Did you know that Smartvatten for water utilities is not just another technical solution developed in isolation, but a collaborative project forged in the crucible of real-world challenges? It's a story of innovation where a water utility joined forces with experts from different fields  to develop smarter solutions for the water industry. This is not just a story about technology, but also a story about collaboration, ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of efficiency in an essential aspect of modern infrastructure. So buckle up, because it's time to discover the fascinating journey behind Smartvatten Neuro. 

From Hackathon to Innovation Hub 
The story begins in Helsinki in 2016, where the city's water utility sought innovative avenues to enhance its operations. Their vision was to revolutionize water management through smart solutions, leveraging the wealth of information already collected within their network. Helsinki region Water Utility spearheaded a hackathon, inviting minds from diverse backgrounds to ideate solutions for smarter water networks. The hackathon, spanning 48 intensive hours during a weekend, was a melting pot of talent, which where divided into six teams. It brought together computer science students from Helsinki University, water engineering students from Aalto University, and professionals from HSY, the Helsinki region Water Utility. Among the luminaries of this event were Tomi Lukkarinen, then a part of HSY, now a driving force as the Business Unit Director of Smartvatten, and Felix Lindholm, a computer science student whose leadership now guides the Development Team behind the Neuro services. 

From Prototype to a cloud-based software and service provider 
During the hackathon, the students developed some smaller projects and software and presented smart solutions to the challenge. One of the solutions was the forerunner of the later Neuroflux software, which is still the basis for the Smartvatten Neuro service used by many water utilities in different coutries today. 
 
The initial solution included a map of the Helsinki region featuring all pumping stations in the capital area, accompanied by an analysis of flow dynamics within the sewer network and the impact of weather on these flows. 
Following the hackathon, the Helsinki water utility collaborated with the student group behind the prototype idea, leading to the establishment of Neuroflux aimed at expanding the business. 

Driving Innovation Forward 
The cloud service developed by Neuroflux enables water utilities to combine, visualise and analyse data from the existing wastewater and water distribution network. The service uses machine learning to identify leaks in the wastewater network, and real-time alerts reduce overflows and help water utilities optimise the efficient functioning of the wastewater network. In 2022 Neurofolux was accquired by Smartvatten, driving the developement of  a smart water newtork service forward. 
 

Let your data work for you and lighten your workload! Experience Smartvatten Neuro in action today! 

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