Tiny smart devices that can “listen” to the world, like voice assistants, autonomous platforms, and environmental sensors, are becoming common, with over 40 billion connected devices expected by 2034. But enabling real-time audio recognition on such devices remains a major challenge due to strict energy constraints. Now engineers must tightly coordinate every layer of the system, from sensor interface and data processing to inference. The HolistIC project aims to develop a next-generation audio chip that unifies analog circuits, digital circuits, and AI algorithms into a single system-on-chip through holistic co-design. By processing audio efficiently on-chip, it offers an ultra-low-power, always-on listening in intelligent internet-of-things (IoT) platforms. HolistIC brings together international partners to create scalable, sustainable technology with lasting impact on daily life, where high intelligence and a compact form factor are essential.

2026

2030