IoT services Ruhr Area. Operate IoT across multiple sites.

IoT services for the Ruhr region: retrofit, LoRaWAN and multi-site dashboards. Planning, integration and ongoing operations from Werl.

Discuss your IoT project
Industrielandschaft im Ruhrgebiet

One operating model for multiple facilities.

For businesses with several sites in the Ruhr region, we plan shared data models, access rights and operating procedures. A possible starting point is a pilot installation at one facility, with readings designed for later comparison across sites. We assess existing sensors, local network policies and the operation of central or on-site platforms. merkaio is based in Werl in the Hellweg region; visits to Ruhr sites are arranged per project.

For the first discussion: a site list, common performance metrics, existing platforms and the contacts responsible for IT and maintenance.

IoT platforms and ongoing operations

Your contact in Werl

Timo Wevelsiep is your contact. Site assessments and installation visits are agreed with you.

Straight Talk

We don't sell buzzwords, we deliver solutions.

Industry Understanding

We know how important legacy equipment (retrofit) is for NRW's economy.

Potential for the Ruhr Metropolis.

Possible project scenarios, not completed customer projects. Scope is assessed for your site.

Duisburg / Dortmund

For Logistics & Ports

The Ruhr region is Europe's logistics hub.

Robust tracking solutions for containers and assets, plus parking management for truck areas. We provide the LoRaWAN infrastructure to make goods flows transparent - without expensive cabling across large premises.

Milesight GPS Trackers & Outdoor Gateways.

Essen / Bochum

For Industry & Production

SMEs have machines that run forever - but don't 'talk'.

Retrofit. We equip old presses, pumps, and motors with sensors. We measure vibration and power consumption to prevent downtime (condition monitoring), without interfering with the machine's PLC.

Current transformers & vibration sensors.

Smart City

For Municipalities & Utilities

Cities in transition need efficient management.

Digital water level measurement for rivers (Emscher/Ruhr), irrigation management for urban greenery, or remote meter reading. We build the city-wide network that securely transports this data.

Ultrasonic level sensors & ChirpStack Server.

Select connectivity and devices for your site.

A common software stack does not mean every facility needs the same radio design. We assess coverage, interfaces and outage requirements at each site. Central dashboards can bring together LoRaWAN, MQTT and existing system data.

ChirpStack, ThingsBoard or Grafana are selected to fit the project. Data export, access rights, backups and updates are defined in the operating plan; protection ratings and battery life depend on the selected device.

LoRaWAN
Radio planning, gateway selection and sensor integration for your site.
MQTT and APIs
Send measurements to existing applications and databases.
Dashboards
Status, trends and alerts matched to your workflows.
Operations
Monitoring, updates and backups with agreed responsibilities.

Active On-Site in NRW.

From our base in Werl, we arrange site visits across this service area. The listed places are service areas, not additional offices.

Dortmund & Unna
Bochum & Essen
Duisburg & Oberhausen
Gelsenkirchen & Recklinghausen
South Westphalia & Sauerland

Radio assessment, installation and subsequent maintenance are agreed according to location and project scope.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to typical questions from the Ruhr region

External sensors or existing interfaces can add measurements to legacy equipment. Before installation, we review access, workplace safety and approvals with those responsible for the equipment. Any modifications and effects on maintenance or warranties must be assessed for the project.
We assess this at the planned measurement points. Metal, masonry, warehouse occupancy and antenna positions affect reception. An on-site survey establishes suitable gateway positions and whether additional infrastructure is required.
Measurements can support your energy management. We agree reporting intervals, missing-data handling, retention and export with those responsible for your audit. Installing sensors alone does not establish compliance with a standard or guarantee savings.
The data belongs 100% to you. We build you an infrastructure where the data resides on secure servers (dedicated on request) in Germany. You have full access at all times via open interfaces (API, MQTT) and can export the data to your own systems.
Yes. We want you to understand the system. Since we're 'just around the corner', we're happy to come by for a workshop and show your team how to register new sensors, change batteries, or interpret dashboards. Helping you help yourselves is part of our approach.
Behaviour depends on the gateway, sensors and platform. We define which data can be buffered locally, when alerts become unavailable and whether a backup connection is needed. Complete backfilling is only included where it is technically supported and tested.
Battery-powered sensors can serve measurement points without mains power. Battery life depends on the device, reporting interval, radio conditions and temperature. Gateways require a fixed supply or a suitably designed off-grid solution.
Yes. We see ourselves as a 'feeder'. We ensure that the measurement value arrives cleanly in the database. From there, we push the data via modern interfaces (REST API, webhooks) into your warehouse management or ERP system.
Once measurement points, hardware availability, site access and software interfaces are clear, we prepare a schedule. A scoped pilot tests coverage, data quality and alert routes before a larger rollout.
We coordinate installation and access with your operating schedule. Wireless sensors can reduce cabling work. Whether work can take place during operation depends on mounting positions, safety requirements and necessary approvals.
We primarily use Milesight - a Taiwanese manufacturer with excellent quality and a broad portfolio (sensors, gateways, controllers). Milesight is our standard for professional deployments. However, our infrastructure is hardware-agnostic: as long as devices speak open standards like LoRaWAN, MQTT, or HTTP, we can integrate them. This protects you from vendor lock-in.

We work across industries.

IoT projects in every sector. Have a project in mind? Get in touch.

Manufacturing & Production
Logistics & Transport
Healthcare & Care
Agriculture & Farming
Retail & Commerce
Real Estate & Facility
Energy & Utilities
Public Sector & Municipalities
Ports & Maritime Logistics
Cold Chain & Pharma

Don't see your industry? Contact us anyway.

Let's discuss your infrastructure. Digital and on-site.

Whether it's IoT platform development, hardware selection, managed hosting for ChirpStack, ThingsBoard, Grafana or NetBird VPN, or migration from a self-hosted setup - we'll find the right solution for your use case. Book a free 30-minute consultation, no commitment required.

Timo Wevelsiep

Your contact

Timo Wevelsiep

Founder, merkaio

15 minutes, no commitment, directly with Timo.

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