LUMENTILE originates from an idea of disruptive innovation, where the joint use of new technologies creates added value and new functionalities for traditional materials, thus turning the classical ceramic tile into a “multifunctional electronic luminous tile” realized by large area and organic electronics. LUMENTILE can be also considered as design-driven innovation, where we give a different meaning to the use of light driven by the design, by empowering it to be used as a radical different designed element for architecture, as a skin integrated element for interior design, lighting or advertising purposes. The demand for aesthetically integrated and creative construction elements is steadily increasing in many areas of business and industries. A growing number of designers, architects and industrial manufacturers across the world share a common interest in having new elements capable to create surfaces or coverings as creative and multifunctional solutions. LUMENTILE aims, on one side, to fill the gap between a simple construction element and a luminous surface element, and gooes far beyond, by developing a cutting-edge technologic module (the luminous electronic tile) that is capable of displaying lights, colors and images that can be used as a chameleonic display to be employed as a skin for horizontal (floor) or vertical (wall) applications. The final product will be an “on-the-fly” high energy efficient device that can be considered as a sustainable and competitive lighting element. On the other hand, the possibility of adding other sensors internally to the electronic tile enables it to increase the above mentioned properties (such as the detection of people walking onto it) and also to empower other creative or multifunction purposes. This project will address the above-mentioned challenges by exploring and developing new materials and integrated systems, manufacturing processes and business scenarios in luminous designed tiles and architecture.

Commitment to clean energy nowadays should be essential for governments, companies and citizens. Sustainable urban planning helps improve the welfare of the community, shaping public areas into clean and efficient spaces to live. On the other hand, IoT is changing the way in which cities are operating by enabling effective infrastructure management. The Solar Hub is a new concept of solar urban furniture which converts smart street lighting into an IoT enabling smart city tool. Conventional street lighting is associated with high energy and maintenance requirements, resulting in high costs for municipalities. Although energy efficient lighting solutions are gaining ground, they often fall short of addressing the sustainable development of Smart Cities: lack of aesthetic appeal, no-use of solar energy, difficult integration of sensors and smart devices and not designed for a long term retrofitting. SIARQ addresses all these challenges in a single solution, championing a new concept of solar urban furniture. The Solar Hub belongs to the new generation of Cradle to Cradle zero CO2 emissions products entirely powered by the Sun. It stands out by its dome-shaped lightweight photovoltaic module that houses environmental sensors and other smart devices that enable different kinds of monitoring. SIARQ thus actively contributes to overcoming the lack of interoperable solutions and the risk of fragmentation that have been acknowledged by the European Commission as major challenges to the deployment and exploitation of the IoT potential. SIARQ’s business model targets Telecoms, IT service providers and Energy Service Companies as preferential channels to reach the end users and to generate new business models with shared incomes. The phase 1 feasibility study will focus on validating the business model and commercialization strategy, planning of all activities for an in-field pilot in a city environment and elaborating industrialization and marketing plans.