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Our open innovation program seeks to promote the achievement of the objectives of ISA’s businesses to respond to the great challenges of sustainable development and reduce its environmental impact. We look for solutions that address challenges related to energy transition within the energy transmission business, for the development of future electrical networks and differentiated value solutions for the sector.
At ISA we are open to co-create and collaborate with different players to drive innovation and generate connections for the future. To learn more about ISA click here.
Terms of reference
Implement solutions to challenges in the electricity sector within the infrastructure of ISA and its companies.
Work alongside industry experts to validate the solution.
Strengthen the business model with the support of the Endeavor and Estratek mentor network.
Possibility of scaling the solution once the impact hypothesis has been validated.
Work together with
industry experts
in the validation of
your solution.
Strengthen the business model with the support of the Endeavor and Estratek mentor network.
Implement
solution to the challenge in the infrastructure of ISA and its companies.
Make it possible to scale the solution once the impact hypothesis has been validated.
We are a multi-Latin company, recognized for the excellence of our operations in the electric power, roads and telecommunications and ICT business, with a presence in 6 countries in South and Central America.
Venture Client program is the commitment of a corporation to purchase the products or services of a startup, integrating the startup's solution with the company ́s needs and challenges. This allows both to take advantage of innovations in products, processes, and business models. This enables startups and corporations to obtain strategic information on new technologies and benefit in several ways, including customization advantages, among others.
Venture Client ISA is the program that seeks to create sustainable value through strategic connections with startups that generate a significant impact on the electricity sector.
Venture Client ISA is the program that seeks to create sustainable value through strategic connections with startups that are generating a significant impact in the electric power sector.
Agreements will be signed with the selected startups for the development of pilot test projects to validate the solution with ISA's technical teams.
Based on the results obtained, alternatives for future work between ISA and the startups will be explored, either as potential suppliers to scale their solutions to ISA's infrastructure or through strategic alliances.
Startups wishing to apply for the program must have been established in any country for two years, have an innovative solution (product and/or service) that fits into one of ISA's challenges, and have a work team of at least 10 people in different roles, with technical experience in design, marketing, technical and business development. You can consult all the requirements in the terms of reference of the call.
This open innovation program involves ISA as the organizing entity, Estratek and Endeavor as partners and Opino as an ally.
The program will be conducted in English and Spanish.
Startups can apply from November 21, 2023, to February 16, 2024, by clicking here.
Startups can be located in any geography.
The program does not contemplate equity investment for the startup. Resources will be available for support, co-creation, and expenses required for the exploration and design of the prototype.
The Program will be developed virtually through communication platforms (including Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, among others), which will be previously established by ISA; and in person in those pilot implementation activities that require it, prior approval of the Program Committee.
We want to explore methodologies in the market that allow to:
These methodologies should allow us to:
ISA's energy transmission infrastructure faces critical risks, especially in landslide-prone areas. Risks increased by the effect of climate variability, challenging topographic conditions in areas where infrastructure needs to be built, and external factors that modify soil conditions.
These landslides represent a significant threat to the stability of our transmission lines, as extreme weather events such as heavy rains can increase the frequency and intensity of these events. Other factors caused by ground interventions by players related to the transmission lines also increase the risk of high-impact events.
To ensure the resilience of our infrastructure, it is essential to address these risks by implementing advanced monitoring systems, predictive models and adaptation strategies. The goal is to not only periodically identify and assess climate hazards, but also anticipate and proactively manage impacts to ensure the continued reliability of our energy transmission system in the face of changing climate challenges.
Identification and monitoring strategies, systems, devices and other technological solutions are expected.
ISA, in its geography of operation in Latin America, faces significant challenges in the construction of electrical infrastructure due to environmental restrictions and topographic and climatic factors that add logistical and technical complexity in the construction and operation of the projects.
The process of lifting loads (*.1) during the construction, operation and maintenance of electrical infrastructure in mountainous and difficult-to-access areas, entails risks for the safety of workers, reflected in accidents and losses of material, which in turn can cause delays in projects and activities in general, endangering people's lives.
Solutions are sought that include new methods for erecting transmission towers in difficult-to-access areas and that are safer than traditional methods or technologies that are integrated into existing tools to improve their performance.
(*.1) Load lifting includes structure, tools, and equipment.
The design of transmission lines faces considerable challenges in protected forest areas, such as galleries near water basins, where environmental regulations prohibit the intervention of vegetation.
During the structuring of the offer, identifying and characterizing the varied tropical vegetation is time-consuming and created uncertainty in the estimating tower heights. Brief field visits, along with measurements at selected points and secondary data, are used to project vegetation growth. However, variations in vegetation, for multiple reasons, pose challenges when projecting heights, leading to adjustments in offers and possible license modifications, generating cost overruns in the execution and operation stage of the transmission lines.
SF6 gas is colorless and odorless, and is also widely used in the electrical sector due to its electrical insulating and arc-extinguishing capabilities, which makes it a key component in the design of switchgear and self-contained substations that take up less space. However, SF6 is a greenhouse gas with a high GWP (Global Warming Potential). The current SF6 monitoring process in ISA is carried out by measuring pressure in the gas containers; this method does not allow for early detection since it sends alarms once a considerable amount of gas has been lost. This situation, exacerbated by the increase in the use of SF6, contributes significantly to the environmental impact, despite efforts to keep leakage below 0.5% per year. ISA has implemented indirect detection actions for SF6 loss with the measurement of gas density in the chambers, however, there are many more operational variables involved, which complicates the ability to predict or detect SF6 leaks early and accurately, negatively impacting the fulfillment of ISA's CO2 emissions reduction targets.
This solution should ensure effective compliance with the strategic CO2 emission reduction targets and minimize the impact of said gas through the use of innovative technologies for constant, intelligent, effective and low-cost monitoring.
