Imagine your city's water pipes could talk — telling you exactly where leaks are, how much water is flowing, and whether someone is tampering with the data. IoT4Win trained 3 PhD researchers across Europe to build the pieces of that system: smart sensors that work on low power, a platform that lets different water monitoring tools share data, and security measures to keep it all safe. Think of it as giving water utilities a nervous system for their underground pipes, so problems get caught before they become expensive emergencies.
Water utilities lose billions annually to leaks, burst pipes, and inefficient monitoring across aging infrastructure. Most networks still rely on manual inspections or disconnected sensor systems that don't share data, making it nearly impossible to detect problems before they escalate. On top of that, connecting water infrastructure to the internet raises serious cybersecurity concerns that most utilities aren't equipped to handle.
The project trained 3 PhD researchers and produced 14 deliverables covering IoT-based smart sensing for water pipes, an interoperable open platform for connecting different monitoring devices, and data security methods for connected water infrastructure. A best-practice smart water network demonstrator was planned with an industrial end-user partner.
If you are a water utility dealing with aging pipe networks and high non-revenue water losses — this project developed IoT-based smart sensing for urban water environments and an interoperable open platform for monitoring water networks. The research covered 3 core areas: low-power sensor communication, integrated data management, and data security for connected water infrastructure.
If you are a technology provider looking to expand into water network monitoring — this project designed an open, interoperable platform that connects heterogeneous IoT devices in water environments. With 2 industry partners directly involved in the research, the platform was built to bridge ICT and water sector requirements, covering sensor web standards and integrated knowledge management.
If you are a monitoring firm struggling with data silos from different sensor brands and protocols — this project tackled interoperability and semantic web integration for smart water networks. The research addressed dynamic sensor web connectivity and secure data intelligence, meaning different monitoring devices can feed into one unified view of water network health.
The project does not publish pricing or cost-per-deployment figures. As a training network (MSCA-ITN), the primary outputs are research results and trained researchers rather than a commercial product. Any implementation would require further development and commercialization investment.
The objective mentions developing a platform for IoT-enabled smart water network applications, evaluated in real water scenarios with an end-user industrial partner. However, the project trained 3 early-stage researchers, so the outputs are at research stage rather than city-scale deployment.
IP from MSCA-ITN projects is typically shared between the academic and industrial partners under consortium agreements. Birmingham City University coordinated the project with 2 industry partners across 3 countries. Specific licensing terms would need to be discussed with the consortium.
The objective states the platform would be applied to and evaluated in real water scenarios with an end-user industrial partner, leading to a best-practice smart water network demonstrator. One demo deliverable focused on dissemination via training workshops.
The project covered 3 research areas: smart sensing and trusted communication within energy-limited IoT water devices, a dynamic sensor web with interoperable open platform and integrated knowledge management, and data security and intelligence for IoT-enabled smart water networks.
The project ran from March 2018 to May 2022. The research areas — IoT for water, data interoperability, and cybersecurity for utility networks — remain highly relevant as water utilities accelerate digital transformation.
The IoT4Win consortium is compact — just 3 partners across 3 countries (Greece, Romania, UK), with a notable 67% industry ratio (2 industry partners to 1 university). Birmingham City University led the project. For a business looking to engage, the strong industry involvement is a positive signal — it means the research was shaped by real operational needs, not just academic curiosity. However, as an MSCA training network with 3 PhD researchers, the team was small and research-focused rather than deployment-oriented.
Reach out to Birmingham City University's research office or the IoT/smart infrastructure department for follow-up on commercialization opportunities.
Want to explore whether IoT4Win's smart water platform could work for your network? SciTransfer can connect you with the research team and help assess fit.
