Transport for London (TfL) has flagged up the opening of a new innovation hub in Shoreditch to encourage the development of smart mobility solutions.
Named the Connectory, it has been set up by technology and services provider Bosch in a partnership with project facilitator Nitrous and as part of the programme with TfL to support new transport solutions.
It is focused on the goals in the London mayor’s transport strategy, which includes plans to harness digital technologies to support efforts to reduce congestion and build a greener local environment.
The innovation hub will provide space for a network of start-ups, workshops, mentors, investors and developers, and will draw on resources in Bosch’s Connected Mobility Solutions division, which involves about 650 associates from around the world.
Perfect platform
London’s chief digital officer, Theo Blackwell, said: “London’s longstanding leadership in transport and city-wide open data creates the perfect platform for new collaborations with the tech sector.
“We want to do even more to utilise data and smart technology to meet the needs of our citizens. To do this we need to be bold and think big, and this involves being willing to try new ways of doing things.
“I’m confident that Connectory will be an important part of London’s future as a global testbed for civic innovation, where the best ideas are developed and scaled.”
The TfL-Bosch partnership involves bringing together technical experts from the two organisations with small businesses to work on using data and technology to solve transport problems. In addition, TfL will also provide a wide range of datasets to allow companies to test ideas and understand patterns.
Image by Mai-Linh Doan, CC SA 2.0 France through Wikimedia
