PartnerNews | 10 years of Lo.La Peak Solutions GmbH

It all began with a pencil sketch

The story of Lo.La Peak Solutions GmbH (LO.LA for short) began at a meeting in a café in Innsbruck. The current partners came together in a cosy atmosphere to discuss ways in which observations of avalanches and other natural hazards could be recorded and used directly from the terrain. A pencil sketch was drawn up together and the idea of the "Local Location", or LO.LA, was born.

Lo.La Peak Solutions GmbH was then founded on the 14th of October 2014. It still exists today and the five shareholders are still actively involved in the company. Shortly after the official foundation, the first LO.LA app was developed and published, based on the digitised pencil sketch. Even though the "app" was actually a website at the beginning and features such as offline availability, map displays and push notifications were still a long way off, the first customers and partners were impressed.

LO.LA recorded further growth after presenting the idea to the general public at the Alpine Fair and Alpine Forum in Innsbruck. In the years that followed, the customer base grew continuously, and loyal users still rely on LO.LA's services today.

That all sounds very abstract, but what does it mean in concrete terms? - That's what LO.LA!

1.         The avoidance and reduction of alpine hazards

A structured, reproducible and documentable procedure is of enormous importance in the prevention and reduction of alpine hazards. Above all, this requires a theoretical concept for a functioning risk management system. LO.LA relies on customised software and app solutions that are implemented with the help of the experts' local knowledge. The user always takes centre stage.

2.         Sharing knowledge and expertise with companies and experts

In addition to theoretical knowledge, it is above all the practical implementation in the field that makes for successful knowledge transfer. It does not matter whether the target group is experts or pupils, any knowledge can be imparted through the correct preparation of content. LO.LA always focuses its preparations on individuality and local knowledge. As a result, the programmes are far removed from mainstream training courses and are dedicated to the topic of alpine safety in the context of the (corporate) reality of their customers.

3.    Alpine dangers and how to protect yourself

The identification and assessment of alpine hazards and the development of suitable countermeasures and mitigation measures are among LO.LA's core competences. These assessments are carried out on alpine infrastructure such as pistes, ski routes, trails and hiking paths. Thanks to its comprehensive expertise, the LO.LA team can implement the measures in a targeted manner. In addition, implementation is supported by local experts from the field who contribute their valuable knowledge.

4.          Research and development projects

In addition to practical implementation, LO.LA is particularly focussed on research and development work and is dedicated to innovations in the areas of alpine safety, natural hazards and risk management. Practical experience is channelled directly into the projects to ensure that the results are also applicable in practice. These findings are processed in specialised scientific concepts and made available to the public. In this way, everyone benefits from the results, which can ideally be transferred to local conditions.

5.          Digital solutions for use in the field

Fast and uncomplicated solutions are crucial in the field of avalanche warning. This is precisely why LO.LA has taken the opportunity to specialise in customised solutions. All LO.LA tools are designed in such a way that they can be flexibly adapted to all circumstances. The focus is always on ease of use in the user's local environment.

Local knowledge and how it can be used

Over the course of LO.LA's 10-year history, the main focus has been on supporting people from the field in their work - always focussing on the respective local knowledge. A great example of the implementation of this approach is the training developed by LO.LA for the ÖBB avalanche warning service of ÖBB Infrastruktur AG. LO.LA has been offering training specifically designed for the ÖBB avalanche warning service since the 2020 winter season.

The story continues

LO.LA celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, but the team will not and must not rest on its laurels. Instead, LO.LA continues to strive to create something new on the solid foundation it has laid. In addition to existing activities, future developments will focus primarily on the topic of information. On the one hand, effective information management is to be established in order to make the multitude of data collected in the field available to the partners even better and more easily. In addition, the networking of information is being promoted, which means that relevant data is to be made shareable and usable among the partners - an added value for all participants. Another key issue is the development and establishment of information standards. Uniform, standardised information packages are being developed for this purpose, which can be prepared according to the latest state of the art and individually adapted for all applications.

LO.LA is starting the next ten years with these ambitious goals - the key to success lies in the motto: always a little more than the others!

The entire LO.LA team is looking forward to the challenges ahead and remains excited about what the future holds.