Helinick is a Romanian company founded in 1991, specialized in integrated electronic security and safety systems.
Given your impressive history in electronic security, what are Helinick’s current focus areas and capabilities?
We have grown to be a leader in the integration of electronic and security safety platforms in Romania and are currently divided across two main divisions. The first deals with project implementation and management, from technical expertize and evaluation to execution and delivery. The second part consists of post implementation services , this includes the maintenance work of the safety and security systems, we have an extensive nationwide network of centers and technicians. Other than this broad national coverage we also recently opened a center in Moldova and wish to build better synergies between the two kindred countries. We are primarily focused on projects in Romanian, though we have at times followed our MNC clients further afield.
Energy efficiency is a crucial area in need of improvement in Romania – how does your BMS solution fit in with the industry’s needs?
Our building management system (BMS) refers to the management of services within any given building with the overarching goal of making processes more efficient. It is important to understand the concept well and think pragmatically about what solutions do in fact work. Our services are specialized in the corporate office segment, and we are able to integrate a full array of solutions from temperature management to energy control and measurement. All these plug into an interface, which makes them safe and easy to control, resulting in energy savings of up to 40%, which is clearly very significant for large developers.
How do you measure the appetite for new technologies in Romania and the level of public openness and education, now that we are speaking about smart cities?
I believe people are very open, for many technologies Romanians are early adopters, and increasingly so. For instance every office building currently being designed in Romania is built with the awareness of the need to incorporate a BMS system. Some of this is driven by foreign investors, but it is an overall trend across the country. As far as smart cities go, the definition itself varies depending on whom you ask. In my opinion we should prioritize the automation and efficiency of important public services, such as waste disposal and proper security. Smart cities are achieved through companies such as ours and a myriad others working independently or together to create a better community. As an example, Helinick recently developed an app called Parking Spotter which allowed drivers to automatically identify the nearest available parking place through the use of video analysis.
How favorable is the regulatory and legislative framework for the adoption of new technologies in the field of security?
The low voltage electricity used in the field of electronic security falls under its own set of rules and regulations. oreLike in most fields people have to learn on the job and companies such as ours need to invest a great deal of time and resources on training and skill development. People spend most of their time indoors and for safety, economy and basic comfort reasons we need to ensure the electrical equipment is up to the highest standards, implemented by skilled workers. Much of the legislation we have to follow is very old and no longer as relevant as it ought to be, and at times contradictory to European legislation that we as company must also abide.
What is your vision for Helinick and key milestones for the next two to three years?
We wish to maintain our foothold in the field of electronic security and strengthen this niche that we excelled in. Technologies are changing at a faster pace now than before and it is a very exciting time to evolve in our field of business. Leveraging new technologies means safer and more efficient building management. As an integrator, a priority for us is choosing equipment partners of the highest caliber. This is complemented by continuously investing in human resources, whom we constantly train, send to workshops or security conferences and keep abreast of the latest trends. Energy efficiency will remain a priority as we are seeing increased demand in our BMS expertise, though we need better cohesion on this front both with clients and construction companies.
