Geolux is a European-based fast-growing company and niche leader in the hydrology radar and sensor industry, serving clients in over 50+ countries worldwide. Geolux’s entire production process happens under one roof, making quality control easier to perform. The tasks conducted by each team member can be assessed and calibrated on-spot, especially as the production involves several stages. Moreover, in-house production enables meeting the deadlines and the workflow running smoothly.
While other suppliers on the market are integrating crucial third-party components into their products, their internal, in-house R&D team and development of all parts are the main drivers of Geoluxs success. The in-house development includes components for the radars from microwave circuits and antennas, signal processing electronics and communication interfaces, embedded software, configurator applications, and the products’ mechanics.
With this approach, Geolux can be very flexible and respond immediately to market demands and customer requirements. The company demonstrates its commitment to superior professionalism and industry standards by holding calibration certificates issued by METAS, the Swiss-based Federal Institute of Metrology.
Interview with Tomislav Grubesa, Co-Founder and Board Member of Geolux.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Tomislav Grubesa: Flood management deals with many challenges ranging from predicting flood hazards, endangerment encompassing various subsequential events, direct and indirect effects of societal repercussions, to instruments for risk reduction. With the development of tailor-made devices for monitoring floods, Geolux addresses the economic and ecological vulnerability, infrastructure vulnerability, and people as consequences of the flood hazards. More specifically, the applications include a wide range of industries, and include government agencies for water, hydrology and meteorology, then hydropower ranging from small to giant power plants around the world, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and sea and wave level measurements. In addition, the company provides solutions in the oceanographic monitoring systems. The company’s product portfolio includes LX-80, a radar level meter; LX-80-15 10Hz, an oceanographic radar sensor; RSS-2-300W, a surface velocity radar; RSS-2-300WL, radar flow meter; and HydroStation, an integrated hydrological solution used for water level monitoring in rivers, channels and lakes, early flood warning, and an accurate discharge monitoring in rivers.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
T.G: The company’s latest achievement in tidal and wave monitoring is the Geolux LX-80-10 10 Hz oceanographic radar sensor. The radar sensor measures the water level with an accuracy of +/- 2mm. In addition, it calculates wave parameters integrated into the sensor while providing an accurate wave analysis with 10 samples per second. Understanding the state of the ocean requires observations of different variables. Small changes in these variables can significantly impact ocean systems, so characterizing the ocean presents many significant measurement challenges. For example, ocean waves are formed as the wind blows across the ocean’s surface, creating small ripples that eventually become waves with increasing time and distance. Since ocean waves are one of the most powerful natural phenomena, they significantly impact the shape of the coastlines. The Geolux oceanographic radar is perfect for tide monitoring and coastal wave intensity analysis. It is applicable on open sea platforms and harbors.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
T.G: Geolux is serving clients in over 50+ countries worldwide. For example, the company holds a third of China’s hydrology radar market.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
T.G: Water policies and management require cross-sectoral coordination of different levels of governance and stakeholders. This makes water management a complex process for implementing measures affecting different subjects, often based on a multi-actor/multi-layer governance system, where competencies and activities are distributed among various institutions. Hydrology environmental monitoring is a niche market, with a specific portion of the market’s demographics and target audience and is growing in importance on daily basics.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
T.G: Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of floods and other natural weather-related events worldwide. As climate change warms the atmosphere, the air can hold 7% more water vapor for every one-degree Celsius rise. When this air rapidly cools, water vapor turns into droplets that join together to form heavy rainfall. Increasing temperatures also melt polar ice caps, posing significant threats to coastal towns and cities. Heavy rain over a short period can cause flash floods, or moderate rainfall over several days can overflow rivers or dams. Communities in coastal regions are particularly at risk because they also face the threat of sea-level rise and storm surges.
However, all strategies addressing climate change, including destructive floods, call for long-term scenarios and plans, particularly for cities and city planning. Namely, these events’ aftermath ranges from financial losses by damage to property assets to pollution of waters, soils, and ecological systems. In addition, each year, the number of endangered and venerable populations to flood increases significantly. People living in flood-prone areas are experiencing the destructive force of floods firsthand. The projections suggest that this number will continue to rise, particularly in North America, Central Asia, and Africa. With the development of tailor-made devices for monitoring floods, Europe-based company Geolux addresses the economic and ecological vulnerability, infrastructure vulnerability, and people as consequences of the flood hazards. By developing instruments that use non-contact radar technology to measure water level and water flow, Geolux focuses on managing floods and the final user.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
T.G: The Geolux LX-80-10 10 Hz oceanographic radar sensor that measures the water level with an accuracy of +/- 2mm is considered a game changer.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
T.G: Geolux is constantly growing and increasing their market share thanks to its existing and upcoming innovative products. In 2022, the company is expecting a record growth in market share and revenues thanks to the upcoming projects, an increase in the R&D capacities, and sales and marketing departments, which will focus on industrial water and smart cities applications. Additionally, with planned investments into the specific radar technologies used in precise speed and distance measurements, the company’s goal is to become a world leader in precise radar hydrology instrumentation within the next three years.
