Internet of things, cyberphisical systems and smart production

In the age of Digital Transformation, the Internet of Things or IoT is increasingly a reality that offers real opportunities to stimulate innovation in products and business models in the era of Industry 4.0. The term IoT (“Internet of Things”) was coined by Kevin Ashton, researcher at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the standard for radio-frequency identification (RFID) and other sensors were implemented. Although the term is a neologism, these concepts have been talked about for some time, since the dawn of the Internet. The crux of the IoT is not just about the things that can be connected, but about why, the purpose and the desired results. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a neologism that identifies a network of things connected to the Internet that includes connected devices and IoT-enabled physical resources. Thanks to increasingly miniaturised hardware components, accessible sensors, ubiquitous networks and the increasing availability of intelligent devices such as smart home solutions or industrial inputs such as machines, robots, oil and gas systems, it is possible to connect everything, receive and transmit data and, of course, prepare it for the analysis and control of connected objects. Several potential targets can be identified that determine what things you want to connect, so that you can acquire data, control and transfer information and then take subsequent action. IoT is a generic term that is used in many areas of use, in different sectors, involving different technologies, standards and applications. For example, in a city environment, a detector located in a street that monitors streetlights and signals whether the lamp can be transformed into an IoT object and report relevant information on air quality or the presence of people. Things and data are the starting point and the essence behind the operation of the IoT: the devices and resources are equipped with electronic components, such as sensors and actuators, integrated connectivity, means of communication and software to acquire, filter and exchange data. Forecasts of economic impact, technologies and the number of connected devices also continue to evolve. It took more than two decades for the physical world and the digital world to come into contact and the notion of the Internet of Things became a reality to impact many areas of business and society. The majority of organisations now believe that IoT is strategic to their business and a powerful tool to compete more effectively. Despite being an acquired technological paradigm, the Internet of Things is still in its infancy regardless of optimistic forecasts, major developments and implementations in many areas. IoT hides truly unique and value-added potential for entire sectors and the GDP of each nation: standards, protocols, devices, technologies, maturity levels, devices and applications continue to evolve as various actors in the IoT ecosystem create platforms and new data analysis models to make IoT projects better and smarter. At the same time, challenges relating to regulation, security and data, and even the search for a valid universal definition of IoT, are still under discussion and must be addressed as soon as possible.