Eurostars Millions for Hydromea and INERGIO

EUR 2M Grant to build a miniature resident underwater drone system

Under the project, Swiss-based autonomous underwater robotics startup Hydromea, and Unplugged, a Norwegian leader in inductive charging and data transfer technology will develop a robust, resident drone solution with the initial focus on the aquaculture industry. The system will be designed to remain underwater for months at a time and perform daily data sweeps, providing farmers with up-to-date comprehensive condition monitoring of its operations remotely.

Igor Martin, the CEO of Hydromea, said: “With the ongoing move to automation of offshore energy operations and projected double-digit annual growth rate of the blue ocean economy in the offshore renewables, aquaculture and kelp farming market sectors, the demand for condition monitoring of the underwater assets will explode over the next decade. Building a digital twin of an asset underwater is currently close to impossible. The incumbent technologies are largely developed around defense and offshore oil & gas sectors that can afford the size and cost of complex systems. However, the economics of the upcoming emerging sectors are such that they require robust, lower-cost, and miniaturized continuous monitoring solutions. We are excited to help address this by combining our expertise in portable robotics and underwater communication technology with Unplugged unrivaled expertise in underwater induction technology.”

EPFL spin-off Hydromea is a Swiss-based underwater robotics and communication startup delivering solutions that allow customers to have unparalleled access to subsea data and underwater assets.

EUR 1.2M Grant to advance Green Energy development

INERGIO Consortium has also been awarded an Eurostars grant, which will be used to advance its research and development activities focused on providing green energy solutions wherever and whenever needed.

As the largest international funding program for SMEs seeking to collaborate on R&D projects aimed at creating innovative products, processes, or services for commercialization, Eurostars in collaboration with Innosuisse will provide INERGIO with the resources necessary to join forces with the Department of Energy in Denmark's University of Technology (DTU) and Resolvent SA to prepare for the commercialization of INERGIO's miniaturized power generators.

With DTU and Resolvent SA boasting impressive track records in the development, testing, and optimization of high-temperature fuel cell systems, the partnership has the potential to accelerate the development of INERGIO's InoPower systems and bring them closer to their goal of delivering sustainable energy solutions to wherever is needed.

EPFL / HEIG-VD spin-off INERGIO is developing an innovative modular, lightweight, and efficient power system that delivers clean electricity wherever it is needed. The fuel cell modular power system allows unlimited scaling, making the technology suitable for applications ranging from IoT devices and consumer electronics to autonomous robotic systems and automobiles for range extenders.

(PR - ES)