In May, the MUPSIS project partners gathered in Riga for a productive in-person meeting focused on technical progress, system development, and the broader role of smart inspection technologies in building more resilient energy infrastructure.
From 20 to 22 May, representatives from SIA “InPass”, AS “Sadales tīkls”, and “NORCE Norwegian Research Centre” AS came together to review the current status of the project, discuss upcoming tasks, and continue technical work around the radar and sensor-based inspection system being developed within MUPSIS.
The meeting provided an important opportunity to align expectations across the consortium, review development progress, and discuss the next steps for the radar, sensor, IoT, data processing, and infrastructure integration components of the project. As MUPSIS combines several technological layers – sensing, data acquisition, analysis, cloud processing, and user-facing reporting – regular partner alignment is an essential basis to ensure that the solution remains practical, technically robust, and relevant for real-world utility operations.
Advancing smart inspections of wooden utility poles
MUPSIS – Mobile Utility Pole Smart Inspection System – is developing a mobile data-driven solution for the inspecting wooden utility poles. By combining radar, visual and spectral sensing, IoT components, data processing, and future drone deployment, the system aims to detect visible and hidden defects more efficiently and support smarter maintenance planning.
Compared to traditional manual inspections, MUPSIS offers a faster, more accurate, and less invasive approach, helping improve the reliability and long-term management of electricity distribution infrastructure.
During the Riga meeting, the partners discussed the progress of ongoing work packages, technical dependencies, testing requirements, and the steps needed to move from individual technology components towards an integrated inspection system. The discussions also helped clarify priorities for the upcoming development phase, including system integration, data quality, field applicability, and user-oriented results presentation.
AC/DC Tech 2026: resilience as a shared responsibility
On 22 May, the MUPSIS team also participated in the AC/DC Tech 2026 forum organized by AS “Sadales Tīkls”. This year’s forum focused on the resilience of energy supply systems in crisis situations — a topic that is becoming increasingly important for energy companies, infrastructure operators, policymakers, and technology developers across Europe.
The central message of the forum, “Resilience is a verb,” strongly resonated with the MUPSIS project. Energy system resilience is not only about reacting to disruptions after they happen. It is about preparing, monitoring, learning, adapting, and making better decisions before risks turn into failures.
The forum brought together energy and technology experts to discuss how electricity networks can remain reliable in the face of climate events, geopolitical uncertainty, cyber risks, and technological challenges. International experience and crisis scenarios highlighted the importance of practical preparedness, strong cooperation, and smarter infrastructure management.
For MUPSIS, this context is highly relevant. Wooden utility poles are a critical part of electricity distribution networks in many regions. Their condition directly affects infrastructure safety, service continuity, and maintenance planning. By enabling more accurate and data-based inspection methods, MUPSIS contributes to the wider goal of strengthening energy infrastructure resilience.
MUPSIS Café: connecting technology, sustainability, and practical experience
After the forum, the conversation continued at MUPSIS Café – a dedicated session created to present the project’s progress and open a more focused discussion about smart pole inspection, sustainability, resilience, and data-driven infrastructure management.
MUPSIS Café provided a more informal and interactive setting where project partners and invited participants could discuss the practical challenges behind infrastructure inspection. The session created space not only to present technical progress, but also to exchange ideas, ask questions, and connect the project’s development with the needs of utilities and infrastructure operators.
The discussions highlighted a key point: innovation becomes meaningful when it is connected to real operational needs. A smart inspection system is not only about sensors or algorithms. It is about helping people make better decisions – when to inspect, where to act, which assets require attention, and how to use resources more efficiently.
A productive step forward
The Riga meeting and participation in AC/DC Tech 2026 marked an important moment for the MUPSIS project. The partners used the time together to strengthen cooperation, review progress, and place the project within a broader European discussion about energy security and infrastructure resilience.
The main takeaway is clear: resilience is built through action. It requires collaboration between research, technology development, and infrastructure operators. It also requires practical tools that help transform data into decisions.
MUPSIS is still in development, but each technical meeting, test activity, and stakeholder discussion brings the project closer to its goal – a smarter, more efficient, and more reliable way to inspect and manage wooden utility poles.
Photo credit: Ernests Dinka
The MUPSIS2024 project is co-financed within the framework of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs.
