ABB Expands Smart Water Management Portfolio With Latest Acquisition
With the acquisition of Real Tech, a market leader in real-time water quality monitoring, ABB looks to expand its portfolio in the water management sector and address water infrastructure needs.
ABB, a technology leader with over 100,000 employees, has announced that it will acquire the Canadian company Real Tech. Real Tech is a leader in real-time water quality monitoring and testing. The company has solutions in wastewater, municipal, and other industries, totaling over 10,000 installments worldwide.
ABB will grow its smart water management portfolio through its acquisition of Real Tech. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock
Real Tech Water Quality Monitoring
Real Tech has an expansive portfolio and more than 20 years of experience in the water treatment industry. The company is based in Whitby, Ontario, and has roughly 40 employees. While traditional water quality management requires tedious measurements and can be time-consuming, Real Tech’s solutions enable users to treat water in real time. Real Tech’s portfolio includes controllers, optical sensors, and various optional accessories.
Real Tech's optical sensor lineup uses light to measure water composition effectively. Spectrophotometry and fluorescence measuring techniques allow users to create real-time use to move testing from the lab to the process environment. In addition, Real Tech leverages AI to help create more advanced system capabilities. Real Tech's proprietary software platform, Liquid Ai, helps users by creating an accurate way to read and analyze sensor data after it has been gathered.
Real Tech offers an expansive portfolio of solutions for water management across industries. Image used courtesy of Real Tech
ABB Grows Presence in Water Segment
With the acquisition of Real Tech, ABB will expand its portfolio of smart water treatment solutions. ABB also expects to be better positioned for growth as part of the global push to create more sustainable water management and address water infrastructure needs.
The UN estimates that 2.2 billion people worldwide currently lack access to clean drinking water and that roughly 4.2 billion people do not have access to properly managed sanitation. In addition, only 11 percent of the world's water is properly treated—the rest runs back into the environment untreated.
ABB hopes to advance water infrastructure globally with its acquisition of Real Tech. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock
Sustainable Water Management
Globally, there has been a push to create better infrastructure, and the United States alone is expected to invest over $111 billion into water-based infrastructure over the next ten-year period. This investment gives companies like ABB financial opportunities and incentives. With the acquisition of companies like Real Tech, ABB hopes to continue to drive innovation where it is needed. Details about the financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close in Q1 2024.
