A new challenge aimed at integrating advanced technologies such as AI and IoT to monitor, analyze and make energy, water and road networks even safer.
The initiative is carried out in collaboration with Arduino, Cyber 4.0, eFM, EIT Digital, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, 5G & Digital Connected Industry and Internet of Things Observatories of Politecnico di Milano, SOCOTEC Italia, and the support of Alaian.
Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and smart sensing to revolutionize the future of public and private energy, water and road networks. TIM focuses on Open Innovation and today launches the “TIM Smart Infrastructure Challenge,” the initiative aimed at national and international startups, scaleups and companies to identify innovative solutions to support the digital transformation of the country’s critical infrastructure.
The adoption of AI and IoT-based solutions in this area, represents an important driver of digital innovation development that evolves business models and responds to new challenges in the market and the national infrastructure system. According to the latest research by the Internet of Things Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, the Italian IoT market in 2024 reaches a value of 9.7 billion euros, increasing by 9 percent compared to 2023. In this context, the IoT sector applied to infrastructural monitoring in Italy-energy, water and smart roads-represents a strategic sector that, with the targeted use of new technologies, can contribute to the renewal of national infrastructure, in line with the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda: sustainability, resilience and the fight against climate change.
The Challenge, which is part of TIM’s Open Innovation program, encourages the activation of industrial collaborations with innovative companies with high strategic potential and is carried out in collaboration with Arduino, Cyber 4.0, eFM, EIT Digital, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, the 5G & Connected Digital Industry and Internet of Things Observatories of the Politecnico di Milano and SOCOTEC Italia. The initiative also has the support of Alaian – an international alliance of telecommunications operators dedicated to Open Innovation in which TIM has also joined – to broaden the involvement of the most promising and innovative startups and realities internationally.
The goal is to select applications that can further increase the efficiency, monitoring including predictive monitoring, and sustainability of power, water, and road systems in order to optimize the performance of entities operating in these sectors and improve the quality of service to the community.
Two key areas of the challenge: Infrastructure Monitoring and Building & Energy Management System.
The first covers advanced technologies for diagnosing and monitoring the health of critical and complex infrastructure, including simulated and forecast scenario processing to ensure its continuous operation, maintenance and survey planning.
The second, which in addition to buildings addresses any type of facility that consumes energy for its operation, is aimed at vertical applications for the detection and analysis of energy consumption in highly complex scenarios, with the goal of reducing waste, optimizing resources, and improving operational efficiency.
A technical jury will evaluate the proposals and award prizes for the most innovative solutions that can be integrated into the service portfolio of TIM Enterprise, the Group’s business unit dedicated to companies and Public Administration, or adopted by Partners participating in the initiative.
Applications can be submitted from now until September 12, 2025 through TIM’s Open Innovation platform: gruppotim.co.uk/smartinfrastructurechallenge.