The LoRaWAN Tsunami with Olivier Hersent

Olivier Hersent, founder and CEO of Actility, talks about the accelerating convergence of LoRaWAN and BACnet in building automation, and what that means for retrofits, logistics, and the future of wireless sensing. With BACnet still dominating 70% of the building automation market—even on brand new PLCs—Olivier explains why making LoRaWAN invisible to integrators is critical, and how Actility is bridging these two worlds one sensor at a time.He also shares insights into the work Actility is doing with custom sensing and logistics tracking, including real-world deployments in automotive assembly lines, massive vehicle yards, and remote conservation areas. From RS485-era wired sensors to modern closed-loop logistics, Olivier points to a shift toward simplicity and targeted data collection, where most application layers are 99% noise and only one bit matters.Why BACnet remains the king of building automation—and what makes integrating LoRa so difficultHow Actility is streamlining LoRaWAN-to-BACnet translation by mapping and testing each individual sensorThe growing role of AI in simplifying sensor driver creation and semantic standardsA new market segment in geolocation: closed-loop logistics and the return of valuable assetsWhy Africa is poised to be the next major IoT growth market, with utilities growing 50% year-over-yearThe cost advantages of LoRaWAN for emerging economies and remote infrastructureWhy older, simpler wired protocols like RS485 are easier to port to LoRaWANHow LoRaWAN could reduce power grid strain by syncing appliances with real-time energy signalsOlivier’s advice for new founders: help wired sensing companies go wirelessOlivier Hersent on LinkedInActility