Market Consultation – STREAM: Smart, Autonomous Watercourse Monitoring with Camera and Edge AI

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for companies and organizations that can develop, supply, integrate, validate, or provide operational support for one or more components of the future system. More specifically, we are looking for:

• Manufacturers and suppliers of sensor and logic hardware
• Manufacturers and suppliers of optical sensors and edge-vision technology
• Domain experts in hydrology and the environment
• Hardware and PCB developers
• Embedded software and firmware developers
• Network and connectivity experts
• System integrators
• Research institutions

Do you have expertise in one of these areas? Then now is the time to showcase your knowledge, technology, or solution. Parties outside the water management or environmental technology sectors are also welcome.

Project Objective

The Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) is responsible for water level and flow rate measurements on non-navigable waterways in Flanders. A number of measurement sites are located in hard-to-reach areas, making the autonomy of the measurements a challenge.

Therefore, VMM wishes to have an open, programmable, modular low-power IoT measurement solution developed and validated. The ideal solution must be capable of processing camera images while offering sufficient autonomy to meet operational hydrometric needs. More specifically, VMM aims to use algorithms to detect plant growth, the drying up of watercourses, or to estimate flow rates.

The challenge requires a coherent and integrated modular system consisting of a microcontroller, a computing unit capable of performing more complex analyses, a robust and environmentally friendly battery and charging system that is as compact as possible, reliable Over-The-Air firmware updates (FOTA), and, optionally, a wireless “Hub & Spoke” network topology for clusters of nearby sensor nodes. A key prerequisite here is the creation of an open-source hardware platform that grants the client full control.

Purpose and Approach of the Market Consultation

During the market consultation, VMM, PIO, and Verhaert will explain in detail the technical requirements, the operational lifecycle of the logger, and the proposed reference architectures.

We want to work with you to assess which solutions are possible, how innovative and feasible they are in terms of time, budget, and development process, and how effectively and scalably they can be rolled out.

To make the discussions as valuable as possible, it is best to have your organization represented by one or two employees with subject-matter expertise in technology, product development, engineering, operations, or innovation. They are best positioned to assess how existing or future solutions can address the needs, system requirements, and operational challenges.

Expected Preparation for the Matchmaking Event (only for those who register by November 4, 2026)

In preparation, we ask that you explain as specifically as possible upon registration what expertise, technologies, products, services, or solution approaches your organization can contribute. Please also indicate what additional expertise, technologies, or partnerships you are seeking, and whether you are open to exploring potential collaborations, integrated solution approaches, or consortium formation with other participants.

We will share this information with the participants to facilitate relevant matchmaking.

Approximately two weeks before the market consultation, you will receive a preparatory memo summarizing the challenge, the context, and the key discussion topics, as well as an overview of the participating organizations, their relevant areas of expertise, the additional expertise they are seeking, and suggestions for potential discussion partners during the market consultation.

If you register later, you can still participate in the market consultation.

Expected Preparation for the Consultation

To maximize interaction and matchmaking, we ask that you—based on the preparatory memo—already start thinking about:

• Your vision for potential solutions or ecosystem development, based on VMM’s specific challenge (energy paradox, modular hardware-software architecture, and data sovereignty)
• The key risks, assumptions, or considerations for validation via a Proof-of-Concept or pilot project.

To facilitate matchmaking, we’ll offer the opportunity to display a poster during the event.

Option for an individual meeting

You may optionally register for an individual meeting with VMM. These one-on-one meetings will take place virtually on December 1, 2, or 7 and give you the opportunity to further explain your insights, potential solutions, operational concepts, or integrated end-to-end solutions.

Following the market consultation

The outcome of the market consultation should enable VMM to prepare one or more future procurement procedures for a proof-of-concept, pilot project, or operational implementation. We hope to launch these in the first half of 2027.

To uphold the principles of equality and transparency, we will prepare a report on the market consultation, while respecting confidential information. PIO will distribute the report to all participants and also make it publicly available via the PIO website. If you’d like to stay informed, we recommend subscribing to the PIO newsletter by clicking the green button on the PIO homepage.

The sole purpose of the market consultation is to gather the necessary information for one or more successful public procurement contracts; it is not part of the procurement process itself. Participation does not imply any obligation to actually initiate a procurement procedure. Whether or not you participate in this market consultation will have no negative or positive impact on your ability to participate in any future public procurement contracts.

Program

The market consultation will take place in person at VMM on November 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Dr. De Moorstraat 24-26 (large auditorium), 9300 Aalst. The event will be conducted in English if there are participants who do not speak Dutch. 

Participation is free, but registration is required. Would you like to participate in the preliminary matchmaking and receive information about the other participants in advance? If so, please register by November 4 at the latest. Registration for the market consultation itself remains open until November 10.