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An Interview with Plegma Labs

December 23, 2022

Plegma Labs S.A. was established by a team of seasoned professionals participating in the evolutionary transition toward the Internet of Everything leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence. Plegma Labs’ ever-evolving advanced analytics system overcomes fragmentation issues and reduces the complexity of acquiring, storing and managing all this newly available data produced by sensors, smart devices, ML/AI-powered systems as well as real-life events.

 

Your company's work is focused around the IoT (Internet of Things), Machine Learning and AI. How important do you think these technologies are for a more sustainable future, and what role will they play in it?

 

Internet of Things, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence are all important technologies that have the potential to help create a more sustainable future. These technologies can help us better understand and manage heterogeneous and diverse systems regarding various verticals, such as energy, environment and industry.

 

IoT sensors can be used to monitor the health of natural ecosystems, while machine learning algorithms can help us better predict and manage resources like energy generation and energy consumption. AI can be used to help us make better decisions about how to use these resources, by providing us with more accurate and up-to-date information, leveraging data analysis and identification of patterns and trends. Overall, these technologies have the potential to make a significant contribution to sustainability efforts, by enabling us to more effectively monitor, manage, and optimise the systems mentioned above.

 

Regarding how these technologies can be used to promote sustainability: for instance, IoT sensors can be used to monitor the health of natural ecosystems, such as forests, oceans, farms, or even at a city level. These sensors can collect data on factors such as temperature, humidity, and various gas levels, which can be used to track the health of these ecosystems and identify potential problems. Machine learning algorithms can then be applied to this data to help us better understand and predict the behaviour of these systems, and identify potential risks or opportunities.

 

Additionally, these technologies can be used to improve the efficiency of resource use, such as energy. For example, IoT sensors can be used to monitor the use of these resources in buildings, factories, and other facilities, and machine learning algorithms can be used to identify opportunities for more efficient use and, thus, optimise energy consumption. This can help reduce waste and save resources, contributing to a more sustainable future.

 

Overall, the use of IoT, machine learning, and AI can help us better understand and manage the various systems and conditions around us, and can provide us with the information and tools we need to make more sustainable choices.

 

 

Your PLATOON project is e-PIOTIS: energy optimisation of building IoT Infrastructures in a Stratified way, which is developing an AI-enabled Energy Management System (EMS) for building and district-level energy grids. Can you tell us a little more about this project and its application in the real world?

 

The project "energy optimisation of building Internet Of Things Infrastructures in a Stratified way (e-PIOTIS)" aims at presenting a holistic approach for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled Energy Management System (EMS) for building and district level energy management and maximising the available renewable energy sources utilisation.

 

Through the project, the goal is to enrich and demonstrate the e-PIOTIS approach in both residential and commercial use cases and test the ability to scale and generalise the already developed models and tools in a smart and collective manner. The e-PIOTIS solution system includes:

 

• a PV generation forecasting module,
  
  
• a building energy demand forecasting module,
  
  
• a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) energy demand forecasting module, as well as
  
  
• an energy task scheduling & optimisation component.

 

By participating in the PLATOON Support Programme, the e-PIOTIS solution was validated in the PLATOON ecosystem and enhanced the company's offering by utilising the available data and expert knowledge of the consortium partners. Through the PLATOON Support Programme, the solution was brought closer to the EU market and was exposed to additional markets that were otherwise difficult to be reached. The e-PIOTIS project harnessed the available data of the PLATOON project, which allowed the building of more accurate and generalised models when enriched with Plegma's proprietary data and open datasets.

 

Participation in the PLATOON Support Programme allowed the solution to leapfrog from TRL 6 to TRL 7 as the system was evaluated in multiple and heterogeneous real-life scenarios and operational environments. Overall, the demonstration of the developed solution in operational environments through the PLATOON ecosystem and IDS-enabled reference architecture, provided crucial results and insights for all the entities involved, as well as for interested stakeholders such as developers and researchers.

 

 

Plegma Labs is part of the mi-Cluster, the first innovation cluster in Greece. How has this benefitted your company?

 

The mi-Cluster is the first innovation cluster in Greece, consisting of the Industrial Association (HSIA), the Cluster Facilitator (Corallia), and more than 30 industrial members (large enterprises, SMEs, international design centres and startups). In addition to its industrial basis, over 50 members currently represent academia and research institutes, the finance sector, national and regional authorities, media, etc., promoting complementarity within the innovation ecosystem.

 

Participating in such an innovation cluster provides numerous benefits to our company, fostering collaboration and innovation among member organisations which are involved in similar industries/technologies. This can provide our company with access to new ideas, expertise, and resources, which can help us innovate and grow. The innovation cluster also host events and workshops that facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among member organisations, providing a platform for companies to share best practices and learn from each other.

 

Moreover, they also provide access to funding and support programs that can help us develop and commercialise new products and services. The innovation cluster works closely with some government agencies and other organisations to provide funding, support and sometimes mentorship for member companies, helping them to overcome barriers to growth and success.

 

Overall, participating in the mi-Cluster provided us with a range of opportunities for growth and development, through access to new ideas, expertise, and support. All of these ultimately lead to innovation and higher probabilities of success in today's competitive marketplace.

 

What do you see as the biggest benefit of PLATOON, both for participants and end users?

 

One of the biggest benefits of participating in the PLATOON project was the opportunity to access funding and support that managed to help our SME (Small Medium Enterprise) company "Plegma Labs" to develop and implement innovative solutions to solve an important EU-wide challenge. PLATOON project provided a wide range of financial and non-financial support services, such as mentoring, which helped participants to overcome barriers to growth and success. This is particularly beneficial for smaller organisations or startup companies like ours, which may not have access to the same level of funding and support through other channels.

 

Besides financial support, the PLATOON project provided participants with access to a range of other resources (e.g. data) and services that can help them to develop and implement their ideas. For example, access to technical expertise and knowledge sharing between various PLATOON partners, including large companies which otherwise would be very difficult to reach out to and collaborate with them, was very beneficial for the growth of our own company and the technical expertise of our key personnel involved within this project. PLATOON project brings together organisations from different countries and sectors, helping participants to learn from each other's experiences and expertise, and fostering the development of new ideas and solutions.

 

Moreover, it provided networking opportunities and access to the PLATOON Marketplace that can help us to develop and commercialise our products and services. This is particularly valuable for organisations that are working on cutting-edge technologies or complex challenges, and can help them to succeed in today's competitive marketplace.

 

Finally, the PLATOON project provides a wide range of benefits to end users, such as access to innovative technologies and services aiming for energy efficiency, along with opportunities for collaboration and learning. These benefits can help participants to develop and implement innovative solutions, and can ultimately lead to a more sustainable and prosperous future for the end-users.