About us

On the 16th of August 1993, Sigurd Melin watched a news report on television about a flood in Sollefteå, northern Sweden.

He observed people frantically filling, carrying, and pilling hundreds of sandbags into dykes to protect themselves against flooding. 

Sigurd noted that it was a lot of hard work. 

"There must be a smarter way to fight-floods" - Sigurd said to himself.

That thought became a challenge for Sigurd to solve. 

Together with a friend, Sten Kullberg, Sigurd started working on an idea for a tube-based flood barrier. 

First, water filled tubes started rolling. Dual water filled tubes started floating. Triple water filled tubes worked but were complicated to use. 

"Why not use the weight of the flood water itself to ballast the barrier in place" - thought the two friends.

The patent application was submitted for the Tubewall, an inflated tube that featured a skirt which utilised the weight of the floodwater itself to ballast and anchor the mobile flood barrier firmly in place. 

This new technology was named the “Bookend Principle” as it worked in the same way as a simple bookend device does holding books upright on a bookshelf.

In March 1995, the first public presentation of a working Tubewall prototype was made in southern Sweden.

In 1996 Sten Kullbeg left the project. Sigurd instead started collaborating with another friend, Anders Mohss, and the company NOAQ was founded for the commercialization of the Tubewall. 

The NOAQ Tubewall based on the Bookend Principle was used to protect a house from flooding in Tärnaby, Sweden.

Sigurd wins the SKAPA Prize for the NOAQ Tubewall at the Stockholm Technical Fair. 

Sigurd starts to develop a new idea that uses several water filled boxes in a row to make a flood barrier. He develops the Bookend Principle further and decides to remove the sides of the box leaving only the base and the damming side.

In May 1997, a patent application is submitted for what will be called the NOAQ Boxwall - the world’s first modular, free-standing, self-anchoring, mobile flood barrier.

NOAQ Tubewall begins to be sold for export.

Sigurd wins the BBC live broadcasted "Best Inventions" in London with the NOAQ Tubewall.

NOAQ Tubewall is part of the exhibition "Design Takes on Risk" at MoMa in New York.

After 10 years of development, NOAQ Boxwall BW50 (the 50 stands for the damming ability of 50 cm) is launched as a commercial product at a trade fair in Salzburg, Austria.

Sales for NOAQ Boxwall start to grow, first in Japan and then Europe.

NOAQ Flood Protection AB is founded by Sigurd Melin and Anders Mohss.

Ann Blanche-Sahlqvist joins the company as co-owner.

Swedish VC fund Almi invests in NOAQ.

Corner boxes for BW50 are launched. These new components enable NOAQ Boxwall to navigate the landscape and avoid obstacles along the flood defence line.  

First NOAQ Boxwall order from China is shipped.

A video of Sigurd demonstrating the flash flood capabilities of the NOAQ Boxwall goes viral and triggers huge interest in the product from all around the world. Today the video has been viewed more than 130 million times. 

The second generation NOAQ Boxwall, the BW52, is launched. The new box is injection molded PP instead of vacuum formed ABS and is longer than the original version. 

Gables soon follow for BW52. These new components enable NOAQ Boxwall to navigate kerbstones and pavements to further increase the flexibility and versatility of the mobile flood barrier system.

NOAQ team becomes 5 employees.

Sales reach SEK 10 million.

A one-meter high NOAQ Boxwall, the BW102, is launched. This new model is double the height of the BW52 and can hold back floodwater up to 100 cm (40") in depth.

NOAQ Flood Fighting System is now available in over 30 countries around the world.

NOAQ Boxwall wins the prestigious “Quality Innovation Award” issued by SIQ (Swedish Institute for Quality), and later wins the corresponding international competition.

NOAQ team becomes 8 employees.

Sales reach SEK 32 million.

NOAQ moves into new premises in Näsviken, an old paper mill factory building that NOAQ respectfully restored.

Sales reach SEK 41 million.

BW102 corners and gables are launched making the NOAQ Boxwall BW102 the world’s first complete one-meter-high modular, free-standing, self-anchoring mobile flood barrier system.

Sigurd and Ann win “Entrepreneur of the Year” in Hudiksvall.

NOAQ starts a collaboration with the University of Gävle to conduct a 4-year research project into flood mapping and flood technology.

NOAQ reports record sales with its NOAQ Flood Fighting System now present in over 40 countries around the world.

NOAQ becomes 11 employees.

Douglas Hellström becomes new CEO for NOAQ as Sigurd Melin steps aside to focus on product R&D and his responsibility as Chairman of the Board.

Our journey in mobile flood protection continues, with more game-changing events and products on the horizon.