A smart city innovation testbed has been set up at Salford’s MediaCity near Manchester, UK, to discover and test how cities can use technology to adapt to a post-Covid world.

The programme sees MediaCity partner with Connected Places Catapult experts on emerging technologies that accelerate future cities and transport.

Led by innovation specialist UP Ventures it plans to coach a cohort of six start-up companies from across the UK to develop and prototype their products with the aim of securing investment at the end of the programme. It will explore how cities can evolve by using the IoT to transform the way people live, work and play.

The cohort will have access to MediaCity’s technology infrastructure to deploy and test their products in a living lab environment. This comes hot on the heels of the Future of Health accelerator programme, which also took place at MediaCity.

The six companies taking part in the testbed, which runs from January to April 2021, will benefit from master classes, online coaching and access to engaged decision makers from industry and the investment community.

Based at MediaCity, the UK’s largest tech, creative and digital hub, the testbed will also take advantage of its campus-wide wifi provision allowing the connection of hundreds of devices at the same time as well as the Vodafone 5G testbed incubator space in The Landing.

The six companies taking part in the testbed are:

• Atmo Technology is an air quality data company that uses IoT devices and algorithms to help employers monitor the pollution levels to which their staff are exposed.
• Cyber Defence Services has developed an IoT security platform OvertAI that monitors devices connected to the network and detects threats.
• Hello Lamp Post has created a way for people to tell town planners how they think their built environment can be improved with the company now allowing people to converse with street furniture in over 25 countries around the world.
• Secure Sensor Innovative Design has built an IoT system that allows organisations such as care homes and housing associations to monitor temperature and humidity levels and can also detect sudden falls from elderly residents.
• R-Com has developed a smart city system with a suite of sensors that can count passengers on public transport, measure air quality and monitor vehicles on roads with the firm also providing real-time analysis and IT support.
• Pulse Systems has built an IoT platform on top of sensors that help businesses make a building smart, allowing for better understanding of workspaces and how they affect people and the environment.

“This latest testbed will really build on the success of previous incubator and accelerator programmes hosted and supported by MediaCity,” said Stephen Wild, managing director of MediaCity. “As an established innovation district, we’re very proud to be working in partnership to support this talented new cohort of technologists in their quest to deliver visionary projects. These cutting edge innovations will pave the way in our smart city ambitions as well as make a positive difference to the way we lead our lives in a post-Covid world.”

Neil Fulton, chief delivery officer at Connected Places Catapult, added: “The Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated huge demand for innovation in the ways and places we live and work. At Connected Places Catapult we focus on supporting businesses to respond to that market demand. We know, however, that being able to test and demonstrate solutions is essential to commercial success, so we are very pleased to be partnering with UP Ventures and MediaCity to deliver this testbed which will allow important innovations to be proven and refined, speeding their journey to market.”

UP Ventures Group is based in Edinburgh and Manchester and aims to enable its partners to identify opportunities, solve real-world problems and accelerate business growth. Its innovation programmes are backed by governments and some of the world’s biggest brands to help tech start-ups and scale-ups succeed.

“Working towards a post-pandemic world, we have an opportunity to create a profoundly positive impact on the way people adapt and thrive,” said Steve Thomas, managing partner of UP Ventures. “At the heart of our smart city innovation testbed is a passion for technology, the role of places and how they can adapt to support how people live, work, play and learn. This is a challenging time for business, however it has never been more important to innovate and that is why we intend to press on with supporting this talented group of innovators.”