Internet of Things State of the Art in Europe (IoT SoTA in Europe)

The reference definition of the Internet of Things used in this article is: "a dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communications protocols where physical and virtual objects (things) have identities, physical attributes and virtual personalities using intelligent interfaces and are seamlessly integrated into the information network".

The aim of this article is to present the state of the art (in terms of innovation, research and standardization) of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Europe from the perspective of EU-funded research projects (Internet Of Things/IoT European Research Cluster – IERC) and the Alliance for Internet Of Things Innovation (AIOTI) supported by the European Commission in virtually all areas of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) applications.

In fact, the IoT horizontally encompasses previously unconnected fields such as smart sensors/meters (water, gas, steam, electricity), mobility/ITS (Intelligent Transportation System), industry, manufacturing (production, factories), robotics, aeronautics, the maritime sector, improving daily life/well-being (Well Being, Aging Well, Smart Living), healthcare (eHealth), agriculture and food, energy and sustainability (Smart Energy Grid and Sustainability), smart buildings, the environment, smart cities... in fact, all areas of ICT.

No single SDO (Standard Development Organisation), Forum or IoT Alliance can cover all IoT needs without cooperation. And it is certainly in this niche of European and global IoT cooperation, bringing together all the players in standardization, research and innovation, that lies the explanation for AIOTI's rapid success.

This article gives access to a comprehensive European and global IoT landscape developed and maintained by AIOTI, which has brilliantly met the challenges of a common definition of IoT architectures, recommendations on interoperability, security, safety, data protection and privacy of IoT platforms and applications in a context of Cybersecurity testing, evolving European regulations and a unique spirit of European and global cooperation.