The Next Generation - Tom Krüger - German & English Version
Manage episode 517962467 series 3656713
A special edition in both German and English, hosted by my friend and former guest, Robert Bogs.
Tom Krüger, founder and CEO of TJK Solutions, talks about transforming a small German lakeside community into one of Europe’s most forward-thinking LoRaWAN regions. At just 20 years old, Tom has turned his early curiosity about wireless weather sensors into a growing company delivering LoRaWAN networks for environmental monitoring, smart villages, and disaster resilience. In this episode, he shares how local collaboration, open-source innovation, and cost-effective engineering can bring LoRa-powered infrastructure to life—even in small municipalities.
- How a classroom science project using LoRa temperature and pH sensors inspired the founding of TJK Solutions in Brandenburg, Germany
- The path from DIY weather stations to commercial LoRaWAN deployments for water authorities and tourism operators
- How LoRaWAN networks are being used to monitor water levels, beach conditions, and environmental data across the region
- Building an off-grid Meshtastic emergency network to maintain communication during blackouts, connecting nine disaster-response sites with solar-powered LoRa routers
- Collaboration between local government, the fire brigade, and private partners to deploy resilient, low-cost IoT infrastructure
- The business case for municipalities: reducing costs, improving transparency, and creating a foundation for smart city growth
- Why combining LoRaWAN for telemetry and LoRa mesh for citizen communication creates a powerful hybrid model for local resilience
- Insights into the Smart Village project, integrating LoRaWAN into lighting control, school air monitoring, and park management
- Tom’s view on LoRaWAN’s future across Europe and how small innovators can drive adoption through user-focused problem solving and partnerships
Links:
Tom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-jonas-krueger/
TJK Website: https://tjk-solutions.de/
Robert's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbogs/
- Helium Global IoT Coverage - Want to know if Helium coverage exists where you need it? Check out this map!
- Helium Foundation - The Helium Foundation's IoT Working Group (IOTWG) has generously provided support for the first 6 months of shows, please go check them out and consider using the Helium LoRaWAN as a primary or backup on your next deployment. With over a quarter million gateways deployed worldwide, it's likely that you have and can use Helium coverage.
- Support The Show - If you'd like to support the MetSci Show financially, here's where you can donate on a one-time or an ongoing basis. Thank you!
- MetSci Show - If you'd like to use our IoT or AI Data Value calculators, or you'd like to contact me, the MetSci Show site is the best way to do it.
- MeteoScientific Console - Use LoRaWAN - The MeteoScientific Console allows you to use LoRaWAN today. As long as you have Helium coverage (and you probably do, about 90% of populated areas in the world have a gateway within 2 miles), you can onboard a sensor. You can always check coverage at https://explorer.helium.com and switch to the "IoT" tab in the top right.
35 episodes