Digital Catapult announces winners of IoTUK Boost scheme

Digital Catapult has announced the Internet of Things Boost programme winners, who will lead the roll out of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) across the UK.

Altogether, six partners have been selected to help lead the development of IoT enabled services and applications for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

These will drive experimentation and innovation in areas including healthcare, traffic and transport services, energy management and environmental sensing.

AB Open, Advanced Digital Innovation (UK) Ltd, Cambridge Wireless, High Tech Bristol and Bath CIC (HBB), Sensor City Liverpool and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Hartree Centre will build experimentation testbeds for businesses and entrepreneurs to develop Internet of Things (IoT) products and services.

Minister for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock said: “The Internet of Things stands to benefit a great number of people as well as the wider economy.

“Due to the strong interest shown so far in this initiative, we have doubled the amount of funding available to give more entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their products.

“Boost will help to provide local infrastructure and support for promising IoT businesses to innovate and bring exciting new IoT products and services to market”.

IoTUK Boost will aim to address barriers to entry into the IoT marketplace across the country, with the selected partners spanning from Bristol to Yorkshire. The project is funded by the Government as part of the IoTUK research and innovation programme, underlining its importance for the UK’s digital economy.

Each partner will hold meet ups, open calls and training workshops to stimulate engagement with the test network for a minimum of six months.

They will aim to work with at least 10 SMEs or entrepreneurs, to help them to bring early stage IoT products and services to a commercial prototype stage, or early market release.

Dr. Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult, said: “Internet of Things is no longer a vision of the future, it’s here and transforming the world around us.

“By 2020 the IoT marketplace in the UK could be worth £20bn.

“Boost has a key role to play in making the most of this opportunity, and we are delighted to be working with our six selected partners from across the UK to achieve this.

“For the potential of IoT to be truly realised it is vital that we see regional IoT industry growth, and develop applications relevant for the local community.”

AB Open – an open source and technical communities consultancy that specialises in embedded and wireless systems

Advanced Digital Innovation (UK) Ltd – a product development and technology innovation consultancy

CW (Cambridge Wireless)  – the technology community interested in the development and application of wireless and connected devices technologies to solve business problems

High Tech Bristol and Bath CIC  – works with high tech companies promoting, enhancing and developing technology

Sensor City – a technical innovation centre which fosters the creation, development, production and promotion of cutting edge sensor technologies for use in a wide range of sectors

The STFC Hartree Centre – accelerates the adoption and application of high performance computing, data science, big data analytics and cognitive techniques in industry. It is a strategic collaboration with IBM and is backed by over £170M funding from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, all aimed at boosting big data research in the UK.