Go Figure It Out - Dr. Simon Bunjamin

Dr. Simon Bunjamin, Project Manager for LoRaWAN and Smart City initiatives at NEW (Niederrhein Energie und Wasser GmbH) AG, talks about how a traditional public utility in western Germany transformed itself into a digital innovator by embracing LoRaWAN. He explains how the journey began with a single project and evolved into one of the most advanced regional LoRaWAN networks serving hundreds of thousands of customers.Shares how he moved from a background in political science into the world of IoT and smart utilitiesDescribes starting at NEW as a one-person team tasked with exploring LoRaWAN use cases across electricity, gas, and water divisionsExplains how early skepticism turned into enthusiasm once colleagues experienced LoRaWAN’s simplicity and reliability firsthandDetails the creation of an internal “experience center” to demonstrate live sensors and educate staff across departmentsTells the story of solving a seemingly minor problem—rain leaking through office windows—that sparked a wave of new IoT projectsBreaks down how LoRaWAN reshaped utility operations by replacing costly, limited systems with flexible, data-rich solutionsDiscusses the unexpected benefits of real-time metering data, from billing accuracy to optimizing heat and energy performanceShares the now-famous “beaver project,” where LoRaWAN sensors replaced manual water level checks and paid for themselves in daysHighlights lessons on building internal buy-in, navigating data governance, and balancing regulation with innovationReflects on how curiosity, communication, and small wins can drive large-scale transformation within public infrastructure organizationsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-simon-bunjamin-b84a7419/Company Website: https://www.new-energie.de/gk/service-fuer-stadtwerke/lorawan