SciTransfer
symbIoTe · Project

One Platform to Connect All Your IoT Devices Across Brands and Systems

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Imagine you have smart devices at home, at work, and around the city — but each one speaks a different language and none of them talk to each other. symbIoTe built a universal translator that sits on top of all these different IoT systems and lets them share data and work together seamlessly. Think of it like a single remote control that works with every TV brand. They tested it across 5 real environments including smart homes, university campuses, stadiums, city mobility, and even yachts.

By the numbers
18
consortium partners
9
countries represented
5
real-world validation environments
35
total deliverables produced
10
industry partners in consortium
4
SMEs in consortium
56%
industry ratio in consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Most companies and cities running IoT systems are stuck with isolated platforms that cannot talk to each other — each vendor's sensors, actuators, and controllers live in their own walled garden. This means duplicated infrastructure, manual data transfers between systems, and the inability to get a unified view of operations across different IoT deployments.

The solution

What was built

symbIoTe built a complete IoT orchestration middleware with a unified API layer, virtual IoT environments, a federation system for cross-platform resource sharing, secure roaming capabilities, and domain-specific tools — all delivered as final software releases with documentation across 35 deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart building operators managing multiple IoT vendor systemsSmart city solution integrators connecting municipal sensor networksIoT platform companies wanting to expand device compatibilityLarge venue operators (stadiums, campuses) with diverse connected systemsMaritime and mobility companies needing cross-environment IoT connectivity
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Smart Building Management
enterprise
Target: Building management companies and facility operators running multiple IoT systems from different vendors

If you are a facility manager dealing with a patchwork of incompatible IoT systems across your buildings — different brands for HVAC, lighting, security, and energy monitoring that cannot share data — this project developed a middleware layer tested across 5 real-world environments that unifies access and control across all platforms through a single API, eliminating the need to manage each system separately.

Smart City Infrastructure
enterprise
Target: Municipal technology departments and smart city solution providers

If you are a city technology provider struggling to integrate IoT sensors from different suppliers for traffic, environment, and public safety monitoring — this project built a federation system validated with 18 consortium partners across 9 countries that enables IoT platforms to share resources and data securely, letting your city infrastructure work as one connected system instead of isolated silos.

IoT Platform Providers
any
Target: IoT platform companies and system integrators looking to expand device compatibility

If you are an IoT platform company losing deals because your system does not support enough device types or protocols — this project created an open interoperability layer with 35 deliverables including virtual IoT environments and federation protocols that lets your platform connect with competing systems, turning a fragmented market into a cooperative ecosystem where devices roam freely across smart spaces.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this IoT interoperability layer?

The project produced open-source middleware components built on existing standards. Licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator INTRACOM and consortium partners. Implementation costs depend on the number of IoT platforms you need to connect and the scale of deployment.

Can this scale to enterprise-level IoT deployments with thousands of devices?

The system was validated in 5 large-scale deployment environments including stadiums, campuses, and city mobility scenarios — all involving significant numbers of connected devices. The architecture supports hierarchical discovery and orchestration across multiple platforms, which is designed for scale.

Who owns the IP and how can I license this technology?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020. IP is shared among the 18 consortium partners across 9 countries. INTRACOM as coordinator can direct licensing inquiries. Several components were built on open-source platforms like OpenIoT.

Does this work with our existing IoT infrastructure?

symbIoTe was specifically designed to sit on top of existing IoT platforms — both proprietary systems from its 10 industrial partners and open-source ones like OpenIoT. The middleware uses standard protocols and interfaces, so integration does not require replacing your current setup.

What exactly was delivered and tested?

The consortium produced 35 deliverables including a complete middleware implementation, virtual IoT environment APIs, a federation system for resource sharing across platforms, and domain-specific tools. All were tested across 5 real-world use cases with actual user engagement.

Is there regulatory compliance built in?

The system includes secure access controls and federated authentication for IoT resource sharing. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned, but the security architecture covers access control and secure roaming of devices across environments.

Can we get technical support for deployment?

The consortium includes 10 industry partners and 4 universities with deep IoT expertise across 9 European countries. INTRACOM, the coordinator, is a telecom solutions company well-positioned to provide commercial support. The project website at symbiote-h2020.eu has documentation and contact details.

Consortium

Who built it

The symbIoTe consortium is notably industry-heavy at 56% (10 out of 18 partners), which is a strong signal that this technology was built with commercial use in mind. Led by INTRACOM, a Greek telecom solutions company, the consortium spans 9 European countries with 4 universities providing research depth and 4 SMEs bringing agile market perspectives. The geographic spread across Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Poland, and Portugal gives the solution broad European market exposure and multi-regulatory testing. With 3 dedicated research organizations rounding out the team, this is a well-balanced consortium positioned to move results toward commercialization.

How to reach the team

INTRACOM SA Telecom Solutions (Greece) — coordinator. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss licensing and deployment.

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect your IoT systems without replacing them? SciTransfer can introduce you to the symbIoTe team and help you evaluate whether this middleware fits your infrastructure. Contact us for a one-page technology brief.