Chubb and ECE Install First Internet of Things Sensor Solution Against Water Damage in Shopping Centres

The installation was recently carried out in the Olympia Shopping Centre (OEZ) in Munich. In cooperation with ECE and Chubb’s partner Munich Re, the technicians installed a total of 44 sensors to monitor various parameters such as water and temperature levels. The system triggers an alarm which sends a warning via mobile phone text message as well as e-mail when danger is detected, meaning potential water damage can be spotted and avoided in time. 

“We are very pleased to be able to support an innovative company like the ECE Group with modern loss prevention. Intelligent early warning systems are particularly valuable for areas prone to failure that are not permanently monitored by human intervention, as they can reduce the extent of damage and thus also the costs. The successful installation at ECE in Munich’s Olympia Shopping Centre is a milestone in our global cooperation with Munich Re Group, which has been in place for several years. In addition to the previous offer for shopping centres, hotels, commercial and administrative properties, we have also expanded our solution to help protect hospitals and care facilities,” explains Andreas Wania, Regional Executive Officer Eastern Region and Country President at Chubb in Germany.

“Spacious buildings such as shopping centres are predestined for the use of the Connect & Protect solution. With intelligent sensor technology, we support the building services units in building monitoring and the analysis of the many potential sources of danger on site. We already have several examples of the technology proving its effectiveness at the OEZ with three overflowing lifting units due to blockages in the escalator area and one of the technical rooms which were detected at an early stage by the Connect & Protect sensors. Fortunately, no major damage occurred. We are convinced that the combination of insurance and IoT offers both insurers and customers real added value, which has also been proven by the IoT activities of our subsidiary Hartford Steam Boiler with Chubb in the US market for several years,” says Jürgen Pollich, Head of Industrial IoT Technology at Munich Re.

“Through this joint pilot project with Chubb and Munich Re, we are testing another innovative solution to make the buildings we operate smarter and more intelligent,” says Joanna Fisher, CEO of ECE Marketplaces. “The goal in using digital tools such as IoT sensor technology is to further optimise building operations for users and owners and make them more efficient. That’s why at ECE we are testing different smart building tools and are excited to put another technology into practice. The current installation represents a first for us in one of our shopping centres in Europe.”