IoT Sustainability Lab
Project Description
The IoT Sustainability Lab explores how the Internet of Things (IoT) can contribute to sustainable development in the Lake Constance region. Digital technologies can increase resource consumption, but they also offer significant potential for energy savings and more efficient buildings. The Lab therefore examines how connected systems - such as heating, electricity or waste management - can be designed to be more environmentally friendly, cost-effective and user-oriented. It analyses real-world examples from living, working and construction, and develops technical solutions, business models and policy recommendations.
In this cross-border collaboration, universities and companies from Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland jointly develop new technical approaches, ecological assessment tools, sustainable business models and recommendations for policy and industry. Case studies and digital simulations, such as building models like the Ecolar House, make the effects of IoT systems visible and measurable. This includes tools to assess the environmental footprint of IoT devices, concepts for reusable and interoperable technologies, and new business processes for companies. At the same time, the Lab builds a regional network that enables knowledge exchange between research, industry and public authorities across four countries.
The Lab aims to establish a shared understanding of sustainable IoT, anchor new solutions within companies and advance regional digitalisation in a responsible way. Its goal is to make IoT systems themselves more sustainable while also increasing the overall sustainability of the region through their use.
As part of a connected innovation alliance, the IoT Sustainability Lab helps position the Lake Constance region as a model for sustainable digital transformation. It supports future-oriented digitalisation and provides concrete solutions that can be transferred directly into companies and public institutions.
Within the IoT Sustainability Lab, the team at the University of Liechtenstein investigates the energy efficiency of LLM-generated code. With the recent rise of "vibe coding", i.e., deployment of AI for code generation, the energy efficiency of such code becomes of vital importance. The experimental assessment of various LLMs on benchmark problems for energy effiency has revealed a surprisingly high efficiency of LLM-generated code in comparison with best human-written implementations. These findings are especially promising in the context of IoT, where energy consumption by the respective devices is an inherent part of their overall ecological footprint.
In this cross-border collaboration, universities and companies from Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland jointly develop new technical approaches, ecological assessment tools, sustainable business models and recommendations for policy and industry. Case studies and digital simulations, such as building models like the Ecolar House, make the effects of IoT systems visible and measurable. This includes tools to assess the environmental footprint of IoT devices, concepts for reusable and interoperable technologies, and new business processes for companies. At the same time, the Lab builds a regional network that enables knowledge exchange between research, industry and public authorities across four countries.
The Lab aims to establish a shared understanding of sustainable IoT, anchor new solutions within companies and advance regional digitalisation in a responsible way. Its goal is to make IoT systems themselves more sustainable while also increasing the overall sustainability of the region through their use.
As part of a connected innovation alliance, the IoT Sustainability Lab helps position the Lake Constance region as a model for sustainable digital transformation. It supports future-oriented digitalisation and provides concrete solutions that can be transferred directly into companies and public institutions.
Within the IoT Sustainability Lab, the team at the University of Liechtenstein investigates the energy efficiency of LLM-generated code. With the recent rise of "vibe coding", i.e., deployment of AI for code generation, the energy efficiency of such code becomes of vital importance. The experimental assessment of various LLMs on benchmark problems for energy effiency has revealed a surprisingly high efficiency of LLM-generated code in comparison with best human-written implementations. These findings are especially promising in the context of IoT, where energy consumption by the respective devices is an inherent part of their overall ecological footprint.
Participating Institutions
Data and Application Security
/ Partner
HTWG Konstanz
/ Project Leader
Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Winterthur
/ Partner
Zumtobel Lighting GmbH
/ Partner
Zeppelin Universität
/ Partner
Fachhochschule Vorarlberg GmbH
/ Partner
RhySearch
/ Partner
OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule
/ Partner
Anta SWISS AG
/ Partner
International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz e.V.
/ Partner
