Cognitive Hyperconnected Digital Transformation provides an overview of the current Internet of Things (IoT) landscape, ranging from research, innovation and development priorities to enabling technologies in a global context. It is intended as a standalone book in a series that covers the Internet of Things activities of the IERC--Internet of Things European Research Cluster, including both research and technological innovation, validation and deployment.
The book builds on the ideas put forward by the European Research Cluster, the IoT European Platform Initiative (IoT-EPI) and the IoT European Large-Scale Pilots Programme, presenting global views and state-of-the-art results regarding the challenges facing IoT research, innovation, development and deployment in the next years.
Hyperconnected environments integrating industrial/business/consumer IoT technologies and applications require new IoT open systems architectures integrated with network architecture (a knowledge-centric network for IoT), IoT system design and open, horizontal and interoperable platforms managing things that are digital, automated and connected and that function in real-time with remote access and control based on Internet-enabled tools.
The IoT is bridging the physical world with the virtual world by combining augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to support the physical-digital integrations in the Internet of mobile things based on sensors/actuators, communication, analytics technologies, cyber-physical systems, software, cognitive systems and IoT platforms with multiple functionalities. These IoT systems have the potential to understand, learn, predict, adapt and operate autonomously. They can change future behaviour, while the combination of extensive parallel processing power, advanced algorithms and data sets feed the cognitive algorithms that allow the IoT systems to develop new services and propose new solutions.
IoT technologies are moving into the industrial space and enhancing traditional industrial platforms with solutions that break free of device-, operating system- and protocol-dependency. Secure edge computing solutions replace local networks, web services replace software, and devices with networked programmable logic controllers (NPLCs) based on Internet protocols replace devices that use proprietary protocols. Information captured by edge devices on the factory floor is secure and accessible from any location in real time, opening the communication gateway both vertically (connecting machines across the factory and enabling the instant availability of data to stakeholders within operational silos) and horizontally (with one framework for the entire supply chain, across departments, business units, global factory locations and other markets).
End-to-end security and privacy solutions in IoT space require agile, context-aware and scalable components with mechanisms that are both fluid and adaptive. The convergence of IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology) makes security and privacy by default a new important element where security is addressed at the architecture level, across applications and domains, using multi-layered distributed security measures. Blockchain is transforming industry operating models by adding trust to untrusted environments, providing distributed security mechanisms and transparent access to the information in the chain.
Digital technology platforms are evolving, with IoT platforms integrating complex information systems, customer experience, analytics and intelligence to enable new capabilities and business models for digital business.
Dr. Ovidiu Vermesan holds a Ph.D. degree in microelectronics and a Master of International Business (MIB) degree. He is Chief Scientist at SINTEF Digital, Oslo, Norway. His research interests are in the area of mixed-signal embedded electronics and cognitive communication systems. Dr. Vermesan received SINTEF's 2003 award for research excellence for his work on the implementation of a biometric sensor system. He is currently working on projects addressing nano-electronics, integrated sensor/actuator systems, communication, cyber-physical systems and the IoT, with applications in green mobility, energy, autonomous systems and smart cities. He has authored or co-authored over 85 technical articles and conference papers. He is actively involved in the activities of the Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership (ECSEL) Joint Technology Initiative (JTI). He has coordinated and managed various national, EU and other international projects related to integrated electronics. Dr. Vermesan actively participates in national, H2020 EU and other international initiatives by coordinating and managing various projects. He is the coordinator of the IoT European Research Cluster (IERC) and a member of the board of the Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (AIOTI).
Joel Bacquet is a senior official of DG CONNECT of the European Commission, taking care of the research and innovation policy for the Internet of Things. Before working in this field, he was programme officer in "Future Internet Experimental Platforms", head of the sector "Virtual Physiological Human" in the ICT for health domain. From 1999 to 2003, he was head of the sector "networked organisations" in the eBusiness unit. He started working with the European Commission in 1993, in the Software Engineering Unit of the ESPRIT Programme. He started his carrier as visiting scientist for Quantel a LASER company in San Jose, California in 1981. From 1983 to 1987, he was with Thomson CSF (Thales) as software development engineer for a Radar System. From 1987 to 1991, he worked with the European Space Agency as software engineer on the European Space shuttle and international Space platform programmes (ISS). From 1991 to 1993 he was with Eurocontrol where he was Quality manager of an Air Traffic Control system. He is an engineer in computer science from Institut Superieur d'Electronique du Nord (ISEN) and he has a MBA from Webster University, Missouri.
