“HMS provides a complete and global approach to industrial connectivity in the water sector”

Water and Wastewater is one of our five key strategic focus areas, and it’s the vertical I lead as Market Manager. It’s a sector where the right connectivity and digital tools can have a huge impact, and we’re fully committed to supporting operators and utilities on that journey.

HMS Networks is a leader in connectivity and industrial communication. In water and wastewater, what makes your approach to digitalisation distinctive, and how does it translate into measurable value for utilities and industrial operators?

Industrial connectivity is one of the biggest challenges for water and wastewater utilities. Plants often operate with control systems and equipment from multiple suppliers, which can easily create vendor lock-in due to poor interoperability, limited communication between devices, or even legacy systems that make extracting data difficult. On top of that, IT/OT integration requires gathering information from a wide range of sources — sensors, PLCs, drives, analysers — and connecting them securely to cloud platforms.

Customers gain the advantage of working with a single trusted partner, supported by our offices in more than twenty countries

At HMS, we make this complexity manageable. Our Red Lion protocol converters allow pumps, sensors, analysers, PLCs, and drives to communicate seamlessly — either directly with each other, through a PLC or SCADA system using OPC UA, DNP3 or others, or by integrating with cloud platforms. In parallel, our Ewon Flexy acts as an intelligent IoT gateway. It collects and manages data from all of these devices simultaneously, storing it locally so that nothing is lost even if the internet connection drops.

The Ewon Flexy also makes secure remote access possible through our popular Talk2M service. This means operators and engineers can monitor and control PLCs from anywhere, responding to issues quickly and making necessary adjustments without the need to be physically present at the plant. The result is greater efficiency, faster troubleshooting, and fewer on-site visits — which not only saves time and resources but also reduces risks for staff who might otherwise need to enter hazardous areas.

In short, HMS provides a complete, global approach to industrial connectivity in the water sector. Customers gain the advantage of working with a single trusted partner, supported by our offices in more than 20 countries and a worldwide distributor network.

Digitalisation is advancing at uneven speeds across the sector. From your vantage point, where is water today in terms of maturity, and what trends are accelerating momentum?

In November 2024, we launched a survey among companies in the water sector to assess their maturity level in smart water. The results showed that only 26% were already using operational information in a digital format. It’s evident that the public sector is still lagging behind in maturity — most likely because budgets are limited and tend to be allocated to other short-term priorities.

To help bridge this gap, initiatives have been created. For example, the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) has earmarked around €27 billion for water-related projects under cohesion policy. In the UK, AMP8, regulated by Ofwat, highlights investment in digitalisation and smart monitoring as key priorities.

On the industrial side, the return on investment from digitalisation is much clearer. That’s why companies in this space generally show a much more advanced level of maturity

Many organisations run promising pilots but struggle to scale. In your experience, what separates those stuck in “pilot purgatory” from those achieving enterprise-wide transformation?

I always recommend starting with the “why”. Any digitalisation project needs a solid business rationale and the backing of top management. A clear business plan with defined ROI should come first — before jumping into technical solutions.

Too often, I’ve seen projects kick off with a pilot that looks promising but then gets stuck for months. At that point, it’s no longer a pilot — it becomes a nightmare. The project manager feels pressure from both management and the team, usually because goals and timelines weren’t realistic or properly defined.

A better approach is to start small with pilots that fit a limited budget, can quickly demonstrate success, and are designed to scale later. This is particularly important in the public water sector, where the real benefits of digitalisation often play out over the long term, while short-term priorities usually take precedence.

To minimise risk, it’s wise to rely on standard market products and solutions. That way, you can leverage lessons learned by others, while ensuring that the solution is both scalable and future-proof. For example, if your pilot involves collecting data from three pump stations with Siemens PLCs, make sure the devices you use can also support other PLC protocols. Otherwise, scaling up to a full deployment may be difficult or costly. The same goes for software capabilities — it’s one thing to collect data from three pumps, but a completely different challenge to manage data from 300.

Scalability also has to make sense economically. The solution must be easy to use, simple to deploy, and cost-effective to scale. When those conditions are met, digitalisation moves from a risky experiment to a sustainable strategy.

Beyond monitoring, how can operators move toward real-time orchestration of operations — and can you share an example where digital tools created new business value that wasn’t possible before?

One of the biggest challenges today is the limited availability of process experts — you simply can’t have them everywhere all the time. By leveraging digitalisation, utilities can reach a global network of experts who can fine-tune and optimise processes remotely. Thanks to contextualised dashboards and advanced analytics tools, it’s not only about monitoring, but about receiving actionable recommendations by experts.

I always recommend starting with the “why”; any digitalisation project needs a solid business rationale and the backing of top management

Modern analytics platforms go even further. As an example, the Hubgrade Performance from Veolia Water builds a digital twin of the plant, using predictive analytics and real-time data to suggest optimised setpoints directly to the PLC and even machine learning and AI to continuously improve operations autonomously. At the same time, it provides valuable insights for operators, process engineers, and management to improve decision-making and overall performance.

For engineering firms, this also opens the door to entirely new business models. With the support of their data scientists, they can deliver ongoing optimisation services throughout the entire lifecycle of a plant, not just during commissioning. And in small or medium-sized plants, the model makes even more sense — you don’t need a full-time process expert on site; sometimes just a few hours of remote expert support per week is enough.

We’re already seeing success stories in the industry. Companies like Veolia, with their Hubgrade platform, or Skion Water, with OpsCTRL, are proving how digitalisation can be turned into valuable service offerings.

HMS provides connectivity, remote access and cybersecurity across the water value chain. Where do you see the strongest growth opportunities — and how do you demonstrate clear ROI to decision-makers to capture them?

Digitalisation is a tool to improve the process, creating value, solving real problems, and minimising risks. In water operations, there are plenty of areas where it can make a real difference.

Take maintenance, for example. Do you really want to send someone all the way out to a remote site just to adjust a setpoint because the system triggered a handful of unnecessary alarms? Wouldn’t it be far better to predict issues before they happen and act proactively?

Or look at energy management. Imagine a pump that automatically adjusts its performance to match system demand, or aeration blowers that optimise energy use on their own.

And the truth is, all of this is already possible. You need hardware to collect the data, communication channels to move it securely, and software platforms that can analyse the information and turn it into action. Add to that the ability for experts to connect remotely — analysing the data, fine-tuning parameters, and making informed recommendations — and suddenly plants can improve performance without needing to send someone on-site every time.

Vendor lock-in is a growing concern. What hard questions should water managers ask suppliers to ensure long-term data control, interoperability and architectural flexibility?

Communication devices should support standard IT/OT protocols such as MQTT and OPC UA. They also need to integrate seamlessly with field devices, which means supporting common PLC protocols as well as DA and I/O processing capabilities, or telemetry protocols such as DNP3 for remote wireless networks.

Companies like Veolia, with Hubgrade, or Skion Water, with OpsCTRL, are proving digitalisation can be turned into valuable service offerings

Edge computing capabilities are essential, and the chosen devices should come from vendors with a strong market presence and global coverage to ensure long-term reliability and support.

Ease of use is also critical. Devices should be straightforward to configure — without relying on complex or highly customised scripting — and must allow for remote reconfiguration and upgrades to simplify maintenance and scalability.

With rules like NIS2 raising the bar, how can managers turn security from a compliance obligation into a strategic advantage that builds trust with regulators, customers and stakeholders?

The real strategic advantage for companies comes from digitalisation and the use of data to improve processes and cut operating costs. But with digitalisation — and the inevitable integration of IT and OT — new risks also appear. That’s where compliance with regulations like NIS2 plays a key role, helping to build trust among all stakeholders.

In the water sector, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, this legislation can actually be an opportunity. It can help address long-standing challenges such as limited security budgets, a shortage of specialised staff, and the need for more advanced technical defences to effectively counter cyber threats.

Culture change is often the hardest part. What’s one practical way you’ve seen operational teams shift from scepticism to advocacy for digital tools that deliver results?

In many digitalisation projects, the technology isn’t the hardest part — the culture change is. And that’s often underestimated by management. Resistance to change is real, especially in water operations where operators and technicians have been doing things the same way for years.

What I’ve learned is that the best way to overcome that resistance is to deliver small, tangible wins that solve everyday frustrations. Take remote monitoring of pump stations as an example. At first, many operators pushed back, worried it would make their work more complicated. But once they saw they didn’t have to spend two hours driving out to the middle of nowhere just to check a false alarm, the value became obvious. That one simple change flipped attitudes — suddenly, sceptical people became advocates.

That’s why I always recommend starting with focused pilots instead of rolling out a big, complex platform all at once. A targeted use case, like remote monitoring in rural areas, shows immediate results: less time wasted on unnecessary site visits, faster troubleshooting, and more time to focus on real problems. Once operators experience those benefits firsthand, the conversation naturally shifts from “Do we really need this?” to “Where else can we apply it?”

The technology is already there. The real challenge is helping teams shift their mindset — for example, moving from paper logbooks to using a simple app for data entry. It’s a change in habits, not just in tools. But when people see how these small changes make their jobs easier, acceptance grows, and digitalisation stops feeling like a threat and starts feeling like an opportunity.

Looking to 2035, what will surprise today’s water leaders most about fully digitalised operations — and what should they be doing now to stay ahead?

New and emerging technologies will play a central role in shaping the future of water and wastewater. They’re creating opportunities that will transform how plants and businesses are managed. But with these opportunities also come new challenges — different technologies to evaluate, new risks to manage, and evolving regulations to comply with.

We’re a trusted partner in one of the most critical areas for successful digitalisation: industrial connectivity and cybersecurity

From my experience, I’ve never seen a single company — no matter how large — able to cover everything on its own. That’s why we’re already seeing mergers and acquisitions by major players, as they look to strengthen their portfolios with digital tools. More often, though, what we’re likely to see is a growing reliance on partnerships between companies with complementary expertise.

This is exactly where HMS Networks fits in. We’re a trusted partner in one of the most critical areas for successful digitalisation: industrial connectivity and cybersecurity. These are highly specialised fields that require deep expertise, and they’re at the heart of enabling smart water operations. It’s no surprise that more and more companies in the water and wastewater industry are turning to us — not just as a supplier, but as a partner to support their digital transformation journey.