Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
11.7. MARKET ADOPTION OF EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES
One of the main problems facing developers of new technologies for
the monitoring and treatment of water is the high level of inertia that has
to be overcome in order to enter a market successfully. There are several
reasons for this, and these will vary from country to country. However, in
regions where water supplies are generally treated to a high standard and
safe to drink, there are two main barriers to the adoption of new detection
technologies.
The first is scalability. What works well as a laboratory test is often dif-
ficult to scale-up to the size required for commercial use. To be adopted
widely, a pathogen detection technology needs to enable samples to be
tested simply, quickly, with a high level of repeatability and a low level of
error. Before a customer is prepared to adopt any new monitoring or mea-
surement procedures, they need to be convinced that results are reliable and
testing is repeatable.
Whilst many laboratory-scale detection systems could potentially be
developed to meet these criteria, the second barrier to entry often poses the
greatest problem, which is the willingness—or not—of water companies to
adopt a new screening technology. Existing methods are generally not new
or revolutionary, they are not necessarily the best solution on the market,
but they are accepted by regulators and therefore have been adopted, usu-
ally on an industry-wide basis. The water industry is a conservative one and
pathogen detection is not an area where any individual organization is likely
to go it alone and adopt a new method, unless there are clear and obvious
advantages over existing techniques. It is also important for manufacturers
to appreciate that adoption of a process or technology in one country does
not automatically guarantee that other countries will adopt it.
The market is not driven solely by cost. While monitoring can be an
expensive business for a water utility, the costs of dealing with an outbreak
as well as the reputational damage caused mean that the water companies
primarily want reliable and fast methods. Monitoring is also undertaken as
it is regulatory requirement, and current methods are well-established in
this regard. While the regulator in the UK is positive toward developments
in monitoring technology, the water companies themselves are often con-
servative. The view that existing levels of monitoring are sufficient presents
a challenge for new technologies offering improved limits of detection.
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