OpenAIS · Project

Open IoT Standard That Lets Office Lighting Systems Talk to Any Building System

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Imagine every light fixture in your office building is like a smartphone — connected to the internet, running apps, and talking to the heating, security, and access systems. Right now, most office lighting runs on closed, proprietary systems where you're locked into one vendor. OpenAIS built an open standard so that lighting products from different manufacturers can all work together over the internet, just like how any phone can run any app. They tested this in a real office with major lighting companies like Philips (now Signify), Zumtobel, and chip makers like ARM and NXP.

By the numbers

EUR 7,893,553

EU contribution for developing the open IoT lighting standard

consortium partners collaborating on the architecture

countries represented in the consortium

82%

industry ratio in the consortium

industry partners including Signify, Zumtobel, ARM, NXP, Johnson Controls

total deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Most office buildings run lighting on closed, proprietary control systems. If you buy fixtures from one manufacturer, you're locked into their controls, sensors, and software ecosystem. This means higher costs, no competition among suppliers, and no easy way to connect lighting data with other building systems like HVAC or security — even though modern LED fixtures are perfectly capable of being smart, connected devices.

The solution

What was built

The project built an open, service-oriented system architecture for IoT-connected office lighting, including software building blocks tested and documented for integration. They defined use cases for modern offices, identified reusable ICT components, developed missing ones, and validated everything through a pilot installation in a real office environment. A total of 12 deliverables were produced.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial real estate companies managing large office portfoliosFacility management firms tired of vendor lock-in on lighting controlsMid-size lighting manufacturers wanting to compete with open interoperabilityBuilding automation integrators connecting lighting with HVAC and securityCorporate sustainability managers looking to cut building energy use and carbon footprint

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate & Facility Management

enterprise

Target: Large office building operators and facility management companies

If you are a facility management company struggling with vendor lock-in on your building lighting systems — this project developed an open, interoperable architecture for IoT-connected office lighting. Instead of being stuck with one supplier for controls, sensors, and software, you could mix and match components from different manufacturers. The pilot was tested in a real office setting with 11 partners including Johnson Controls as the end-user representative.

Lighting Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Mid-size lighting fixture and controls manufacturers

If you are a lighting manufacturer losing deals because your controls aren't compatible with the big players' ecosystems — this project created an open standard architecture that levels the playing field. With 9 industry partners including Signify, Zumtobel, and Tridonic collaborating on interoperability, smaller manufacturers could plug into the same ecosystem. The system architecture was designed for extensibility, meaning new components can be added without rebuilding the whole system.

Smart Building Technology

any

Target: Building automation and IoT platform companies

If you are a building automation company looking to integrate lighting data with HVAC, security, and access control — this project built the bridge. OpenAIS designed a service-oriented architecture where lighting systems share data with other building functions over standard IoT protocols. The consortium included ARM and NXP on the hardware side, meaning the architecture works down to the chip level. This was validated in a real office pilot installation.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this open lighting architecture in my building?

The project data does not include per-building implementation costs. The EU invested EUR 7,893,553 across the entire 3.5-year project with 11 partners. Actual deployment costs would depend on building size and existing infrastructure — contact the consortium for commercial pricing.

Can this work at the scale of a large corporate campus or multi-building portfolio?

The architecture was designed for professional office environments and validated through a pilot installation in a real office setting. The involvement of Johnson Controls (a global building management company) as end-user representative suggests the design considered large-scale commercial deployments. Based on available project data, the pilot focused on a single office installation.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The consortium of 11 partners across 6 countries jointly developed the architecture. Post-project, the consortium planned to pursue standardization of the system architecture as the leading standard for internet-connected lighting. Licensing terms would need to be discussed with Signify Netherlands BV as the coordinator.

Does this comply with building regulations and energy standards?

The project addresses climate change mitigation and renewable energy themes according to its EuroSciVoc classification. The architecture was designed to enable reduction of carbon footprint through more efficient building use. Specific regulatory compliance details are not documented in the available project data.

How long would it take to retrofit an existing office building?

The project ran from January 2015 to June 2018, with software building blocks tested and documented for integration as a key deliverable. Based on available project data, specific retrofit timelines were not published. The open architecture approach should reduce integration time compared to proprietary systems.

Can this integrate with my existing building management system?

Yes, integration was a core design goal. The architecture was specifically built to enable smooth interaction between lighting and other building functions including HVAC, security, and access control. The service-oriented approach means the lighting system exposes services that other systems can consume over standard IoT protocols.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium with 9 out of 11 partners (82%) coming from industry — an unusually high ratio that signals strong commercial intent. The coordinator is Signify Netherlands (formerly Philips Lighting), the world's largest lighting company. The consortium reads like a who's who of the lighting and IoT value chain: Zumtobel and Tridonic for luminaires and drivers, ARM and NXP for chips and processors, Johnson Controls as the building management end-user, and Imtech for installation. Academic input comes from TU Eindhoven and TNO-ESI. With EUR 7,893,553 in EU funding across 6 countries, this consortium had both the technical depth and market access to push results toward standardization. The absence of SMEs (0) suggests this was designed as a large-player standard-setting initiative.

SIGNIFY NETHERLANDS BVCoordinator · NL
NXP SEMICONDUCTORS ROMANIA SRLparticipant · RO
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
TRIDONIC GMBH & CO KGparticipant · AT
NXP SEMICONDUCTORS NETHERLANDS BVparticipant · NL
ARM LIMITEDparticipant · UK
PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NEDERLAND BVparticipant · NL
ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBHparticipant · AT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVENparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

Signify Netherlands BV (formerly Philips Lighting) — look for IoT or connected lighting division contacts

Order a report on this consortium See SIGNIFY NETHERLANDS BV profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the OpenAIS team at Signify? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your building portfolio.

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