Aranese IoT to mitigate the risks of the climate emergency

Extreme weather phenomena are increasingly common globally, and Catalonia is no exception. Currently, drought is a cause for national alarm: more than three years have accumulated with rainfall below average, and in November, reservoir reserves dropped below 19%. The other side of the coin are storms like Gloria, which 3 years ago severely punished many points of the Catalan and Valencian coast.

Climate risks are, therefore, increasingly high, and Administrations are taking measures to improve the resilience of the territory and its infrastructures. One of their allies in achieving this is Arantec, a company based in the Vall d'Aran specializing in IoT (Internet of Things) solutions for managing environmental parameters. "Mitigating the negative effects of the climate emergency we are experiencing has become a strategic activity for us. In fact, what we do at Arantec is use technology to manage risks of meteorological origin such as floods, snow avalanches, landslides, droughts, or forest fires," explains Eisharc Jaquet, CEO of the company.

Geographical diversity

Arantec has projects both in Catalonia, as well as in the rest of the Spanish market and also internationally, some of which it has accessed thanks to the support of ACCIÓ, the Generalitat's agency for business competitiveness.In the Pyrenees, it has more than 35 hydro-meteorological stations that are part of the Early Flood Risk Warning projectand that, together with a web platform, alerts Civil Protection services and the population about the danger of floods. In Castilla y León, it has deployed a network of 122 meteorological stations that collect weather information and road conditions in real time to improve traffic safety.

Internationally, the company has a significant presence in Portugal and southern France and also operates in different Latin American countries. "Within the framework of The HuT Nexus project, we are deploying 10 pilot projects in different European countries with very distinct natural risks and sociocultural realities, such as Iceland, Switzerland, Germany, or Italy," says Eisharc Jaquet.

Regarding clients, it is the Administration—regardless of its size—that primarily contracts Arantec's services. The company collaborates with town councils of 50 inhabitants up to some Ministries. Additionally, it also works for some private companies where climate change and associated risks can have a very large impact on their activity. As for the business model, it normally has an initial economic income that covers the supply of equipment and another recurring one as SaaS (Software as a Service), in addition to maintenance work on the facilities.

Commitment to the territory

Arantec is a company founded by two childhood friends from the Vall d'Aran and, although it has a vocation to expand internationally, its commitment to the territory is clear. "We believe thatis part of our social responsibility to create qualified jobs in the Vall d'Aran that represent an opportunity for young people here not to have to leave. We are convinced that an economic model for mountain regions that is not based solely on tourism is not only possible, but necessary," claims Jaquet.

Currently, Arantec's workforce consists of about 20 employees, most of whom have technological training in different fields such as computer, industrial, civil, and geological engineering. In recent years, it has invoiced around 1.5 million euros, but, from now on, and after implementing a growth plan, it expects to increase business by 30% annually.

Help for new business opportunities

During its consolidation phase, Arantec benefited from theaid for new business opportunitiesfrom ACCIÓ. These subsidies are divided into two lines. On the one hand, aid for strategic change projects, designed to launch business projects that can shape the future of the company. The support consists of the creation of a business plan based on an opportunity identified by the company. To carry out the activity included in the plan, the company receives advice from suppliers accredited by ACCIÓ, whose cost is subsidizable

On the other hand, there is aid aimed at structural change. To apply for them, a business plan must be submitted defining and analyzing the action to be implemented and the resources deemed necessary to guarantee the viability of the new business line.