Monthly news from @digibrum
A digest of digital and smart city activities during February, which are headed up by Councillor Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Chair of the Smart City Commission.
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HS2 WORKSHOP UPDATE
Digital Birmingham has been commissioned through the GBSLEP HS2 co-ordination board to develop a Digital Futures Prospectus - the aim is that this will be developed collaboratively through a task & finish group as part of a new work stream called ‘Digital Infrastructure and Applications’. This work stream aims to provide a focus on the opportunities of digital, and smart systems and technologies that will drive a step change in the region’s economic performance and prosperity for the Midlands.
The first in a series of workshops took place on Wednesday 24 February, facilitated and hosted by Ernst & Young LLP and was attended by a mixture of HS2 Ltd personnel, West Midlands SMEs, academia, IT, city planners and developers. A set of activities during the day started to shape the outline scope for the Prospectus that will set out a vision and strategy to inform and influence how HS2 investment can use existing and future technologies and digital systems in a sustainable and integrated approach to support local regeneration and deliver an economic, social and environmental legacy. A huge amount of content and thinking came out of the day but one clear message was the need for innovation. Whilst there is significant technology innovation this is needed across all other critical elements like governance, finance, stakeholder engagement and procurement.
The details of the workshop will be shared shortly along with other details of how you can get involved in helping to shape the future capabilities of the region.
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COLLABORATING TO SHAPE AND DELIVER DIGITAL INNOVATION
Digital Birmingham is a member of Eurocities Knowledge Society Forum, contributing along with other cities to develop ideas, shape new and emerging digital policy and influence future funding calls. The forum provides a valuable platform to share and exchange knowledge and establish collaborations with leading digital and smart cities across Europe and has ensured that Birmingham stays at the forefront of pioneering initiatives such as the Green Digital Charter, Digital Inclusion, Internet of Things and Open Data and partner with other cities on projects covering health and care, mobility, digital skills and data and digital infrastructure capabilities and services.
At the recent Winter meeting in Brussels, Digital Birmingham contributed to the KSF smart city vision and tools, which will feed into EU policy; looked at growing development of ‘intelligent’ urban platforms that have the potential to support cities and it’s stakeholders to manage and exploit data assets more effectively for sustainable city planning service transformation and standards and interoperability issues.
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MIDLANDS FIRST TO PILOT 'PERSONALISED TRAVEL ASSISTANT'
Digital Birmingham are proud to support the launch of a new application to be launched in the West Midlands set to revolutionise the way in which we travel.
The new technology, being launched later this year in Singapore, will initially be used in the West Midlands to keep people updated about transport options for their own circumstances and plans, intelligently matching available services to their specific needs for scheduled journeys. It will cover all modes of public transport as well as walking, cycling and driving, providing personalised travel advice before people set out as well as en-route, whilst preserving their privacy.
The groundbreaking initiative, named 'MyJrny', combines scheduled journey information with real-time transport network information to make better use of available transport network capacity, helping people avoid disruption and over-crowding.
The project has been led by Centro and Stratford-upon-Avon based Enable iD, who specialise in personal data management. It underpins our own ambitions to establish the region as a test-bed for innovation and experimentation. Chiltern Railways and London Midland are also involved in the pilot, equipping selected trains and key stations with the new 'smart city' technology.
For more information, please visit www.myjrny.uk
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#RethinkMedia 2016 is Birmingham City University's one-day conference for digital media professionals will take place in Birmingham on Wednesday 16th March 2016 and aims to deliver valuable talks by industry leaders, insightful panel discussions and fantastic networking opportunities.
For more information, please visit http://rethinkmedia.biz/
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The BBC's Digital Cities 2016 week of activities takes place 14 - 20 March 2016. From practical hands-on workshops to masterclasses, pop-ups and conference-style events, Digital Cities Birmingham will promote cross-sector collaboration and learning while developing skills and exploring new digital opportunities. More... |
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Below is a selection of some of the funding available to entrepreneurs and businesses in the region as well as discussion groups to have your say on local initiatives.
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See a range of funding and business support advice available to start-ups and SMEs; from access to loans, business assist programmes and recruitment advice. More...
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The GBSLEP Growth Hub is an online portal for all business advice, funding and support which is available to businesses in the Greater Birmingham area. More...
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Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses -
applications now open to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises for business and management support. More...
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Contribute your ideas to Birmingham's Smart City Roadmap and aspirations here and tell us about the activities and projects you're working on.
Follow conversations online using #smartbrum.
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Birmingham City Council has two live consultations:
- What data you would like to see made open to the public?
- What do you want the future of Waste in Birmingham to look like?
Register your suggestions via the Birmingham Speaks portal here. |
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