Sensfix was chosen to be a part of the S5 program, a 5G Technology Accelerator organized by Łódź Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The S5 program helps innovative companies from the SME sector start their business ventures in Łódź and work on 5G innovations.
Sensfix was chosen due to its AI-based operations software that improves the efficiency of factory operations and maintenance and reduces equipment downtime. The Sensfix platform uses machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to predict failures. We then use predictive intelligence so that machines can identify the need for service and schedule their own service tasks. Companies can then manage service operations on the Sensfix platform. The solution uses 5G technology and sensor data—collected on a large scale—to develop more accurate artificial intelligence models that allow for more accurate predictive maintenance capabilities.
The accelerator selection process was divided into two rounds. In the first round, 40 startups were invited and received 50,000 PLN for the incubation of the idea, which will last up to three months. Twenty startups with the most interesting ideas qualified for the second round. In the second phase, lasting up to nine months, startups receive 550,000 PLN support for refining and implementing innovations.
The Łódź SEZ program has opened up new development opportunities for large and small companies that are innovating with 5G technology. Startups in the S5 program receive co-financing from Łódź SEZ and access to a large amount of technical knowledge and the possibility of cooperation with mature businesses. Companies that have used solutions from startups in the program include: Miele, Wielton, PGE and Indigo Nails. For industrial companies, new digital solutions that use technologies like virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, present a massive opportunity. For startups, working with large companies is an opportunity to pilot solutions and connectivity in real production environments.
Dr Thorsten Störmer, Managing Director of Miele Technika sp. z o.o. says, “Continuous improvement and striving to be better lies in our company’s DNA. 5G, the new generation of radio technology, has the potential to make our visions come true. Production with real-time data transfer between a large number of different sensors, artificial intelligence, augmented reality to connect and train our experts around the world, and wireless robots that work together – all this will increase efficiency and quality.”
The Customer Technology Association hosted a panel in 2021 where Drew Blackard, Vice President of Mobile Product Management for Samsung Electronics America, and Denise Gibson, co-founder and chair of Ice Mobility, a global supply chain solutions provider, weighed in on the future of 5G as the technology continues to be deployed around the globe. The executives said 5G will fuel innovation because it will speed up compute and processing power at the network edge. Ultra-fast speed data transfer will not only be available to devices, but also at the edge of the network. 5G and edge computing will bring to life a variety of new use cases behind the scenes, especially in the IoT and connected devices space for businesses and in the home, Blackard said. The 4G network of today, he added, can‘t handle this need for computing at the edge.
About the Łódź Special Economic Zone
The Łódź SEZ was established in 1997 and comprises the Łódź Province, a part of the Mazowieckie Province, and the eastern part of the Wielkopolskie Province. Two international airports are located within its borders (Warsaw and Łódź) and it has a well-developed cargo railroad network, including the Poland-China (Łódź-Chengdu) railroad connection, that provide the Łódź SEZ with enormous logistical potential. Thanks to its strategic location, access to well-educated staff and tax incentives, the Łódź SEZ has recently been ranked among the world’s top economic zones in a ranking prepared by the FDI Magazine (part of the Financial Times group).
For more than 4 years the Łódź SEZ has been building a nationwide innovation hub and creating a local ecosystem to support startups. Thanks to this, every existing and new investor of Łódź SEZ has direct access to modern technologies. Łódź SEZ grants also offer support in the form of CIT or PIT tax exemption for individuals conducting business activities. Investing in the Łódź SEZ, an entrepreneur can benefit from income tax exemptions of up to 55% of the eligible investment costs. The advantage of the zone over other forms of public aid, for the investor, is the wide range of supported activities. Companies from the manufacturing industry, modern business services (BPO / SSC / IT) and those conducting R&D activities can benefit from the support in the zone, including support from the Automation and Robotics Secondary School – a prestigious and modern vocational education school. The creation of the Technical School led to the creation of the profession of the future – the automation and robotics technician. The Zone supports employees of micro, small, and medium enterprises and self-employed people from Łódź Voivodeship.
Full article in Polish on the page 44-45:
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