This Agenda aims at the development, demonstration, and industrialization of  technologies supporting a new generation of retail, incorporating 100% national technology. It will allow for a seamless and ultra-convenient experience for its users.

The project will create autonomous/hybrid stores (with 500 and 1500 m2), Pods (i.e., autonomous containerized stores with ~15m2, easily installed in different locations), Zero Waste Cabinets (vending solution of the future), and technologies to enhance consumers’ user experience.

The PT Smart Retail project is funded by Next Generation EU through the Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). Led by SENSEI, this project is carried out by a consortium of 19 partners from different fields, ranging from research to industrial development. More information regarding the project is available here.

To fulfil its mission, INESC-ID is currently pursuing various R&D activities within the project:

• Design and implementation of algorithms for selective de-anonymization of customers’ identities using cryptographically-protected video streams.
• Creation of enclave-based infrastructure to safeguard the confidentiality of proprietary ML models and software embedded in smart retail appliances.
• Research and development of techniques and tools to identify and address vulnerabilities in software components of smart retail information systems.
• Building software systems with data-lineage tracing capabilities to ensure transparent and GDPR-compliant data processing.
• Establishment of a distributed infrastructure enabling scalable and resource-efficient exchange of confidential and integrity-protected messages in sensor networks within smart retail stores.
• Development of firmware for embedded devices ensuring authenticity of anonymized sensor readings and video feeds.

These research activities collectively contribute to the development of advanced security and privacy-preserving technologies for smart retail.