportunities. So in 2016, Lionel created IOT Factory, which uses small, inexpensive sensors based on these new communication technologies.
A software platform is created, allowing the acquisition of data from all types of sensors, the creation of dashboards and reports and the generation of alerts.
The company is progressively specialising in Smart Building (Energy efficiency, air quality and occupancy management) and in asset tracking (smart construction, smart industries).
hub.brussels & IoT Factory : a long-standing collaboration
At the same time, IoT wants to connect to this new ecosystem and spread its wings internationally. That was good news as hub.brussels was on the scene.
In terms of digital technology:
- Our Agency created what would become the brussels cluster in collaboration with Lionel
- Our teams encouraged Lionel to participate in the Call for Digital and Responsible Projects 2022, which he won with his “Energy Monitor” project
In terms of smart building:
- Our ecobuild cluster, of which IoT has been a member since December 2022, took Lionel Anciaux on a three-day study trip to Vienna to discover the Viennese construction sector and innovative advances in the areas of sustainability and circularity
- The team connected Lionel with the sustainable construction and renovation ecosystem in Brussels
Internationally:
- Our export team supported Lionel in his first trade shows: the Mobile World Congress in 2015 and the Smart City Expo World Congress, both in Barcelona (IoT has exhibited there every year since)
- In 2019, our Advisor in Madrid invited IoT to participate in “Airbus Bizlab”, an Airbus startup accelerator programme, where Lionel presented a logistics solution
- In 2021, our advisor in Barcelona took advantage of the SCEWC to organise a seminar, “The Internet of Things Revolution”, with Lionel, in collaboration with the Belgian and Luxembourg Chambers of Commerce and the Belgian Consul
- Our economic and commercial advisors each put IOT Factory in touch with potential customers and various Brussels partners and authorities
Lionel Anciaux
founder of IoT FactoryEvery company in Brussels would benefit from joining one of the hub.brussels clusters. In addition to what they bring in terms of business (training, international missions and trade shows, seminars related to your core business), they are a gold mine in terms of networking: a gateway to a whole ecosystem!
Cécile Jabaudon
Coordinator of the software.brussels clusterLionel is an ambassador of the software cluster and, more broadly, of the hub.brussels clusters, and has a deep understanding of the transversality of tech and what it can contribute. He also has a great command of his field and the dos and don'ts for an international show.
IoT factory, the energy sobriety factory
If I reduce my energy consumption, I also reduce my CO2 emissions. This is irrefutable logic, especially in Belgium, where people have a greater tendency to heat with fossil fuels. However, as we have seen, crises have the unfortunate power to drastically reduce this consumption. And current technologies have the power to act directly on the consumption of the highest consuming machines.
So is the Internet of Things the new path to zero carbon? Yes, as long as it is used wisely… It is in fact the end customers of IoT factory who decide on the meaning that this technology will have.
This is why IOT Factory decided to launch “Energy Monitor”, an energy optimisation solution that uses sensors to deliver guidance and help companies in the services sector achieve their energy/CO2 reduction goals via dashboards and KPIs.
The ultimate goal? To gather as much data as possible and produce sector-specific indicators to inform companies where their consumption stands in relation to the market, and whether changes are needed. And, in parallel, to work hand in hand with architects, engineers, builders and other Brussels stakeholders.
IOT Factory has already shown its worth in France, Switzerland, Latvia, Ireland, Iceland and the Middle East. The internationalisation of its services represents 50% of its turnover. With this new project, IOT Factory wants to be able to offer a turnkey solution so that its project can be adopted in Brussels and address its companies directly.
This return to its roots feels good, with or without sensors.
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