Elop agreement with one of the world largest inspection companies

Press release

Oslo, January 9, 2020

Elop agreement with one of the world largest inspection companies

The Hamar based technology company Elop AS and Dekra Industrial AB part of Dekra Group, one of the world’s largest inspection companies with more than 45 000 employees in 60 countries, have entered into an agreement for the testing, marketing, and commercial use of ELOP’s technology in combination with DEKRA’s services for inspection of concrete constructions.

The first rolling ultrasonic scanner

The two players together have a broad knowledge of ultrasound and inspection technologies and will bring new technology and solutions to assist owners of critical infrastructure such as bridges and buildings. The agreement gives Elop valuable access to specialist competence and market experience from one of the largest testing, inspection and certification companies in the world.

Concrete is the worlds most common building material, and the industry makes up over 8% of the global Co2 emissions. With timely corrective maintenance, the lifetime of concrete construction may be increased with 20-30 years. Elops technology will enable a more efficient and precise methodology to detect weaknesses and allow for optimized repairs and maintenance prior to a structure reaching critical condition.

“This is a very important milestone for us in Elop. The technology we have developed here in Hamar will provide substantial benefits for the society including reduction in CO2 emissions, improved safety, and prolonged lifetime for concrete constructions around the world”, says Chairman Øivind Horpestad.

DEKRA and Elop will work together to pilot the services related to Elop’s technology. DEKRA’s expertise and long-standing experience with critical infrastructure are important in targeting the technology and services toward the market demand.

For the first time, owner of critical infrastructure will have access to a new and improved method for uncovering and documenting concrete quality and properties such as strength, density and thickness. In addition, it is possible to locate cracks, air pockets, delamination, technical pipes and similar over larger areas.

“A deeper understanding of the actual state of for example a bridge, will radically improve investment planning and help asset owners manage maintenance costs more optimally. DEKRA may be the first to use this in its day-to-day work, and we are very proud that our technology will now be available in the market”, says Elop CEO Kjersti Kanne.

ELOP’s ultrasound scanner will be out on the missions with DEKRA in the Nordic countries in the coming months. Thereafter, the two parties are planning an international launch.

At ELOP, they are now expanding the organization both locally in Hamar and Oslo to build the capabilities necessary to support their international ambitions.

“we plan to grow from today’s 12 employees to almost 50 employees in 2020” says Kjersti Kanne.

“The collaboration will provide us with new and effective methods for mapping and inspecting concrete structures. We are committed to being a leader in technology and delivering the best possible service to our customers. The technology ELOP delivers could become an important instrument for us in the future”, says CEO, Stefan Törngren of DEKRA.

Commercialization requires a thorough test of the areas that are important to the industry. The knowledge both players now acquire will contribute to any adjustments to the product before the planned launch in the market. Both parties have the same ambitious outlook and look forward with excitement and anticipation to the opportunities.

ELOP AS is a Norwegian technology company specializing in providing ultrasonic equipment for non-destructive inspection and testing (NDI / NDT) of concrete structures. The international team of highly qualified staff has over the last 5 years developed and designed a handheld rolling ultrasonic scanner for inspection and mapping of concrete construction.

Cobri is a rolling ultrasonic scanner with dry connection to the substrate that maps structure and defects such as cracks, air pockets, delaminations, and technical pipes into concrete structures. Ultrasound technology enables the user to determine depth and placement of elements and defects in concrete that are not visible on the surface through a real-time visualization of the structureTechnology is revolutionizing the way NDT inspections are
performed.

Elop has received funding for the development of its technology from the prestigious EU program Horizon 2020, the Research Council of Norway, Innovation Norway and the Regional Research Fund inland. The company is headquartered in Oslo and has its research and development department in Hamar.

The company currently has 12 employees under the leadership of CEO Kjersti Kanne, Øivind Horpestad is the Chairman of the Board. Further information can be found at www.elop.no

DEKRA is one of the leading suppliers of industrial inspection in Europe. The company is part of the DEKRA group based in Germany. DEKRA is an independent third-party technical inspection organization that tests, inspects and certifies installations, products and systems in the infrastructure industry.

DEKRA provides full service for inspections of buildings, plants, machinery and infrastructure, including material testing and inspection and advanced NDT testing.

DEKRA Industrial AB is accredited by the Swedish authority SWEDAC. DEKRA Group is also accredited in many different technical fields and is active in more than 60 countries.

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