The field of smart electromagnetic environments is experiencing significant advancements, driven by innovative solutions for modular fabrication, configurable reflection properties, and passive-static operation. Researchers are exploring new concepts, such as one-time programmable electromagnetic skins and active Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs), to enhance communication and sensing capabilities. A key direction is the integration of statistical approaches and information-theoretic analysis to optimize system performance and overcome limitations such as double path loss effects. Noteworthy papers include:

• Enhancing Communications and Sensing Simultaneously by Zero-Order Optimization of MTS, which proposes a blind configuration method for metasurface optimization.
• Active RISs: Modeling and Optimization, which investigates the modeling and optimization of active RISs to overcome the double path loss limitation. These studies demonstrate the potential for significant performance gains and highlight the importance of innovative design and optimization techniques in advancing the field.