A new Smart City project has been launched today, to find ground-breaking technology solutions to positively improve the quality of life for people and businesses post-pandemic.
The Smart City Innovation Testbed has been created through a partnership between Up Ventures Group, MediaCityUK and The Connected Places Catapult.
They say it will focus on “people-centred technology” and will back UK-based start-ups and scale-ups, which have market-ready technology.
“Our mission with this programme is to find and enable the technologies that can have a profoundly positive impact on citizens and the places that they live and work,” explained UP Ventures Managing Partner, Steven Thomas.
“Our team and partners are hugely passionate about technology and how it can help people and businesses thrive again in such difficult times”
The 12 week programme will run from January 2021 and successful candidates will get access to a “unique testbed”, including MediaCityUK’s infrastructure. They will be able to pilot innovations within a real-life setting and there will also be access to online learning and workshops.
“Our world is rapidly evolving and by supporting an important accelerator programme such as this means we’re able to invest in the talent who, going forward, can make a positive difference to the way we lead our lives in a post COVID world,” added Stephen Wild, Managing Director of MediaCityUK.
“MediaCityUK is very much a living ‘Smart City’ laboratory where we will be the springboard for some of the greatest innovations of our time and we very much want these talented technologists to succeed and grow within the MediaCityUK community.”
The programme is fully funded and there is no equity exchange with any partner.
“We are excited to be taking part in this testbed programme and branching out further across the country to help SMEs and innovators bring their projects to fruition. This is a great opportunity to improve the livelihood of the nation with exciting technology solutions,” added Jon Kirkpatrick, Chief Operating Officer at Connected Places Catapult.
Applications are now open and will close on October 23rd. You can find out more information here.
