This article digs into how a new EU‑funded research initiative, ICON, is turning Europe’s vast fiber‑optic backbone into a giant environmental and security sensor. Everyday internet use won’t get disrupted in the process.
It also spotlights a complementary innovation award aimed at speeding up entrepreneurship in optics and photonics.
Turning Europe’s Fiber‑Optic Network into a Planet‑Scale Sensor
Across Europe, millions of kilometers of fiber‑optic cable already carry massive amounts of data every second. The ICON project, backed by €5 million in EU funding, wants to unlock a second role for this infrastructure—as a distributed, real‑time sensing network for the environment, infrastructure, and security.
The CONNECT Research Ireland Centre at Trinity College Dublin leads ICON. Their teams are developing ways for existing fibers to “listen” to their surroundings, all while keeping high‑speed internet traffic flowing.
This shift from passive cable to active sensor could change how we monitor our planet and protect critical infrastructure. The idea feels ambitious, but also pretty clever.
What Is Joint Communication and Sensing?
ICON’s core concept is called joint communication and sensing. Basically, the same fiber that carries your video calls and cloud data can also send out faint optical signals to probe the physical environment.
Researchers analyze tiny changes in these signals—caused by vibration, temperature, strain, or acoustic noise—to figure out what’s happening along the cable route. This approach means we don’t need separate sensor networks, since the sensing is built right into the communication infrastructure.
From Earthquakes to Traffic: A New Layer of Environmental Intelligence
ICON’s sensing capabilities aim to tackle a huge range of scientific, environmental, and societal needs. The project will move from controlled lab tests to field trials with network operators and public agencies across Europe.
Key Applications Being Targeted
Potential uses for ICON include:
These capabilities speak directly to growing concerns about extreme weather events, ageing infrastructure, and the vulnerability of Europe’s critical communications links.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure with Shared Sensing
Modern utilities almost never run alone. Fiber‑optic routes often share corridors with gas pipelines, high‑voltage power lines, and connections to offshore wind farms.
ICON wants to take advantage of this co‑location, multiplying the impact of every kilometer of fiber.
Safeguarding Energy and Communication Together
Because fiber sits right next to energy and industrial assets, the optical sensing system can pick up disturbances like:
Early warnings from ICON’s tech could help operators react faster and stop small problems from turning into major outages. That’s a big deal for infrastructure security.
Digital Twins and “Intent Interpreters”: Making Complex Systems Usable
Running sensing and communication over the same fiber is tricky. If the sensing gets misconfigured, it could interfere with regular data traffic—and that’s obviously not okay for networks that need to stay super reliable.
Testing in the Virtual World Before Touching Live Networks
ICON is building two important tools to help:
Operators can test sensing tasks in this digital twin first. That way, they can check safety and performance before rolling them out on live networks.
A Three‑Year Roadmap to 2027
The ICON project will run for three years, wrapping up in 2027. Its roadmap lays out a path from concept to real‑world impact.
From Lab Experiments to Pilot Deployments
Over its lifetime, ICON will:
Photonics21 Innovation Award 2026: Supporting the Next Wave of Ideas
Alongside ICON, the European photonics community is backing the next generation of innovators. The Photonics21 Innovation Award 2026 aims to encourage entrepreneurship in optics and photonics—the core tech behind projects like ICON.
Funding and Support for Photonics Entrepreneurs
Sponsored by SPIE Europe and Hamamatsu, the award offers:
Applications stay open until 2 April 2026. That gives researchers and startups in fiber‑optic sensing, integrated photonics, imaging, and quantum tech a real shot at some support.
Here is the source article for this story: EU invests €5 million to detect earthquakes with fiber optic cables