SCENT · Project

Solving Electromagnetic Interference Problems in Smart City Power and Transport Systems

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Imagine plugging dozens of new gadgets into your home — electric car chargers, solar panels, smart thermostats — and suddenly your Wi-Fi drops out, your lights flicker, and your appliances start acting weird. That's electromagnetic interference, and it's a growing nightmare at city scale. SCENT trained a new generation of engineers who understand how all these electrical systems talk to (and mess with) each other, and developed methods to design power networks inside buildings, factories, and transport systems so everything plays nice together.

By the numbers

consortium partners across academia and industry

65%

industry ratio in consortium — unusually high for a training network

countries involved (NL, PL, UK, US)

industry partners directly involved in research

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

As cities get smarter — adding EV chargers, solar panels, smart grids, and connected building systems — electromagnetic interference between all these devices is causing real problems: equipment failures, power quality drops, and unreliable communications. The engineers who understand these complex interactions are scarce because no dedicated doctoral training existed in Europe until this project.

The solution

What was built

SCENT created an integrated doctoral training program that produced a new generation of engineers specialized in power quality and electromagnetic compatibility for smart cities. The project delivered 78 deliverables including methodologies to optimize power distribution network design inside buildings, industrial plants, and transport systems to eliminate interference and improve efficiency.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart building developers and facility managers battling electrical interference between connected systemsEV charging network operators experiencing power quality problems at scaleIndustrial plant electrical engineers dealing with unexplained equipment malfunctions from EMC issuesPower distribution network designers working on smart city infrastructureEMC testing and compliance consultancies needing specialized talent

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Building & Facility Management

mid-size

Target: Commercial building operators and smart building developers

If you are a building developer or facility manager dealing with electrical interference between smart building systems — EV chargers disrupting elevators, LED lighting causing sensor malfunctions, or renewable energy inverters creating power quality issues — this project developed methodologies to optimize power distribution network design inside buildings so all electronic systems work reliably together without interference.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

SME

Target: EV charging network operators and installers

If you are an EV charging company struggling with power quality problems when multiple chargers operate simultaneously — voltage dips, harmonic distortion, or interference with nearby electronics — this project produced trained specialists and design methods specifically addressing electromagnetic compatibility in electric vehicle charging within urban power distribution networks.

Industrial Plant Engineering

enterprise

Target: Industrial automation and electrical engineering firms

If you are an industrial plant operator or engineering firm where production equipment suffers unexplained shutdowns, sensor errors, or communication failures due to electromagnetic interference between power systems and control electronics — this project created optimization methodologies for industrial power distribution that ensure compatibility and efficiency across all connected systems.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access SCENT's expertise or methodologies?

SCENT was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie training network, not a product development project. Access to the trained engineers and published research is free through scientific publications. Hiring SCENT-trained specialists or engaging consortium partners for consulting would be negotiated directly with the relevant university or company.

Can these methods work at industrial scale — for a whole district or factory complex?

The project specifically targeted power distribution networks inside buildings and industrial plants, as well as transport systems. The methodologies were designed for real-world scale electromagnetic compatibility challenges in smart city infrastructure. With 11 industry partners in the consortium, the research was grounded in practical industrial needs.

Is there any IP or licensing involved?

As an MSCA-ITN (training network), the primary outputs are trained researchers, published papers, and open methodologies rather than patented products. Based on available project data, specific IP arrangements would depend on individual consortium partners — contact the coordinator at Universiteit Twente for details.

How mature is this — can I use it today?

The project ran from 2018 to 2022 and is now closed. The trained engineers are now active in the job market and at consortium partner companies. The published methodologies and research findings are available, but this was fundamentally a research and training program, not a turnkey product.

Who are the industry partners and are they accessible?

The consortium included 17 partners across 4 countries (NL, PL, UK, US) with a strong 65% industry ratio — 11 industry partners out of 17 total. This unusually high industry involvement means the research was closely aligned with real commercial electromagnetic compatibility challenges.

What regulations does this help with?

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is heavily regulated in the EU through directives requiring all electrical equipment to function without causing interference. SCENT's research directly addresses the compliance challenges that arise when multiple systems interact in smart city environments, where meeting EMC standards becomes increasingly complex.

Consortium

Who built it

SCENT's consortium stands out for its extremely high industry involvement — 11 out of 17 partners (65%) come from industry, which is rare for a training network and signals strong commercial relevance. Led by Universiteit Twente in the Netherlands, the network spans 4 countries including the US, giving it transatlantic reach. With only 3 universities and 2 SMEs, the bulk of the consortium consists of established industry players in power electronics and electromagnetic compatibility. For a business looking to tap into this expertise, the high industry ratio means the research was shaped by real commercial problems, not purely academic curiosity. The 78 deliverables produced over 4 years represent a substantial knowledge base.

UNIVERSITEIT TWENTECoordinator · NL
RH MARINE NETHERLANDS BVpartner · NL
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITEDpartner · UK
SIEMENS PLCpartner · UK
UNIWERSYTET ZIELONOGORSKIparticipant · PL
JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITEDpartner · UK
SOLARIS BUS & COACH SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIApartner · PL
THALES NEDERLAND BVpartner · NL
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAMparticipant · UK
ENEA OPERATOR SP ZOOpartner · PL

How to reach the team

Universiteit Twente (Netherlands) — look for the EMC or Power Quality research group lead

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITEIT TWENTE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with SCENT's trained EMC specialists or access their power distribution optimization methods? SciTransfer can identify the right expert from the consortium for your specific interference problem.

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