Economic and Societal Relevance
Smart systems address environmental, societal and economic challenges like limited resources, climate change, aging population, and globalization. They are for that reason increasingly used in a large number of sectors. Key sectors in this context are transportation, healthcare, energy and environment, safety and security, logistics, ICT, and manufacturing.
In terms of environmental challenges, smart solutions for energy management and distribution, smart control of electrical drives, smart logistics or energy-efficient facility management could, by 2020, reduce global emissions by 23%, with an equivalent of 9.2 Gt CO2e.
In the automotive sector, smart systems integration will be a key enabler for pre-crash systems and predictive driver assistance features to reach the goal of the Road Safety Action Plan to halve the number of traffic deaths by 2020. Furthermore, smart systems are considered fundamental for sustainable and energy-efficient mobility, e.g. hybrid and electric traction.
Smart systems also considerably contribute to the development of the future Internet of Things, in that they provide smart functionality to everyday objects, e.g. to industrial goods in the supply chain, or to food products in the food supply chain. With the help of active RFID technology, wireless sensors, real-time sense and response capability, energy efficiency, as well as networking functionality, objects will become smart objects. In the vision of the Internet of Things these smart objects could support elderly and disabled people. The close tracking and monitoring of food products could improve food supply and food quality. Smart industrial goods could store information about their origin, destination, components and use. And waste disposal could become a truly efficient individual recycling process.
In the healthcare sector, smart systems technology leads to better diagnostic tools, to better treatment and quality of life for patients by simultaneously reducing costs of public healthcare systems. Key developments in this sector are smart miniaturized devices and artificial organs like artificial pancreas or artificial cochlea. Examples of smart devices are biochemical sensors that detect specific molecular markers in small amounts of body fluids or body tissue, Lab-on-Chip systems that include multiple functionalities such as sample taking, sample preparation and sample pre-treatment, data processing and storage, implantable systems which can be reabsorbed by the body after use, non-invasive sensors based on trans-dermal principles, or devices for responsive administration of medication. In healthcare the ability of smart systems to operate autonomously and within networks is also widely used, because those systems are able to provide real-time monitoring, diagnosis, interaction with other devices, and communication with the patient, physician or a wider network.
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