Smart Metasurfaces Advancing Radio Technology (SMART) is the name of a new project of the Department of Information Engineering and Mathematics of University of Siena, funded by a cascade call of the PNRR Program PE RESTART.
A pioneering consortium, consisting of 8 universities, 3 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and a leading global company, is driving innovation in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) and metasurfaces for new generation of wireless communication environment. This collaborative effort combines expertise in engineering electromagnetics and wireless communications, addressing fundamental, applied, and industrial challenges to advance radio technologies. As part of the RESTART program’s S-12 Smart Propagation Environments initiative, the SMART project focuses on developing next-generation wireless technologies.

“The project emphasizes environmentally sustainable technologies – explains Prof. Stefano Maci, scientific coordinator for University of Siena– aiming for reduced power consumption and improved energy efficiency in wireless networks. The project is led by Roma Tre University. Well known for metamaterial theory and desugn. The University of Siena specializes in RIS modeling for electromagnetic applications, while the University of Trento excels in solving complex optimization problems for communication and sensing. The University of Pisa brings deep expertise in information theory and energy-efficient optimization”.
“Other academic partners – prof. Maci continues – include the University of Brescia, renowned for metasurface characterization in optics, and the University of Cassino, which specializes in energy-efficient resource allocation. UNISANNIO contributes advanced space- time encoding techniques, while the University of Calabria enhances RIS capabilities in optical domains through liquid crystal technologies”.
Industrial partners like NEC Italia, Mantid srl, ALMA Sistemi, and CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Centre) strengthen the consortium with applied research and prototyping capabilities. They integrate RIS technologies into telecommunications, aerospace, and secure communication systems.
“This multidisciplinary effort – prof. Maci concludes – exemplifies the synergy between academia and industry, aiming to transform wireless communications and support sustainable, energy-efficient innovations for future technological needs”.