As Domenico Giustiniano, Principal Investigator of the project coordinated by IMDEA Networks and Associate Research Professor at the institute, points out: "We have advanced the state of the art in areas such as visible light communication for low-speed data transmission as well as for high-speed applications, provided innovative solutions for rugged VLC systems, designed systems that leverage the simultaneous transfer of information and energy by light waves, and investigated new communication systems, such as between light sources and smartphone cameras and under-display cameras. We have also addressed key application-oriented challenges in areas such as indoor location, vehicular networks, and underwater networks."
Legacy and Benefits to Society:
One of the key aspects of ENLIGHT'EM has been its contribution to the sustainable development of new wireless systems. This approach, adopted by the project, aims to provide added economic value to society, aligning with the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations to end poverty, combat inequality and injustice, and address climate change by 2030. ENLIGHT'EM has achieved several groundbreaking results, as evidenced by the numerous high-quality publications in prestigious conferences and journals by project researchers. In total, nearly 70 publications have been produced during the project's duration.
As a result of the project, the academic and industrial partners have filed a total of four patents. Furthermore, an IMDEA Networks research team, including ENLIGHT'EM-funded PhD student Dayrene Frómeta (Early Stage Researcher – ESR), won first prize in the food category of the competitive European EIT Jumpstarter program for their business idea, LiFi4Food, which aims to provide solutions for digital and precision agriculture. LiFi4Food has now become an IMDEA Networks spin-off company that seeks to positively impact indoor food production with an eco-friendly monitoring and control system using battery-free sensors for greenhouses.
Ultimately, ENLIGHT'EM's success is attributable to its people, from the commitment of the supervisory team to the talent and passion of the PhD students. The IMDEA Networks research team, in particular, has made a significant contribution to its scientific output, including communication and commercialization activities. Special mention should be made of the role of Borja Genovés, now a Marie Curie PostDoc fellow in the USA, and of Javier Hervás, for having taken on, and executed in the best possible way, the demanding position of project manager.
Next steps
: ENLIGHT'EM marks the beginning of new possibilities. "We have identified several potential initiatives, such as joint research, joint follow-up proposals, and participation in events. For example, the work on battery-free systems, to which my group at IMDEA Networks has contributed significantly, is now becoming a hot topic for future 6G networks as well, with the recent establishment of a working group dedicated to the so-called 'Ambient IoT,' and we see several opportunities for future projects in this area ," notes Dr. Giustiniano.
A project that, although now completed, continues to illuminate the present and shape the future of wireless communications with a unique fusion of technology and light.
