Member Spotlight

Angelos Dragkolas, CEO – IANIC

IANIC, Member of Olympios Group, is a water systems integrator focused on end-to-end digital infrastructure architectures for utilities operating across the water cycle, from drinking water and wastewater to irrigation and stormwater. We design and implement integrated solutions where field and business data is transformed into validated operational events that feed our decision-support platform.

By connecting network monitoring, asset performance and operational intelligence in a unified ecosystem, IANIC enables utilities to anticipate stress, respond to anomalies and manage resources efficiently. Our approach combines system design, real-time analytics and operational workflows, ensuring that digital infrastructure is not just deployed, but embedded into the way water services are planned, operated and governed.

Digital tools are only as effective as the frameworks they sit within. How can regulatory and policy structures be designed to encourage innovation without compromising reliability or public accountability?

Regulation should define obligations and performance outcomes rather than prescribe specific technological pathways. In the crucial water sector, reliability is ensured when policies establish clear requirements for data traceability, cybersecurity, interoperability and auditability, while allowing utilities the flexibility to implement digital solutions that meet those standards.

This approach is increasingly reflected at European level. As a member of Olympios Group, IANIC contributed to joint guidelines by fourteen leading innovators for the EU Action Plan on Digitalisation in the Water Sector, supporting the objectives of the European Water Resilience Strategy. The recommendations underline that digitalisation policies must be structurally aligned with EU funding instruments, modernised procurement frameworks and parallel initiatives in the energy and digital domains to enable scalable and coherent deployment across the water cycle.

Within such structured policy environments, sandboxes, pilot-friendly frameworks and phased approvals allow new digital solutions to demonstrate measurable value under real operating conditions without exposing critical services to operational uncertainty. When obligations and system performance expectations are clearly defined, innovation becomes a governed process that strengthens resilience while preserving transparency and public trust.

Digital transformation is more than just installing new technology. How can water utilities rethink the way they plan, operate and make decisions to become more resilient in the face of extreme seasonal demand and climate uncertainty?

Building resilience requires a shift from periodic assessment to continuous situational awareness. Utilities need planning and operations to function as a connected cycle, where field information is translated into validated events that guide both immediate response and long-term infrastructure strategy.

This approach relies on integrating network monitoring, demand dynamics and asset condition into a unified management framework. Deviations can be identified early and responses can be structured rather than reactive. Under conditions of seasonal variability and climate uncertainty, planning must be grounded in observed behavior rather than static assumptions.

For example, in the Municipality of Paphos, Cyprus, pronounced tourism-driven demand fluctuations affect demand throughout the year. By consolidating consumption patterns, network status and alerts into a coherent management framework, the utility maintains continuous visibility and can respond proportionally to seasonal pressures and environmental conditions.

Equally important is organisational alignment. Digital transformation is not only about technology; it requires operational, engineering and administrative functions to work from shared information and consistent decision logic. When utilities move from isolated readings to event-driven management, resilience becomes a function of how coherently the network is understood and governed, not simply the technology deployed.

View IANIC’s Paphos case study on managing seasonal demand.

Citizen engagement is central to modern water management. How do you see mobile applications changing the relationship between utilities and the communities they serve?

Mobile applications are shifting the relationship between utilities and citizens by making service visibility continuous rather thanoccasional or reactive. When information on consumption, service status and notifications is easilyaccessible, engagement evolves from reactive contact to informed participation. Citizens can identify unusual consumption patterns, respond to service notifications promptly, and better understand how their behavior affects the broader system.

This evolution reflects a broader operational shift: data generated within utility systems increasingly becomes part of the public interface. By presenting information in accessible ways, mobile engagement strengthens transparency, builds trust, and encourages responsible use of resources. In regions with seasonal demand variability or environmental pressures, this shared visibility helps communities adapt behavior, support sustainable consumption, and collaborate with utilities to maintain reliable service.

More fundamentally, consistent access to real-time information transforms water management into a shared responsibility, where both utilities and citizens have the insight needed to make informed decisions and respond proactively to challenges.

How can young professionals balance learning from established practices with the need to push boundaries and explore new solutions?

In water, experience matters. Systems are built to last and reliability is essential. Young professionals benefit most when they first understand why things are done a certain way, that is, how infrastructure behaves over time, how decisions affect service, how public responsibility shapes every choice. This foundation makes innovation meaningful and effective.

From there, curiosity grounded in reality opens new possibilities. Combining operational insight with digital tools, data integration and fresh approaches reveals opportunities to improve systems without compromising reliability. Professionals who can bridge engineering, data and policy perspectives are particularly valuable, helping utilities respond to challenges such as climate variability and seasonal demand.

Ultimately, progress in water is about continuous improvement. Innovation is most powerful when it strengthens continuity, ensuring services remain reliable while becoming smarter, more transparent and more resilient.