Five London local authorities have joined a partnership with the Digital Catapult to explore the use of internet of things (IoT) technologies.
The South London Partnership (SLP) – consisting of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton Councils) – are going to work with the catapult to develop IoT solutions to improve services for local residents and businesses.
The ultimate aim of the InnOvaTe Project is to deliver a multi-purpose IoT platform for local authorities.
Digital Catapult, the Government backed agency to encourage the adoption of new technologies, will act as an advisory and assurance partner for the councils, supporting their stakeholder engagement.
This is beginning with a series of targeted innovation workshops with businesses and local communities from each of the boroughs.
SLP was awarded £4 million from London’s Strategic Investment Pot, administered by the City of London Corporation, for the InnOvaTe Project.
Better position
Alex Gluhak, head of technology IoT at Digital Catapult, said: “By integrating connected technologies into our community spaces and built environment, we can gain a far clearer picture of how these are being used. Equipped with this data insight, councils will be in a far better position to make decisions on a whole range of issues.”
Councillor Ruth Dombey, leader of Sutton Council, highlighted the potential for using air quality and location data to support public health initiatives, and investigating the potential of smart street lighting systems and traffic lights.
Digital Catapult said the learnings will be used to support possible future adoption of the new technology.
