HisWay Labs aims to break into the European rail condition monitoring market and is using the Rail Live 2025 Expo in Madrid to explore opportunities for its flagship innovation, TrackView. The company is part of the South African delegation brought to Spain by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) on an Outward Selling Mission in Madrid, Spain. HisWay Labs is introducing its patented Internet of Things (IoT) railway condition-monitoring device to European operators for the first time.
TrackView is the flagship product of HisWay Labs, an engineering firm officially established in 2019. Now in its sixth year of development, the device is designed to enhance railway safety and operations through broken rail and train monitoring.
According to the Chief Commercial Officer at HisWay Labs, Mr Kent Gibbon, the development of TrackView was driven by the need for a highly resilient and theft-resistant technology suited to the realities of South Africa’s rail environment.
“We had to develop a novel technology that allowed our system to be theft and vandal resistant because theft and vandalism have negatively impacted our railway operations. We stepped up to provide a solution through an ultra-low power, IoT piece of hardware that reliabily and consistently delivers condition-monitoring capability,” said Gibbon.
He further explained that the device carries patents in South Africa, the United States, and most recently, the European Union (EU) , an achievement that makes Rail Live 2025 an ideal platform to introduce TrackView to Europe.
“We recently received our EU patent, so we needed to introduce TrackView to the European market and understand how the market would receive a technology like this. We don’t know of another global technology that performs quite like TrackView, which is why this engagement is so important for us,” explained Gibbon.
Reflecting on the opening day of the expo, Gibbon said the company has already seen encouraging interest from European firms exploring railway innovation.
“We’re looking to break into the European market through partnerships. It’s a huge market with well-established players, and while we’re a small engineering firm from South Africa, we believe we have a product that can compete globally,” said Gibbon.
He noted that entering the European rail sector requires extensive validation, testing, and certification.
“Rail products don’t move forward through conversation alone. Operators validate that technologies work as claimed, and each prefers its own tests. We’re engaging companies willing to trial the device, and we’ve already received positive responses,” he said.
Gibbon added that partnerships will be critical in helping HisWay Labs gain the market insights and local experience necessary to enter Europe effectively.
“We need market knowledge and local experience to help us enter through the right avenues, and partnerships will be key to unlocking that,” concluded Gibbon.
Rail Live 2025 officially opened today in Madrid, drawing rail innovators, operators, and technology developers from across the globe. HisWay Labs will continue showcasing TrackView throughout the week as it engages potential partners and explores opportunities in the European market.
The Chief Commercial Officer of HisWay Labs, Mr Kent Gibbon, showcasing TrackView, the company’s patented railway condition-monitoring device, at Day 1 of the Rail Live 2025 Expo.
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