Smart City - Open Innovation Challenge - Catalan Solutions

4 – 6 Nov 2025 | Barcelona - Hospitalet del Llobregat, Spain

ChallengeUpdated on 9 September 2025

Preventing Cable Damage in EV Charging Stations

Strategy & Innovation Manager at CIRCONTROL

Viladecavalls, Spain

About

High-Power Charging (HPC) cables are increasingly targeted by vandalism: criminals cut them to resell the copper. Despite the low market value, each incident results in high repair costs, downtime, and reduced trust in EV infrastructure.

Our charging units already feature alarm systems that activate once a cable is severed. The next step is prevention—solutions that either:

  • Anticipate and deter tampering before the first cut through advanced detection, deterrence, or active intervention systems; or

  • Physically protect cables, making them resistant to cutting, tampering, or removal.

Key requirements:

  • Scalability: Applicable to thousands of stations across diverse environments.

  • Cost-effectiveness: Preventive measures must not outweigh the financial damage avoided.

  • Practicality: Solutions should integrate with existing infrastructure and operations.

We invite start-ups, research labs, and established companies to propose breakthrough solutions that can secure EV charging cables and strengthen the reliability of tomorrow’s mobility ecosystem.

Topic

  • Integrated Emergency
  • Systems
  • Infrastructure
  • Safety and Security
  • Emergency Response
  • Energy
  • Smart Infrastructure
  • Urban Furniture & Elements
  • Urban Planning
  • EV Charging

Type

  • Proof of concept/pilot testing
  • Client-provider collaboration (commercial agreement)
  • Access to clients
  • Free tools/sharing resources
  • Acceleration/Incubation, mentoring and co-working spaces
  • Investment (Venture capital and corporate venturing)
  • Acquisition
  • Technological licensing

Organisation

CIRCONTROL

Catalan Company with a challenge

Viladecavalls, Spain

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