This milestone reflects the work our team has been consistently building over time – introducing clear processes, improving internal structure, and strengthening the way we operate every day. Importantly, this was never done solely with certification in mind, but as part of a broader goal: making our work more efficient, scalable and ready for continued growth.

Throughout the certification process, it became clear that many of the principles defined by ISO 9001 were already embedded in how we work. From project delivery and product development to internal collaboration and quality control, our day-to-day operations already reflected a strong commitment to consistency, reliability and continuous improvement.

“This certification reflects how we already work: structured, committed to quality, and focused on continuous improvement. It’s an important step for us as a growing company, but also a confirmation of the standards we apply every day.”
Hana Matanović, CEO Smart Sense

The certification process itself provided an opportunity to formalise and further strengthen these practices. By refining workflows, documenting processes and aligning them with international standards, we have created a clearer framework that supports both our team and our partners.

ISO 9001:2015 is one of the most widely recognised standards for quality management systems. It focuses on establishing a structured approach to quality management, helping organizations ensure consistency, reliability, and continuous improvement in their processes.
Achieving this certification confirms that Smart Sense applies clearly defined internal processes and continuously improves them within a recognized quality management framework.

For us, this is not just a certificate – it is a step forward in the development of Smart Sense as a company. It reinforces our commitment to delivering reliable solutions, maintaining high standards across all projects, and continuously improving the way we work.

As we continue to grow, expand our product portfolio and work on increasingly complex projects, this structured approach to quality will remain a key foundation for everything we do.

The post Quality confirmed: Smart Sense achieves ISO 9001:2015 appeared first on MySensees.

The project is implemented within the European Data Space for Smart Communities programme and connects two cities – Pula, Croatia and Kranj, Slovenia – through a shared goal: collecting high-resolution, real-world air quality data directly from urban mobility systems.

By integrating Sensees mobile monitoring stations into public transport, cities gain continuous, spatially rich data that complements traditional fixed monitoring networks and provides new insight into pollution patterns across the urban environment.

Monitoring Challenges in Urban Environments

Urban air quality is strongly influenced by traffic flows, congestion patterns and daily mobility habits.
However, traditional fixed monitoring stations offer limited spatial coverage and often cannot capture rapid changes in air quality across different parts of the city.

At the start of the project, neither Pula nor Kranj had comprehensive, city-wide air quality data that could provide an overview of current conditions or identify critical pollution hotspots. This made it challenging to understand where air quality issues were most pronounced and where long-term monitoring efforts should be prioritised.

Both cities faced the challenge of:

• understanding how traffic contributes to local air pollution,
• identifying pollution hotspots along key transport corridors,
• and supporting data-driven decisions for long-term environmental planning.

In this context, mobile air quality monitoring represented an effective starting point. By collecting measurements across a wide urban area, mobile stations help cities establish a baseline understanding of air quality, detect critical locations, and inform future decisions – including where fixed monitoring stations should be installed.

To address these challenges, the Urban Mind project introduced Sensees mobile air quality monitoring as a core component of its measurement strategy.

Solution: Mobile monitoring on public transport

Smart Sense supplied Sensees mobile air quality monitoring stations designed for installation on public transport vehicles, enabling air quality measurements in motion.

City of Pula

In Pula, two mobile monitoring stations were installed on public transport buses.
As the buses move through the city on regular routes, the stations continuously collect air quality data, creating a dynamic picture of pollution levels across different neighbourhoods and traffic conditions.

To maximise spatial coverage, the routes of the buses equipped with mobile stations are periodically adjusted, allowing data to be collected from a wider area of the city and across different urban zones.

Pula became the first city in Croatia to measure air quality in real time using public transport buses, marking an important milestone in urban environmental monitoring and setting an example for other cities.

In Pula, Sensees mobile monitoring stations measure key environmental parameters, including temperature, humidity and air pressure, as well as air pollutants NO₂, NO, CO₂, CO and particulate matter PM₁₀, PM₂.₅ and PM₁. This combination of measurements creates a holistic overview of air quality and environmental conditions in real urban settings.

City of Kranj

In Kranj, the project expanded to a larger scale.
Ten mobile monitoring stations were delivered and deployed across the wider city area, following several years of preparation and collaboration.

The project is designed as a long-term initiative, with a planned duration of five years and a phased expansion of the monitoring fleet.
In the next phase, additional buses will be equipped with mobile stations, increasing the total number to sixteen and further extending the coverage of air quality measurements.

In Kranj, Sensees mobile monitoring stations measure temperature, humidity and air pressure, along with key air pollutants NO₂, NO, CO and CO₂, and particulate matter PM₁₀, PM₂.₅ and PM₁. This expanded set of parameters allows for deeper insight into both air quality and broader environmental dynamics, supporting more informed urban planning and long-term sustainability efforts.

Collaboration at the Core

The Sensees Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Stations form part of a broader smart city ecosystem developed within the Urban Mind project.
Beyond air quality measurements, the project brings together multiple data sources to create a more complete picture of urban mobility and environmental impact.

Traffic cameras installed along major roads complement the air quality data, while a dedicated Sensees Environmental Platform enables the collection, visualisation, interpretation and correlation of all measured parameters in one place.

Smart Sense had the opportunity to contribute to this initiative as the supplier of mobile air quality monitoring stations, working closely with a strong network of partners whose expertise was essential to the successful implementation of the project:

• City of Pula
• City of Kranj
• Lotrič Meroslovje
• Telekom Slovenije

This collaboration made it possible to move from concept to real-world deployment, combining environmental data with mobility and traffic insights within a single analytical framework. Together, the partners helped demonstrate how integrated technologies can support cities in better understanding their air quality challenges and building a foundation for smarter, data-driven urban planning.

Results & value

The deployment of mobile air quality monitoring stations delivers several key benefits:

• significantly increased spatial coverage of air quality measurements,
• improved understanding of pollution patterns linked to traffic and mobility,
• real-world data to support long-term urban and environmental strategies,
• a scalable monitoring approach that can grow with city needs.

By capturing air quality data where people actually move, cities gain a more realistic and actionable view of their air quality challenges.

Expanding the Smart Sense portfolio

Sensees Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Stations represent an important step in expanding the Smart Sense product portfolio.
They complement existing fixed monitoring solutions and enable cities to combine static and dynamic data sources into a single, coherent air quality strategy.

The projects in Pula and Kranj demonstrate how mobile monitoring can be successfully integrated into real urban environments, turning everyday public transport into a powerful data collection tool.

The post Following the Air: Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Stations appeared first on MySensees.

Although snowy days are often associated with cleaner air, sensor data reveal that air quality changes significantly through three distinct phases: before, during, and after snowfall. These changes are not always visible, nor can they be reliably assessed by our senses, but air quality sensors capture them with great precision.

At moments when everything appears calm and clean, the data often tell a very different story.

Before Snowfall: Quiet Tension

Just before streets are covered by snow, the atmosphere is often stable and calm. Air circulation is weak, meaning that cold air mixes poorly with warmer air, preventing the dispersion of harmful particles that remain concentrated close to the ground… where people breathe.

Under these conditions, sensors frequently record elevated levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles, as well as other harmful gases, even when the sky appears clear and bright.

The air feels still, almost odourless… but beneath the surface lies an invisible tension that sensors clearly detect.

During Snowfall: A Short-Lived Renewal

When snow begins to fall, a natural phenomenon known as wet deposition occurs – a process in which precipitation captures airborne particles and brings them to the ground, temporarily cleaning the air. This is when outdoor monitoring stations often record a drop in particulate matter concentrations, and the air truly does become “cleaner,” but only briefly.

This is why the first snowflakes are often experienced as a moment of calm – at least until we have to clean them from cars or sidewalks. As we watch them fall from the warmth of indoors, everything seems quieter, slower, and cleaner at first glance, and sensor data often confirm that air quality does indeed improve temporarily at this stage.

When snow combines with strong winds and turns into a blizzard, the air no longer remains still. Wind breaks up stable atmospheric layers, disperses pollutants, and often brings short-term relief – so even when the weather outside appears harsh, the air being measured can be cleaner than the day before.

After Snowfall: Reality Returns

Once the snow stops falling and the ground continues to crunch under our steps, the atmosphere often becomes stable and calm again, with little wind and weak air mixing – conditions that favour the accumulation of pollution near the ground. This is an ideal time for temperature inversion to occur. Cold air near the surface becomes trapped, while warmer air above acts like a lid.

Under these conditions:

• households intensify heating,
• traffic returns to normal levels,
• pollutants remain “trapped” close to the ground.

Sensors once again record rising PM2.5 levels and other pollutants, which often contradicts the calm, clean impression seen through the window alone.

At first glance, it may seem that snow has cleansed the air, but reality is not quite so simple. Research shows that PM2.5 concentrations often decrease during precipitation, only to rise again after it stops and the atmosphere stabilizes, as pollutants remain in the lower air layer without sufficient dispersion – precisely due to weak air mixing and stable post-snow conditions.

Snow may cover the traces, but sensors remain objective witnesses to what lingers in the air.

Europe Under the Magnifying Glass: Milder Winters, the Same Measurements

Although studies on the impact of snow itself vary depending on local and climatic conditions, European institutions clearly emphasize the importance of monitoring and managing air quality year-round, including winter, when meteorological conditions strongly influence particle concentrations. This is especially important because fine particulate matter (PM2.5) remains a major health risk in cities and communities across Europe.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), in 2023 and 2024 nearly 92% of monitoring stations recorded PM2.5 concentrations above World Health Organization guidelines, even though many still comply with official EU limits.

At the same time, the EU is working to tighten air quality standards to better align with the latest WHO recommendations and reduce health risks associated with air pollution. This includes revising existing directives and introducing stricter annual limits for pollutants such as PM2.5.

Despite emission reductions over recent decades driven by regulation and cleaner combustion technologies, air pollution remains Europe’s leading environmental health risk and a major cause of premature deaths linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

This means that even in winter conditions, when snow can temporarily reduce particle concentrations, issues such as persistent emission sources, temperature inversions, and long-term exposure to PM2.5 remain critical for air quality and public health.

Looking at Sensors Is Still More Reliable Than Looking at the Sky

Snow can temporarily, and deceptively, “wash” the air, but that is only part of the story.
Sensor data show that air quality pulses with precipitation and in the period that follows, and that what we feel is not always what our lungs are actually breathing.

As city lights reflect in snowflakes and footsteps crunch on the ground, the values measured by sensors remain the quietest yet most reliable storytellers, helping us understand the invisible air we breathe throughout the entire year.

The content of this blog is prepared based on available scientific research, relevant expert sources, as well as sensor data, including internal analyses based on measurements, and is intended for informational purposes only.

The post Joys of Winter and Air Quality: What Happens Behind the Winter Calm appeared first on MySensees.

This was our third consecutive year exhibiting independently, after several years of attending through partners, and by every metric we can measure, it was our strongest year yet. The energy at our stand, the quality of conversations, and the number of purposeful visitors all pointed in the same direction: cities now know exactly what they need, and they’re ready to act.

Our Story at the Expo: Cities, Data, and One Clear Vision

This year, our stand was built around a simple question:
What can one city achieve when all Smart Sense solutions are deployed and connected?

To illustrate that idea, we presented a familiar example: our home city of Zagreb. We used it as a living (and working!) showcase — a real-world glimpse of how our technology integrates into city life. (We’ve captured that full story in this blog: link.)

The goal wasn’t just to show devices, dashboards, and data flows, it was to show how everything fits together. Because a smart city isn’t the result of a single device, platform, policy, or initiative. It is the result of synergy.

And clearly, this message resonated.

A Stand Full of Partners, Friends, and Future Collaborators

Across the three days, our stand was constantly buzzing with familiar faces we proudly call partners and with new municipalities, project leads, and innovators who visited us for the first time.

What truly impressed us was the level of preparedness among city representatives this year.
In previous editions, conversations often began with broad questions, like: “What can we measure? What can sensors do? Where do we even start?”

This year, the tone was entirely different:
“We need this specific type of air-quality data.”
“We’re preparing a multi-year strategy.”
“We want a system that scales city-wide.”
“We want reliable partners for long-term environmental monitoring.”

Cities were not exploring possibilities, they were outlining concrete needs and looking for solutions that work today.

And one topic rose above all others: Air quality as a strategic priority for the next decade.

Buzzing on Smart Sense stand

Municipalities clearly recognize that improving the urban environment is no longer a “nice to have.” It is vital for health, sustainability, and quality of life. Seeing that global commitment firsthand was incredibly motivating.

Why the Barcelona Expo Inspires Us Every Year

Of course, we love showcasing what we build: our devices, our data platform, the projects we deliver across the world. It is something we are deeply proud of. But what makes Smart City Expo so energizing is not just what happens at our own stand, it’s everything happening around it as well: the innovative ideas, bold prototypes, and fresh thinking from companies, startups, and research teams shaping the future of urban life.

Walking through the halls, it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the creativity, the purpose, and the shared ambition to make cities cleaner, safer, and more sustainable.
And, we must admit, occasionally also by the stands offering surprisingly good coffee, late-afternoon cava, and the kind of warm hospitality that makes you wonder whether you’ve stepped into a tech expo or a neighbourhood fiesta. Barcelona always knows how to keep spirits high – in more ways than one.

Work, ideas, innovation… and just a bit of Expo fun in between. Photo credit: smartcityexpo.com

If anything, the Expo is a reminder that the world’s challenges are bigger than any single solution, and that the future of cities will be shaped through collaboration across disciplines, technologies, and borders.

That idea – collaboration as the engine of smart cities – became the guiding theme of this years’ experience for us.

Smart Cities Are Built Together

As the lights of the Expo fade and we return to our work, one message stays with us: Smarter cities don’t happen because one solution is brilliant. They happen because many solutions work together.

Data, infrastructure, mobility, energy, citizen engagement, environmental quality… each is one part of a much bigger picture. And when all these elements connect with clarity and purpose, cities unlock their full potential.

This year in Barcelona confirmed that cities are ready.
And we’re proud to play our part: from Zagreb to cities across the globe.

Until next year, Barcelona.
Let’s keep making (smart) sense of the future of smart cities together.

The post Reflections from a Buzzing Barcelona: Cities Are Getting Their Sensees Together appeared first on MySensees.

How Comprehensive Sensees Air Quality Monitoring Solutions Supported Zagreb To See Its Air Better

The air we breathe is invisible, yet it shapes every moment of our lives.
For modern cities, understanding air quality is not just an environmental challenge; it’s a foundation for better health, mobility, and sustainable growth.

It’s also the moment when a city begins its transformation: from a place that measures data to one that truly understands it.

In Zagreb, this understanding became reality.
Through collaboration between Smart Sense and forward-thinking public institutions, including the Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health, CARNET, and the City of Zagreb, among others, the Croatian capital built a connected network that monitors, predicts, and visualizes air quality in real time, allowing the city to see the data and shape the city around it.

The Challenge: Understanding the Invisible

Like many European cities, Zagreb faced familiar challenges: fragmented data, limited monitoring coverage, and slow access to environmental information.
Decision-makers knew that air quality impacted public health and urban life, but they lacked consistent, actionable insight to guide meaningful change. What was missing wasn’t awareness, but visibility.

Turning Data into Action – The Sensees Way

Smart Sense developed an integrated system that connects multiple data sources into one living, digital picture of the city’s air.

Using our Sensees Outdoor Air Quality Monitoring Stations, Indoor Air Quality Sensors, Mobile Units, and the Sensees Environmental Platform, Zagreb now has a unified network capable of monitoring, analyzing, and predicting air quality conditions across both public spaces and schools.

At the heart of it all lies the Predictive Urban Air Quality Model, combining sensor, meteorological, and satellite data to forecast pollution trends and support preventive action.

Shaping the Impact – Starting at Home

What makes Zagreb’s system unique is not just the data – it’s what the city can do with it.

Air quality information is now publicly available, empowering citizens to understand local conditions and engage in collective responsibility for cleaner air.
City officials can identify pollution hotspots, evaluate the effects of traffic or policy measures, and respond faster to environmental events.

In schools, lower CO₂ levels and improved indoor air have led to healthier learning environments and better student focus, while reducing energy consumption.
Across the city, insights once hidden in data silos are now driving evidence-based decisions and tangible change.

As a company born in Zagreb, we take particular pride in helping our own city take this transformative step, proving that smart, sustainable innovation can start locally and grow globally.

From Zagreb to the World

For us, Zagreb is more than a case study – it’s our home, and it’s a real-world example of how air quality data, when collected, connected, and understood, can make cities healthier, smarter, and more resilient.

At Smart Sense, we believe that when cities can see their air, they can shape their future.

Born and proven in Zagreb. Already thriving in other cities, and ready for yours.

Curious how it works globally? Check out our video with real-life examples from cities worldwide.

Discover how Smart Sense can help your city turn data into action:
📧 connect@smart-sense.hr

The post From Zagreb to cities across the globe appeared first on MySensees.

When we first installed air quality sensors in Croatian schools, the numbers surprised even us. CO₂ levels in many classrooms were two to three times higher than recommended. The invisible suddenly became visible – and impossible to ignore.

That visibility has now earned global recognition: our project “Empowering Schools in Croatia to Connect with Their Environment”, contributed by CARNET, has won the Community Engagement in Air Quality Monitoring Award at the Environmental Monitoring Awards 2025 in Birmingham.

The competition was fierce, with projects from around the world competing for recognition. We are incredibly proud that our project stood out and was honored with the award, a true testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.

Turning Data into Awareness

With over 2,800 classrooms across Croatia equipped with our Sensees indoor air quality sensors, for the first time schools gained a clear, real-time view of the air their students breathe every day. All this data flows into AERO, a centralized platform developed to collect, analyse, and visualize results. Teachers and students can now see what was once invisible and make informed decisions to improve their learning environments.

One of the most significant outcomes so far has been a measurable improvement in students’ cognitive abilities and classroom concentration, directly linked to cleaner air. Better air isn’t just about health – it’s about sharper minds and more effective learning.

Winning this award is a testament to how data and awareness go hand in hand. The project was recognized not only for technology, but for how it actively engaged entire communities in understanding air quality.

From Math to Life

The award also highlights how data can lead to real, measurable change. In one Zagreb high school, for example, AERO data revealed that classroom temperatures were consistently above comfortable levels. But armed with hard numbers, the school was finally able to overturn previous rejections based on cost and heritage restrictions and secure approval for air conditioning – directly improving conditions for students and teachers.

It is precisely this kind of data-informed action that convinced the jury our project deserved international recognition.

Engaging a Whole Community

The award celebrates more than sensors and models: it celebrates the way schools, teachers, and students embraced the project. By bringing children into the process of monitoring and understanding air quality, we turned learning into action. Students shared discoveries with families, teachers used data to spark discussion, and communities started to rethink everyday habits.

This collective engagement is what transformed a technology project into an award-winning story of community impact.

What’s Next

Receiving the Community Engagement in Air Quality Monitoring Award 2025 is a milestone, but not the finish line. The project continues: with more than 2,800 classrooms across Croatia already equipped with Sensees sensors – including the most recent 1,000 installations – Smart Sense is working to expand coverage even further. This ensures that more schools and students will benefit from healthier, smarter learning environments.

This award is not just recognition of technology, but of collaboration between private sector, institutions, schools, teachers, students, and their families. Together, we’ve shown that measuring air quality can win awards, but more importantly, it can change lives.

We went back to the classroom, did our homework, and ended up top of the class. Award included!

We’re especially proud that the award came in the community category, as collaboration and engagement are truly at the heart of everything we do.

Because it just makes (smart) sense.

The post Award-Winning Change: How Croatian Schools Turned Air Quality Data into Action appeared first on MySensees.

A Web That Catches More Than Prey

A spider’s web is a true marvel of Nature’s engineering: elastic, strong, and almost invisible. But besides mosquitoes and flies, the web also traps fine dust particles, soot, pollen, and even microscopic traces of exhaust gases.
The more polluted the air, the faster the web gets dirty. This means a spider’s web acts somewhat like an air quality indicator. If a web in your yard or the corner of your apartment turns grey after just a few days, it might be a good idea to check the air you’re breathing.

Yet spider webs hold many more fascinating secrets:

• Rapid construction – many spiders can spin a web in under an hour, and some even in just half an hour.
• Supermaterial – spider silk is five times stronger than steel of the same thickness, while remaining incredibly light and elastic.
• Silk for different purposes – spiders use several types of threads: some for the structural framework, others for sticky spirals that capture prey.
• Daily renewal – most spiders build and renew their webs almost every day, often eating the old web to recycle valuable proteins.
• Vibration antenna – the web is not just a trap but also a sensory device: it detects the slightest movements and even signals from other spiders.

Spiders as Bioindicators

Scientists have discovered that spider silk can contain traces of heavy metals and other pollutants. By analysing these fine threads, it is literally possible to “read” the quality of air in a given area.
In clean, natural environments, webs remain transparent longer, and spiders have a more varied diet. In cities, where the air is full of micro-particles, spider webs get dirty faster and lose effectiveness, so spiders must rebuild them more frequently.

Spiders and Scientists on the Same Web

Air quality doesn’t affect humans alone. If pollution eliminates sensitive insect species that are food for spiders, the spiders disappear too. Without spiders, the surviving, often hardier and more troublesome insect species can multiply uncontrollably, making our summer evenings even “buzzier.”
This is one of the reason why scientists increasingly study spiders, their webs, and their connection to the environment. They are not only masters of survival but also invaluable indicators of nature’s condition. These topics will also be discussed at the 35th European Congress of Arachnology, held this year in Zadar, which we proudly sponsored – because we believe that understanding natural “sensors” goes hand in hand with the development of advanced technological systems for monitoring air quality.

Nature Speaks, Technology Translates

Next time you see a web on a window, don’t just see it as a dusty nuisance. It could be your little, natural pollution detector. And if the web seems to get dirty too quickly, it may not just be the spider: it might be the air around you.
A spider’s web can hint at a problem, but the Sensees Indoor Air Quality Sensor measures it precisely and alerts you in real-time, without guessing and without the dusty web.

So, while the spider quietly records changes in the air from its corner, Sensees Indoor sensors let you understand them immediately, clearly, and measurably. Nature gives the signals, and technology translates them into data that help keep your home or office safe and healthy to breathe in.

The post Spiders – Silent Witnesses of the Air We Breathe appeared first on MySensees.

More people – more traffic – more emissions

Coastal tourist towns experience intense seasonal pressure during the summer. The number of people multiplies, along with the number of vehicles, boats, air conditioners and other emission sources. Add in sunny, warm weather and you’ve got a perfect recipe for the buildup of harmful substances in the air — especially ground-level ozone.

Ground-level ozone: The invisible summer pollutant

The word “ozone” usually reminds us of the protective layer in the atmosphere that shields us from harmful UV radiation. But ozone at ground level, so-called tropospheric ozone, has a very different and far less beneficial role. It forms when sunlight triggers chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). In coastal towns, the main sources of these pollutants are vehicles, ships and ferries, industrial and energy facilities, and fuel or chemical vapors.
In summer, with intense sunlight and higher emissions, ozone levels can reach harmful concentrations. Even though we can’t see or immediately smell it, ground-level ozone:

• irritates the eyes and respiratory system,
• reduces lung function,
• increases risk for people with asthma or COPD,
• contributes to the “smog” typical of hot and busy days.

That’s why ground-level ozone is considered one of the most dangerous urban pollutants in summer.

A local example: Summer on Hvar

According to the 2021 census, the City of Hvar has 10,678 residents. But by June 2025, it recorded 37,173 arrivals and 121,244 overnight stays, an increase of over 5% compared to the same period the previous year. That means in a single summer month, the number of people in this island city exceeds the permanent population by more than threefold.

All of these affect the local microclimate and create conditions for the formation of ground-level ozone, especially when combined with intense midday sunlight.

What happens in one city… doesn’t stay there

Although ground-level ozone is formed locally, it travels with air currents and affects air quality far from its source.
One documented example comes from Spain: ozone produced in Barcelona, a major tourist and traffic hub, travels inland and degrades air quality in the Vic valley – some 70 kilometers away!

This shows that air pollution in one city can harm surrounding towns and rural areas — even regions that don’t produce high emissions themselves. This “travelling” nature of pollutants like ozone highlights the importance of coordinated and collective action among local communities, cities and states. Only through continuous monitoring, data sharing and aligned measures can we truly reduce population exposure and protect air quality on a wider scale.

Why data changes the game

Solving this problem doesn’t begin with action, but with insight. In order to make informed decisions, we need to know what’s happening in the air we breathe — and not just in general, but locally, in real time, and with trend analysis.

That’s where the Sensees Outdoor Air Quality Monitoring System comes in! A professional solution for monitoring multiple air quality and environmental parameters outdoors: CO, SO₂, NO, NO₂, O₃, CO₂, NH₃, CH₄, H₂S, VOC, particles (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, noise and electromagnetic fields.

Sensees enables cities to:

• monitor ozone, particles, temperature, pressure, humidity, CO₂ and more,
• connect pollution data with traffic, weather and tourist activity,
• visualize air quality across neighborhoods or port areas,
• compare data from different time periods.

Using 3D maps, dynamic visualizations, mobile sensors and time-lapse data, the Sensees platform helps identify pollution sources and trends, and supports realistic, sustainable measures to protect air quality.

When technology goes on vacation too

Many cities, including Hvar, are already investing in outdoor sensors and smart platforms to monitor air quality. These systems provide a foundation for concrete plans and policies, such as reducing emissions, optimizing traffic and improving public space management during the busy summer months.

For example, real-time air monitoring allows authorities to adjust traffic patterns or restrict certain vehicles during critical hours. Green zones can be planned, and trees planted in areas where pollutant levels are highest.

Such smart strategies are already being implemented in several Mediterranean cities, where summer tourism drastically increases traffic and emissions.
This approach not only reduces the negative environmental impact of tourism, but also raises awareness of the importance of clean air … not just in summer, but all year long.

Wildfires Don’t Help

Hot, dry summers create the perfect storm, not just for vacationers, but also for wildfires. And when wildfires break out, they don’t just destroy forests: they also release large amounts of precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Under intense sunlight, these gases fuel the formation of ground-level ozone.

That’s why ozone spikes are often recorded not only in cities, but also in remote areas affected by wildfire smoke. The problem travels with the wind.

Coastal Croatia, like many Mediterranean regions, is no stranger to summer fires. In addition to direct damage, they contribute to one more invisible threat: dangerous air pollution that affects both locals and visitors.

Clean air as tourist capital

The importance of air quality is increasingly coming into focus, and for good reason. It affects citizens’ health, tourists’ experience, long-term sustainability of cities, and ultimately the success of the tourist season itself.
Tourism and clean air can must go hand in hand, but only if we know what’s going on.

By collecting and analyzing localized air data, with the help of smart sensors and advanced platforms like Sensees Environmental, cities can manage their environment in a strategic and responsible way.

Because the air we breathe is no longer invisible once we turn it into data.

The post Sun, sea and… air! <br>What lies behind summer tourism figures? appeared first on MySensees.

This year, the event was attended by Hana Matanović, CEO of Smart Sense, and Drita Očić, Sales Director, who had the opportunity to witness firsthand how a metropolis, intertwined with history and modern-day demands, is building a smart and sustainable future through cross-sectoral synergy.

Why London?

London is not just a historical and cultural capital – it’s also one of Europe’s most advanced Smart City hubs, responding to 21st-century climate challenges with strategy and innovation.

The city pioneered the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) system, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions in its central areas. Combined with electric buses, a robust EV infrastructure, and traffic management powered by TfL’s open data, London is actively shrinking its carbon footprint.

Air quality and energy consumption sensors have been deployed across several boroughs, while the London Underground goes beyond transport, with energy generated by trains used to heat the buildings above, exemplifying smart use of urban resources.

Even rain, once just a grey London nuisance, now plays a key role in sustainability. The city is heavily investing in green roofs, rain gardens, urban parks, and advanced stormwater systems. Projects like the Thames Barrier and “grey-to-green” streets help combat flooding and urban heat islands.

Initiatives such as Talk London and collaborations with LOTI (London Office for Technology and Innovation) allow residents to co-create city policies, from energy efficiency to urban space and mobility.

Air Quality as a Priority

One of London’s core climate priorities is the systematic monitoring and improvement of air quality. The city operates one of the densest sensor networks in Europe, tracking pollutants like NO₂ and PM2.5 in real time.

These insights guide sustainable mobility planning, inform investments in electric transport, and help assess health impacts.

A key project is Breathe London, which uses mobile sensors and AI to model neighbourhood level pollution and suggest concrete transport policy changes.
Just recently, the city invested £2.8 million to expand this network to 136+ sensors, now monitoring air quality in boroughs, schools, and hospitals.
As the project team put it: “This is one of the biggest investments in air quality we’ve seen.”

Thanks to technology like this, London doesn’t just collect data – it uses it to reshape the city for long-term public health and community resilience.

Maybe the London sky is still grey – but the strategy beneath is turning greener every day.

Local Momentum: The “Healthy Urban Mobility” Conference in Zagreb

Inspired by examples like London, Zagreb is also taking steps toward a more sustainable urban future.
At the recent “Healthy Urban Mobility in Cities” conference, a diverse group of stakeholders, from city officials and builders to healthcare, education, and the private sector, gathered to discuss cross-sectoral collaboration for building healthier, more resilient cities.

After all, cities are made of people – and when knowledge, vision, and technology unite in service of the community, we create cities where we don’t just live – we live better.

This event highlights how Zagreb and Croatia are increasingly aware of the need to transform urban transport and air quality. But for real change, we need real-time, reliable data.

That’s where Smart Sense steps in.
Our technology provides accurate environmental insights to support evidence-based decisions – from air quality to other environmental parameters.

With our Sensees Outdoor and Indoor solutions, we help cities become healthier, more resilient, and more livable places, proving that the path to sustainable cities is built through tech-driven cross-sector collaboration.

London as a Local Inspiration

London is a powerful example of how a vision for a sustainable, smart city can become reality, through the synergy of technology, policy, and citizen engagement.

And fortunately, we’re seeing a growing wave of action and ambition locally, too.

At Smart Sense, we believe the future of smart cities lies in precise, scalable, and innovative technologies that enable timely and impactful decisions.

Our Sensees Outdoor and indoor Sensees Indoor air quality solutions support energy efficiency, environmental optimization, and urban resilience, always keeping people and nature at the center.

One standout project is our collaboration with the City of Zagreb and the Dr. Andrija Štampar Public Health Institute, focused on improving urban air quality through actionable data and smart technologies.

We don’t wait for the future – we build it. Just like London, we take responsibility to shape cities that don’t just survive tomorrow – but lead it.

The post London: A City That Doesn’t Wait for the Future – It Builds.<br>Reflections from London Climate Action Week. appeared first on MySensees.

In industrial sectors like manufacturing, construction, energy and utilities, mining and quarrying, transportation, and agriculture, success often depends on efficiency, productivity, and workforce well-being. Yet, one crucial factor remains overlooked in many operations: air quality. From respiratory health issues in workers to machinery degradation, poor air quality poses a significant risk to industrial performance.

Air pollution is not just an environmental issue; it’s a business risk. According to the World Bank, air pollution costs the global economy approximately $5 trillion annually in welfare costs. For industry owners, this translates to lost productivity, increased healthcare costs, and in some countries potential regulatory fines.

The Industrial Toll of Poor Air Quality

Productivity Under Pressure

Manufacturing environments are often filled with dust, chemical fumes, and different gasses and particles. Poor air quality in these settings has been linked to increased sick leaves and decreased productivity. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that improved indoor air quality can enhance cognitive performance by up to 61%, directly influencing productivity on the factory floor.

Furthermore, airborne particulates can damage sensitive machinery, leading to increased downtime and maintenance costs. Advanced air quality monitoring systems, like Sensees Indoor, offer real-time data. With such data and reliable insights factory managers can create targeted activations that can protect both workers and equipment.

The Dusty Reality

Construction sites are well known for high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) in a form of something called respirable crystalline silica – very small particles that are at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand you might find on beaches and playgrounds. It is created by ongoing digging, drilling, grinding and material handling happening in construction areas. Chronic exposure to such pollutants has been linked to respiratory diseases, with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimating that silica dust alone causes 2 million construction workers to face serious health risks each year.

Using air quality monitoring systems enables site managers to mitigate risks by adjusting work schedules based on real-time pollution levels data, safeguarding the health of workers while maintaining project timelines.

Managing Emissions for Efficiency

Power plants and utility services face rigorous environmental regulations. Emissions from fossil fuels not only harm the environment but also lead to pretty expensive fines if standards are not met. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. power plants spend billions annually to comply with air quality standards.

With Sensees air quality monitoring system, energy sector managers can track emissions more precisely, helping to maintain compliance and improve operational efficiency by identifying emission spikes early.

Digging Deep, Breathing Hard

Mining operations are synonymous with dust, gases, and other airborne pollutants. Prolonged exposure to these elements can lead to diseases like pneumoconiosis, a chronic lung condition affecting miners worldwide.

Advanced air quality monitoring solutions provide real-time data on particulate levels and toxic gases, helping mine operators gain valuable insights and implement targeted strategies for improving worker safety. According to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), companies that invest in health and safety technologies report 20% fewer lost-time injuries.

Navigating Pollution Challenges

Transportation hubs, including ports, airports, and highways, face unique air quality challenges due to vehicle emissions and industrial activity. International Council on Clean Transportation estimates that air pollution from this sector results in approximately $1 trillion in health damages annually.

Sensees Outdoor monitoring stations provide real-time, hyperlocal air quality data, enabling transportation managers to optimize traffic flow and reduce idling times, which can significantly cut down emissions. This not only improves community relations but also reduces the risk of non-compliance with environmental regulations.

The Air We Grow On

Agriculture is both a contributor to and a victim of poor air quality. Dust, pesticides, and methane (CH₄) emissions degrade air quality, while pollutants like ozone (O₃) can damage crops and reduce yields. Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that high ozone levels can reduce crop yields by up to 10% annually.

Implementing outdoor air quality monitoring with systems like Sensees allows farmers to gain insights needed to adjust practices such as pesticide application and irrigation to minimize pollution impact, safeguarding both crops and farmworker health.

The economic benefits of maintaining good air quality are substantial. Improved worker productivity, reduced absenteeism, and compliance with environmental regulations are just the tip of the iceberg. The European Commission has highlighted that investments in air and water quality yield substantial returns across various sectors, including health, energy savings, food production, industry, and biodiversity. Specifically, proposed regulations are expected to reduce deaths from PM_2.5 pollution by over 75% within a decade.

More about it: https://ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/european-green-deal-european-commission-proposes-rules-cleaner-air-and-water-2022-10-26_en

https://ireland.representation.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/european-green-deal-european-commission-proposes-rules-cleaner-air-and-water-2022-10-26_en

How Sensees Technology Makes a Difference:

Sensees Outdoor Monitoring System: Provides real-time data on gasses, pollutants, meteorological conditions as well as noise and EMF levels enabling industry owners to make informed decisions to protect workers and optimize processes.

Sensees Model: Uses advanced machine learning and AI models trained on global data to provide precise air quality assessments and pollution forecasts.

These systems offer hyperlocal insights and personalized exposure assessments, helping industries to minimize risks and optimize operational efficiency.

Real-World Applications and Success Stories:

CME – Construção e Manutenção Electromecânica, S.A.

As a part of the Smart Roadside Safety project in Portugal which aimed atmeasuring air pollution and noise levels caused by ongoing traffic CME used customised Sensees Outdoor Station to gain data for intelligent traffic management.

MESSER Croatia

Messer is a company that invests in social responsibility and raising environmental awareness in the industry. They are using our Sensees Outdoor system for detailed air quality insights and transparent communication with employees and citizens.

Companies that prioritize air quality not only enhance worker satisfaction but also improve their bottom line. A healthier workforce is a more productive workforce, reducing turnover rates and healthcare costs.

Public support and social responsibility

Industries of today face one more very important challenge – they are expected to uphold environmental responsibility while maintaining operational efficiency. Implementing industrial air quality monitoring systems, such as Sensees Outdoor and Sensees Model, allows businesses to proactively detect pollution levels—even in the harshest environments—helping them in taking necessary steps to reduce harmful emissions.

Beyond just meeting legal requirements, real-time air quality data strengthens public trust by demonstrating transparency and a commitment to sustainability. With growing pressure from regulators, stakeholders, and communities, now is the time for industries to take action, integrating advanced monitoring solutions that safeguard both the environment and their long-term reputation.

Working Smarter = Breathing Easier

For industrial sector owners, the stakes are high. Poor air quality is not just a health issue; it’s a business liability. Investing in advanced air quality monitoring systems like Sensees Outdoor and Sensees Model empowers industries to turn air quality from a vulnerability into a strategic asset.

By protecting worker health, optimizing equipment performance, and ensuring regulatory compliance, air quality monitoring can help in providing tangible financial returns. In an era where sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand, the choice to invest in cleaner air is not just good ethics; it’s good business.

The post Breathing Life into Industry: How Air Quality Affects Business Performance appeared first on MySensees.