a project to join

Keywords: Digital Infrastructures, Utility Innovation, Living Labs, Data-Driven Services

The Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institute (FSTI) is an applied research institute focusing on innovation, digital transformation, and the implementation of new technologies across different industries. Our work combines scientific research with practical problem solving and close collaboration with industry partners.

Within FSTI, interdisciplinary teams combine expertise from information systems, engineering, economics, and innovation research with hands-on experience from the water sector, energy sector, and other utility industries. This combination enables us to bridge academic research, digital innovation, and operational practice in real-world settings.

We can contribute access to an existing living lab operated together with water utilities in Germany. The living lab focuses on the deployment of digital water meters, the development of a shared data platform, and the testing of data-driven services for utilities under real-world conditions. Our next research step is to leverage this infrastructure for demand-side management: https://smarte-wasserversorgung.hn/

Topic 1. Integrated Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Water Management
Topic 4. Resilient Water Systems Through Systemic Change, Policy Coherence and Inclusive Governance

We are interested in joining projects that move beyond the deployment of smart water infrastructures and focus on how digital infrastructures can create tangible value for utilities, consumers, and society.

Our particular interest lies in understanding how smart metering and digital data platforms can support demand-side management in the water sector. Building on an existing living lab with German water utilities, we aim to investigate how digital infrastructures can be used to reduce demand peaks, improve water-use efficiency, and support more sustainable water consumption patterns.

Potential research topics include behavioural interventions, feedback mechanisms, incentive schemes, customer engagement, governance approaches, and data-driven decision support. We are especially interested in real-world experimentation and impact evaluation, comparing different interventions and assessing their effectiveness, acceptance, and long-term sustainability.

demand-side management, living labs, governance, behavioural change, data-driven services, utility innovation, digital infrastructures, information systems, digital transformation

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