The Finnish UTU Group, which provides products and solutions for the electrical and automation sector, is expanding its operations into the service business by developing new digital solutions.
The company’s first flagship project is the UTU Vahti service product, which enables electricity companies to monitor the condition of their secondary substations in real-time and to anticipate and prevent potential failures remotely. One of the partners in the development of the new UTU Vahti service product has been IoT Forge Foundation.
UTU Vahti is a solution that enhances the remote monitoring of secondary substations in a cost-effective way, reducing electricity company costs related to potential failures. These costs include, for example, physical maintenance and repair work at substations and the resulting power outages, which electricity companies are obliged to compensate for their customers.
“UTU Vahti monitors the technical condition of substations, and when abnormal signals occur, any symptoms of substation components can be effectively addressed remotely even before the actual failure,” says Olli Heinonen, CEO of UTU Group.
The product development of UTU Vahti began in 2019. Finnish Sensoan, a specialist in intelligent sensors and development of sensor networks, was chosen as a partner. IoT Forge Foundation mentored the product development project, offered technical consultation, gave access to laboratory facilities and provided financial support.
UTU Vahti development has now progressed to five customer pilots with Finnish electricity companies. Next up is the commercial sales start.
“Research and product development in a new business area done solely in-house is often a difficult road because not all of the expertise can be found inside the company. That is why networking and close cooperation with external top-experts is paramount,” says Jarkko Kuntanen, Director of R&D.
Tips for developing new innovations
Both Heinonen and Kuntanen emphasize that the development of UTU Vahti has given them valuable lessons that help them in the future development of the company’s new service business. One new and growing area is software-based solutions related to the charging of electronic vehicles, such as user identification and billing solutions.
“We’ve learnt what to do and what not to do. A good example is the importance of patents. We have started the patent process in Finland and plan to continue the process in Europe. This is also the first service in its category for us, so we are investing in its sales through recruiting new sales force” Olli Heinonen says.
Key Tips:
– Clarify your goals right at the beginning and ensure that the goal is in line with the company strategy,its long-term business development and growth targets.
– Be prepared for changes as original development plans may change during the process.
– Alongside technological innovation, remember the importance of customer orientation. Think carefully about what your customer target group is and how you can differentiate your offering in the competition.
– Build an enthusiastic and a committed team. The opportunity to innovate and develop something new produces better-than-average results.
– Network and collaborate: You don’t have to do everything alone. Good partners and experts both accelerate the development of competitive products and services and facilitate the resourcing of the project, including the investment costs.
– Carefully invest in the commercialization, sales, and marketing of the product.
The UTU Group is a more than 100-year-old Finnish family business with operations in Finland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic countries. The Group’s focuses in products and solutions related to the electrification of real estate, electricity distribution and energy production as well as automation solutions for various applications. The Group’s turnover was 47 million euros in 2021, and it has more than 180 employees.
The UTU Group is a more than 100-year-old Finnish family business with operations in Finland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic countries. The Group’s focuses in products and solutions related to the electrification of real estate, electricity distribution and energy production as well as automation solutions for various applications. The Group’s turnover was 47 million euros in 2021, and it has more than 180 employees.