pHenom · Project

Self-Calibrating pH Sensor That Cuts Water Monitoring Costs and Maintenance

environmentPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you have a thermometer that needs recalibrating every few days and a technician to visit each time — that's what pH sensors are like today. The part that keeps them accurate (the reference electrode) drifts over time, making readings unreliable unless someone manually fixes it. ANB Sensors built a pH sensor that checks its own accuracy using a clever electrochemical trick, so it can sit in a river, reservoir, or ocean for months without anyone touching it. Think of it as a pH sensor that tunes itself the way a smartphone auto-corrects its clock.

By the numbers

Patents pending

Additional patents in filing stage

Commercial prototype sensor systems developed

EUR 786,947

EU contribution

Glass-pHenom demonstrator unit

The business problem

What needed solving

Existing pH sensors used in water monitoring drift over time, producing unreliable readings that require frequent, expensive manual recalibration by technicians. This makes autonomous, long-duration monitoring impractical and drives up operational costs for water utilities, environmental agencies, and aquaculture operators. Companies cannot build reliable smart sensor networks when each node needs regular human intervention to stay accurate.

The solution

What was built

ANB Sensors built a Glass-pHenom demonstrator unit for commercialisation and 4 commercial prototype sensor systems tailored for the water monitoring industry. The sensor uses a voltammetric electrochemical technique with a solid-state matrix and includes built-in reference electrode verification, eliminating the need for manual calibration.

Audience

Who needs this

Water utilities managing distributed monitoring networksEnvironmental monitoring agencies tracking river and coastal water qualityAquaculture operators needing continuous pH monitoring for fish healthSensor manufacturers looking to license next-generation pH technologyDrinking water treatment plants requiring reliable autonomous monitoring

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Water Utilities

enterprise

Target: Municipal or regional water treatment and distribution companies

If you are a water utility dealing with frequent pH sensor failures and costly technician visits to recalibrate field instruments — this project developed a self-calibrating pH sensor with 3 patents pending and 5 more in filing that eliminates manual calibration. It was designed specifically for the water monitoring and management industry and produced 4 commercial prototype systems ready for field demonstration.

Environmental Monitoring

any

Target: Environmental consultancies and government agencies monitoring rivers, lakes, and coastal waters

If you are an environmental agency struggling to maintain reliable pH data across remote monitoring stations — this project built a solid-state pH sensor that verifies its own reference electrode performance in-situ. With EUR 786,947 in EU funding, ANB Sensors produced a Glass-pHenom demonstrator unit designed for smart sensor networks, enabling autonomous long-duration monitoring without site visits.

Aquaculture & Marine Research

SME

Target: Fish farming operations and oceanographic research institutes

If you are an aquaculture operator needing continuous, reliable pH monitoring to protect fish health but losing trust in sensor readings between calibration cycles — this project created a sensor based on voltammetric electrochemistry that self-verifies accuracy. The technology was built to work in oceanographic and source water environments, and a demonstrator prototype was produced for commercialisation through licensing.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this sensor cost compared to existing pH sensors?

The project objective states that existing sensors suffer from expensive manual calibration costs. While no unit price is published in the project data, the pHenom is designed to reduce total cost of ownership by eliminating frequent recalibration visits. Based on available project data, commercialisation is planned through technology licensing to large sensor manufacturers.

Can this scale to large monitoring networks?

Yes — the sensor was specifically designed for smart, networked sensing. The objective states it enables companies and government agencies to use their monitoring management resources more efficiently across distributed networks. Four commercial prototype systems were developed for the water monitoring and management industry.

What is the IP situation — can I license this technology?

ANB Sensors has 3 patents pending and 5 further patents in the filing stage covering fundamental pH sensor technology. The company's stated commercialisation strategy is through technology licensing and sales to large sensor manufacturers. A Glass-pHenom demonstrator unit was built specifically for demonstration and commercialisation purposes.

Has this been tested in real-world conditions?

The project produced 4 commercial prototype sensor systems tailored for the water monitoring industry, and a Glass-pHenom demonstrator unit for field demonstration. These prototypes were designed to prove operational advantages and gain market acceptance. Based on available project data, the sensor targets oceanographic, source water, and aquifer monitoring environments.

Does this meet water quality regulations?

The sensor targets drinking water, source water, and oceanographic monitoring — all regulated domains. While the project data does not list specific regulatory certifications, the technology was built to provide reliable, autonomous pH measurement that supports compliance monitoring. Based on available project data, regulatory alignment would be part of the licensing and commercialisation process.

How does this integrate with existing monitoring infrastructure?

The pHenom was designed for smart sensor networks and autonomous deployment. The solid-state design and self-calibrating capability mean it can be deployed in existing monitoring stations without additional calibration infrastructure. Four prototypes were built specifically to demonstrate integration with water industry systems.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a single-company project: ANB Sensors Limited, a UK-based SME that received EUR 786,947 under the EIC SME Instrument Phase 2. With 100% industry composition and no university or research institute partners, the project is fully commercially driven. The absence of academic partners suggests the core science was already proven before this project — the funding was used to push from lab to market-ready prototypes. For a business buyer, this means you are dealing directly with the technology owner and potential licensor, not navigating a multi-party consortium.

ANB SENSORS LIMITEDCoordinator · UK

How to reach the team

ANB Sensors Limited (UK) — contact via company website or SciTransfer introduction

Order a report on this consortium See ANB SENSORS LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the pHenom sensor technology for your water monitoring operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to ANB Sensors and help you evaluate the fit.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate