In the Optical and WIreless sensors Networks for 6G scenarios (OWIN6G) project, key industry and academic stakeholders are brought together with the aim of developing a structured European training programme (TP) in optical technologies to facilitate disruptive wireless sensor applications within sixth-generation (6G) networks. OWIN6G will be the first Doctoral Network dedicated to training new generation of early-stage researchers (i.e., doctoral candidates, DCs) in the field of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for the Internet of Things/Internet of Everything as part of the 6G and beyond focusing on novel sensors, solar-cells for energy harvesting and optical detection, and hybrid RF-optical wireless technologies, and the application of machine learning to improve adoption, optimization, and security aspects in sensor networks. OWIN6G will contribute significantly to the fundamental scientific understanding, technical know-hows and innovation of the future hybrid RF/optical WSN through the collaborative research involving ten individual DCs projects addressing specific challenges and applications. OWIN6G will make significant contributions to the fundamental scientific understanding, technical know-how and innovation of the future hybrid optical/RF sensor network. In addition to technical TP through PhD courses, dedicated tutorials and workshops organized by the Doctoral Network, DCs will be offered complementary non-technical training activities, including entrepreneurship, authoring scientific papers/patents, dissemination, etc. Having industrial partners participate will further enhance DC's technological progress by focusing on standardization, commercialization, and handling of real-world projects in a real-world environment.

So far, the Internet of Things (IoT) is narrowband with no latency constraints. A wider range of applications is envisioned for industrial manufacturing, augmented reality and autonomous cars. It makes use of artificial intelligence, where compute functions will be offloaded from devices into the cloud. Accordingly, future IoT will need wireless links with high data rates, low latency and reliable connectivity despite the limited radio spectrum. Connected lighting is an interesting infrastructure for IoT services because it enables visible light communication (VLC), i.e. a wireless communication using unlicensed light spectrum. LED luminaires have enough modulation bandwidth for high data rates and each luminaire can be used as a wireless access point. Networked VLC-enhanced luminaires will add new features to build a wireless network for the IoT. ELIOT will start from existing prototypes and develop the support for IoT services. The project will integrate the lighting infrastructure with VLC and add positioning, multicast communications and enhanced security. ELIOT will demonstrate the new infrastructure in real environments at TRL ≥6 and mobile IoT devices at TRL ≥ 4. Main project goals are to provide an open reference architecture for the support of IoT in the lighting infrastructure, build consensus reflecting the best architectural choices, contribute to standardization of lighting and telecom infrastructures in IEC, IETF, IEEE and ITU-T and provide a roadmap for IoT until 2022 and beyond. ELIOT brings together Europe’s key players that cover the whole value chain, i.e. OSRAM, Philips Lighting and Tridonic as major component and luminaire makers, Maxlinear as chipmaker, NOKIA as a leading network vendor and integrator, BMW, Weidmüller and Thyssen Krupp working on industrial IoT, Deutsche Telekom and KPN as innovative operators, together with Fraunhofer HHI as a leading research institute and two top universities from Eindhoven and Oxford.