2PCS
From Wearable Safety to Wireless Infrastructure
2PCS began as an AAL-funded project to develop a wearable device for emergency communication and positioning, supporting the autonomy and safety of older adults. What started as a multifunctional security watch evolved into a robust wireless nurse call system now used in care facilities across Europe. With a consistent team, stable business model, and sustained partnerships, the project is a clear example of long-term impact. 2PCS shows how early public funding – combined with strategic adaptation – can enable lasting innovation in the care sector.
The 2PCS project aimed to develop a wearable device that combined emergency communication with indoor and outdoor locating, enhancing safety and autonomy for older adults. It addressed the needs of care-dependent individuals and professional caregivers by enabling real-time alerts, positioning, and two-way communication. The core technology – a watch-like device and indoor tracking infrastructure – was market-ready at project’s end, with only minor adaptations for serial production. Over 2,500 units were produced, and the original firmware is still in use. 2PCS was selected as an AAL Success Story for its strong user focus, technical maturity, and successful market transition. It laid the groundwork for a sustainable product line within institutional care settings.
Sustained Outcomes
The original 2PCS technology served as the foundation for a commercially available product, and its core components – firmware, printed circuit board (PCB) design, and communication protocols – are still in use today. While the initial wearable device had limited uptake, it led to the development of a more streamlined version with fewer features and longer battery life, which proved more viable in early markets. Over time, the team pivoted toward a wireless nurse call system based on the same platform, which has become the company’s main product and is now deployed in 40 – 50 care set-tings per year. Key institutional partnerships, including long-standing ties with casing and hardware suppliers, supported the product’s evolution. The 2PCS team also retained its core technical staff and founding partners, enabling continuity and sustained innovation. Being featured as an AAL Success Story validated the project‘s strong focus on technical reliability and user needs, and helped boost its visibility within the European care technology community. It also reinforced the project team‘s decision to transition from research to entrepreneurship, resulting in the foundation of a company in 2016. Participation in the AAL Forum and programme-wide dissemination activities helped 2PCS build international partnerships, particularly in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. The recognition and credibility associated with the AAL brand were instrumental in attracting early pilot customers in a risk-averse market. The project’s story continues to serve as a reference point for well-executed transitions from prototype to product.
The 2PCS project is probably the only one where we wouldn’t change a thing. The constellation of partners, the business model, and the technology all aligned perfectly with what we needed – then and now. Even today, we operate with the same technical core and pricing structure we developed during the project.”
Felix Piazolo, project coordinator 2PCS, CEO at 2PCS Solutions GmbH
Barriers and Challenges
One major barrier was the lack of willingness to pay for advanced safety and localisation features in the care sector, especially in German-speaking countries. Although the technology was ready, public and private care providers lacked funding mechanisms to adopt such innovations. The team realised that selling optional add-ons was not sustainable and instead pivoted toward the mandatory nurse call system market, where demand is regulated and procurement more structured. Another challenge was the long time-to-market: it took nearly four years after project completion to begin sales, due to product casing delays and certification needs. Entering the market as a new player also meant overcoming customer scepticism and proving long-term viability in a conservative industry.
Partnerships & Networks
Long-term success was made possible by sustained partnerships with several original project participants. Two key institutions – the University of Innsbruck and the European Academy Bozen – became co-founders of the company and remain involved today. The core development team from the project is still intact, providing rare continuity in hardware, software, and business development. External partners, such as Odenwälder Kunststoffwerke GmbH (casing supplier) and Kontron (PCB manufacturer), played a crucial role by offering both technical reliability and flexibility in payment terms during the early growth phase. 2PCS also maintains a close relationship with Austrian system integrator FAWO, and has nurtured informal ties with Dutch and Swiss partners first encountered through the AAL ecosystem. These networks were essential for market access and credibility.
The business model developed during the 2PCS project proved remarkably robust, remaining largely unchanged since the project‘s end. Even pricing structures defined in the original AAL business planning have been maintained. Initial success came through a simplified version of the original product, but the company later secured additional funding and strategically repositioned itself in the nurse call system market, which offers more stable demand. Today, 2PCS operates without loans or external investors, sustained entirely by revenue and founder equity. By aligning with safety standards (DIN VDE 0834-1), 2PCS positioned itself as the only fully wireless provider pursuing formal certification – offering a clear competitive advantage.
Looking ahead, the company is now actively seeking sales partners and system integrators outside the German-speaking markets to expand its international reach. With a proven technology base, a strong position in regulated safety systems, and extensive experience in large-scale institutional deployments, 2PCS is well-prepared for cross-border collaboration. The team welcomes opportunities to connect with distributors, integrators, and care technology providers interested in bringing fully wireless nurse call solutions to new European markets and beyond.
Reflections: What Remains?
Looking back, the 2PCS team sees the project as one of the few where they wouldn’t change a thing. The consortium composition, technical scope, and strategic direction were all well aligned with long-term goals. While a stronger early focus on nurse call systems might have accelerated success, such a direction likely wouldn’t have qualified for AAL funding at the time due to lower perceived innovation. The team credits the AAL programme – not only for funding, but also for its business support services and networking platforms, which helped build key relationships across Europe. The experience shaped how the company approaches both product development and partnerships to this day.
Project Info
AGAPE was an AAL project led by MEDEA that developed an innovation adoption methodology and toolkit, tested in Tuscany, Coimbra and Bucharest. Through user profiling, coaching and ecosystem mapping, the project aimed to make digital services more usable, acceptable and sustainable in real care environments.
2PCS is a rare example of an AAL project that successfully transitioned from prototype to market while staying true to its original vision. Its core technology remains in use today, powering a new generation of certifiable, wireless nurse call systems used across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The project’s real legacy lies in its strategic adaptability – pivoting from wearable safety tech to infrastructure solutions that meet concrete regulatory needs. With a stable company, consistent development team, and growing market share, 2PCS demonstrates how deep user insight, strong partnerships, and timing can turn early public funding into lasting innovation. Its story is a model for sustained impact in the ageing and care tech sector.
Dr. Felix Piazolo
2PCS Solutions GmbH
CEO & Co-founder
Unternehmerzentrum 21
A-6073 Sistrans