The “Digitalisation Success Stories” programme welcomes Normunds Stepāns, founder and CEO of STROPS Technologies, who explains how the company evolved from an idea for mobile video surveillance systems into a highly efficient, partially automated manufacturing operation. In the interview, he discusses both the company’s technological core and a digitalisation project that has significantly transformed its production capacity and quality.
Although STROPS Technologies is widely known as a manufacturer of mobile video surveillance systems, the company’s core expertise goes much deeper – into battery packs, battery management systems and wireless data transmission. This combination makes it possible to create solutions that can be installed within minutes, without cables.
“We help make the installation of video surveillance cameras in urban environments more efficient,” Stepāns explains, emphasising that the result is that “you can have video surveillance up and running within minutes rather than months.”
These solutions are used for traffic monitoring, including the automatic detection of violations, as well as to combat illegal waste dumping. Cameras can be quickly deployed in urban locations where offences occur repeatedly, providing evidence without the need to build extensive infrastructure. The solutions not only help monitor the situation but can also contribute to tangible improvements by continuously detecting violations.
“You can never achieve perfection. You have to keep developing,” Stepāns says, describing the company’s mindset.
He adds that even when everything appears to be working well, the question should always be asked: “Can we make it even more efficient?” This constant drive to challenge itself has become the foundation of STROPS Technologies’ development – rather than stopping at what has already been achieved, the company systematically looks for new ways to improve its products, processes and the end result for customers.
With digitalisation support, the company has introduced partially automated production of lithium-ion battery packs, covering processes from material preparation to welding and packaging. Whereas these operations were previously performed manually, they are now carried out using automated equipment and robots.
“One battery pack with 540 welds is ready in three minutes,” Stepāns says.
This has also brought significant changes to everyday operations, making production more modern and efficient.
The results are particularly impressive when compared with the previous production model. Whereas the company could previously produce only a few units per day, the process is now significantly faster and more precise.
“Previously, we could produce five battery packs a day. Today, that number has increased to 37,” Stepāns emphasises.
Automation also reduces the risk of errors and ensures consistent quality regardless of production volume.
The company is already looking ahead. Its next step is the broader use of artificial intelligence. STROPS Technologies is developing machine-vision solutions capable of automatically detecting traffic violations and generating ready-to-use evidence that could, for example, be integrated with government systems.
At the same time, Stepāns stresses that digitalisation is not a one-off project but an ongoing process.
“It is not a one-time project,” he says, adding that the company continues to look for ways to further improve efficiency.
In business, what matters most is the ability to solve problems and keep working on them until the desired result is achieved – even if the path towards that result changes along the way.
Stepāns concludes with a clear message for companies that are still considering whether to digitalise.
“There is no need to think about it – you just have to do it,” he says.
Today, using technology is no longer an option but a necessity, and those who hesitate risk falling significantly behind.
“If you are not using it, you are dozens of times behind those who already are,” Stepāns concludes.
Listen to real stories from entrepreneurs about how digitalisation helps businesses grow, compete and export in the “Digitalisation Success Stories” series every Thursday shortly after 14:00 on Radio SWH and Radio SWH TV.
Latvian companies have access to a wide range of state- and European Union-funded support for business development, brought together on the unified business portal business.gov.lv and its subsite liaa.business.gov.lv. Companies can find information there about various programmes, ranging from funding for innovation and new product development, export promotion and international cooperation opportunities to grants for digitalisation, technology implementation and productivity improvements.
The project is co-financed by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility (NextGenerationEU) and the Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027. The preparation of this article was funded with support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
