GRECiOT: Game changer in the measurement and analysis of the air we breathe…
The pioneering Greek GreenTechstartup has come to change the market in air quality monitoring, developing integrated solutions for environmental and atmospheric measurements to visualize, identify pollution sources and analyze data that determine the quality of indoor and outdoor air, using cutting-edge technologies and specialized hitech equipment.
Author: Sotiris Giannatos On Wednesday, August 10, 2022
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The quality of the air we breathe every day is a problem, not only for the 8% of people who suffer from respiratory problems, but for all of us.
The world’s most authoritative studies report that the explosive increase in diseases such as autoimmune diseases is also due to poor air quality, which has also reduced life expectancy by one year.
Even in the most environmentally protected areas of the world there are sources of air pollutants and particulate matter, which are extremely dangerous to the health of the inhabitants, especially children and vulnerable groups. Often without anyone being aware of their existence.
In response to this huge social and environmental problem, the purely Greek Green Tech startup GRECiOT, with
based in Thessaloniki, develops innovative and integrated solutions for the realization
air and environmental measurements of high accuracy in order to identify pollution sources and the scientific analysis of air quality data, using cutting-edge technologies.
Using IoT, artificial intelligence, machine learning tools, it pinpoints both air quality (indoors and outdoors) and a range of hazardous or harmful elements for humans and the environment.
In fact, GRECiOT, founded in December 2020, has managed in less than two years to already be considered a game changer in GreenTech in the environmental field. It helps cities to measure outdoor air quality with minimal purchase costs and zero maintenance compared toFounder of DRECiOT, Kostas Vassiliadis before, through microStations of Spanish Kunak, where they were awarded as the No1 micro-stations in measurement reliability in the world.
Then, through a special algorithm and AI, the data from the stations are exploited and the outbreaks of contamination are identified. Finally, the measurements are analysed, presented at regular intervals to the management of the target organisation and, if requested, solutions are proposed for taking measures to address the problem by the Environmental Informatics research group of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In short, it holistically implements the doctrine “MEASURE RIGHT – DETECT – ANALYZE – ANALYZE – ADVISE”.
The original idea was an “inspiration” of Kostas Vassiliadis, founder and Director of GRECiOT, after concerns of residents of Thessaloniki about the strong odour that made the daily life of elderly people, children and vulnerable groups difficult, while causing concerns about air quality and the possible dangers of the until then “unknown origin” odours, which made the atmosphere almost suffocating at certain times of the day.
From the “Greece-Spain Alliance” doctrine to MEASURE CORRECTLY – DETECT – ANALYZE – ANALYZE – ADVISE
The discovery of the origin of the sources of the stench, the precision measurements and the impressive results of the measurements were the motivation for the “transformation” of the idea into an innovative startup, which has gained the interest of investors from Greece and abroad.
The exclusive partnership with the Spanish company Kunak, which manufactures equipment, air quality control and monitoring systems designed to collect environmental data and information accurately and in real time for Greece and Cyprus, gave a huge boost to the development of GRECiOT within a few months. Soon came important partnerships with public and private entities to provide innovative solutions. Reliable results, low operating costs, plug and play operation without installations by skilled personnel, facilities such as running the stations on solar power and collaboration with major research and university communities took GRECiOT off the ground within a few months.
Measurements also in school interiors
GRECiOT saw the opportunity that has emerged in recent years for the need to measure air conditions also in enclosed spaces with crowded, unventilated areas, such as school classrooms. Measurements such as light, temperature, humidity, pressure, CO2, infrared, ultrasound, etc. help on the one hand the teacher to know when the room really needs ventilation, without unnecessary cooling of the pupils, and on the other hand money is saved by preventing energy waste. It is also considered important to control the air quality for better focus of the students. And all this is available in real time to the parents of the students. Thus, GRECiOT offers an intelligent and advanced IoT ecosystem, which provides comprehensive solutions, such as for example reducing energy costs in schools, since for the first time the temperature of the classrooms is monitored in addition to other air quality measurements.
Already, GRECiOT is working with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where a Kunak microstation has been piloted and the company provides analysis of atmospheric and environmental measurements, and has also piloted sensors in 2 classrooms at the Thessaloniki Experimental School for air quality analysis.
Today, Kunak’s precision microstations and the integrated solutions of the GRECiOT team have gained the trust of municipalities from all over Greece, Regions (e.g. Region of Central Macedonia), institutions and organizations and companies from all sectors of the economy. In addition to developing integrated solutions for large customers, GRECiOT offers scalable software development kits (SDKs), which allow developers to integrate key technologies into third-party applications.
Finally, a few days ago GRECiOT sealed a new partnership with the University of Crete and more specifically with the Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory of the Department of Chemistry.
