bIoTope · Project

Open APIs That Let Different IoT Systems Finally Talk to Each Other

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Imagine every smart device in a city — parking sensors, air quality monitors, building thermostats, waste bins — each speaking a different language and refusing to share information. bIoTope built a kind of universal translator for IoT devices so they can all work together, regardless of who made them. They tested it in real cities like Helsinki, Lyon, and Brussels, connecting everything from electric cars to waste management systems. The result: instead of paying for ten separate platforms, a city or company can run one connected system that actually gets smarter over time.

By the numbers

EUR 7,848,160

EU funding for development and pilots

consortium partners across 10 countries

working proof-of-concept demonstrations delivered

total project deliverables produced

SMEs involved in development and testing

cities with real-world pilot deployments

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies and cities invest heavily in IoT devices and platforms, but each system operates in its own silo — parking sensors can't share data with traffic management, building energy systems can't talk to the grid. This fragmentation means organizations pay for multiple platforms that duplicate effort, miss optimization opportunities, and lock them into single vendors. Breaking these silos requires a common interoperability layer that no single vendor has been willing to build because it reduces lock-in.

The solution

What was built

Standardized Open APIs for cross-domain IoT interoperability, tested through 11 proof-of-concept pilots in Helsinki, Lyon, Brussels, and St. Petersburg. Demonstrations covered waste management, air quality monitoring, smart electric cars, and smart building equipment — each iterated to a second version. In total, 65 deliverables were produced across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

City technology departments managing multiple disconnected IoT platformsCommercial property managers integrating multi-vendor building systemsIoT platform companies needing cross-platform interoperabilityWaste management companies wanting sensor-driven route optimizationEnergy utilities connecting distributed smart grid assets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Smart City Infrastructure

enterprise

Target: Municipal technology departments and city platform operators

If you are a city technology department dealing with dozens of disconnected IoT platforms — one for streetlights, another for parking, another for waste — this project developed standardized open APIs that connect them all into one system. Tested in Helsinki, Lyon, Brussels, and St. Petersburg across waste management, air quality, and smart buildings. With 26 partners across 10 countries validating the approach, the interoperability layer lets you stop paying for redundant platforms.

Building Management & Facility Services

mid-size

Target: Commercial property managers and smart building integrators

If you are a facility management company struggling to integrate HVAC, security, lighting, and energy systems from different vendors — this project built proof-of-concept Smart Building and Equipment systems that bridge those silos. The open API approach means you don't get locked into one vendor's ecosystem. Pilots were iterated to v2 versions, showing the system works in real-world conditions.

IoT Platform Development

SME

Target: Software companies building IoT middleware or platform services

If you are an IoT platform company losing deals because your system can't integrate with competitors' devices — this project created open interoperability standards that let any platform participate in a connected ecosystem. With 8 SMEs in the consortium and 65 deliverables including 11 working demonstrations, there is a proven technical foundation to build commercial products on top of.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this IoT interoperability layer?

The project operated on EUR 7,848,160 in EU funding across 26 partners over 3+ years. Licensing or implementation costs for the open APIs are not specified in the project data. Since the approach is based on standardized open APIs, integration costs would depend on the number of existing systems you need to connect.

Can this scale from a single building to a whole city?

Yes — the project explicitly tested at multiple scales. They ran pilots in four cities (Helsinki, Lyon, Brussels, St. Petersburg) covering different domains like waste management, air quality, electric cars, and smart buildings. Each pilot went through two iterations (v1 and v2), proving the system works across domains and geographies.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project built standardized open APIs specifically designed for open innovation ecosystems. Based on available project data, the approach favors open standards over proprietary lock-in. Specific IP terms and licensing arrangements would need to be discussed with the coordinator at Aalto University in Finland.

How does this integrate with our existing IoT systems?

That is exactly the problem bIoTope was designed to solve. The open APIs create a horizontal interoperability layer that sits on top of existing vertical IoT platforms, allowing cross-domain and cross-platform data access without replacing what you already have. The 11 demonstration deliverables prove this works with real-world systems.

Is this ready for commercial deployment today?

The project ended in May 2019 with multiple v2 proof-of-concept implementations in real city environments. While these are working demonstrations rather than commercial products, the technology reached a level where commercial partners could build deployable solutions. The 8 SMEs in the consortium may already offer commercial services based on this work.

What regulations or standards does this comply with?

The project was built around standardized open APIs for IoT interoperability, addressing the ICT-30-2015 EU research topic on IoT and connected smart objects. Based on available project data, the approach aligns with European efforts toward open standards and data interoperability, though specific certifications are not detailed in the deliverables.

What kind of ongoing support is available?

The project consortium included 26 partners across 10 countries with 7 industry partners and 8 SMEs. The coordinator is Aalto University in Finland. Based on available project data, commercial support would come through the industry partners who participated in building and testing the system.

Consortium

Who built it

The bIoTope consortium is notably large at 26 partners spanning 10 countries, which signals broad market validation but also means the technology was stress-tested across very different regulatory and infrastructure environments. With 7 industry partners (27% of consortium) and 8 SMEs, there is a solid mix of commercial players alongside the 5 universities and 3 research organizations. The coordinator is Aalto University in Finland, a top-tier technical university with strong industry ties. The geographic spread across Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Russia, and the UK means the interoperability standards were designed to work internationally, not just in one market. For a business buyer, the key takeaway is that this technology was validated by companies who had commercial skin in the game, not just academics.

AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SRCoordinator · FI
ADMINISTRATION DE L'EQUIPEMENT ET DES DEPLACEMENTSparticipant · BE
FORUM VIRIUM HELSINKI OYparticipant · FI
HOLONIX SRLparticipant · IT
BIBA - BREMER INSTITUT FUER PRODUKTION UND LOGISTIK GMBHparticipant · DE
IS-PRACTICE BVBAparticipant · BE
ITMO UNIVERSITYparticipant · RU
ECCENCA GMBHparticipant · DE
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
METROPOLE DE LYONparticipant · FR
ITRUST CONSULTING SARLparticipant · LU
SENXparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURGparticipant · LU
DEAKIN UNIVERSITYparticipant · AU
The Open Group Limitedparticipant · UK
COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATIONparticipant · AU
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Aalto University (Finland). SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the research team and relevant industry partners from the consortium.

Order a report on this consortium See AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect your IoT systems without replacing what you already have? SciTransfer can introduce you to the bIoTope team and help identify which consortium partners match your specific integration needs. Contact us for a one-page technology brief.

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