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Glasgow aims to become smart things and IoT hub for Europe
City council is partnering with the UK Government and the Smart Things Accelerator Centre to enable it to become a frontrunner in the “Era of Things”.
Glasgow aims to transform itself into a smart things and Internet of Things (IoT) innovation hub following the formation of a partnership between the city council, UK Government and the Smart Things Accelerator Centre (Stac).
The partnership will centre around a £2.5m public and private sector investment into a 250-desk facility called “thebeyond” at SkyPark, Finnieston in the Scottish city.
Era of Things
The partnership reckons Glasgow can become a frontrunner in the predominant technologies over the next decades in the “Era of Things” spanning drones, robots, artificial intelligence, IoT, nanotech, medtech and cleantech. It aims to help transform industries while promoting economic growth and having a positive social, and environmental impact.
Building on Stac’s success to date, projections are for Glasgow to evolve into an innovation leader with a focus on industrial, lifestyle, health, and sustainability technologies, with a view to as many as 100 companies being up and running by the end of 2024.
“This collaboration will help Glasgow become a leading technology-driven city, with our services and buildings powered by homegrown innovation”
Through the partnership, the city, which is the third largest city in the UK, will become a testbed for homegrown innovations via Stac, which was launched in 2021.
The initiative is supported by industry executives from leading organisations including Dyson, Plexus, Meta, Blackberry, Motorola, and Volvo Cars.
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“Glasgow can be a powerhouse in the key technologies that will enhance life and industry for the next decades,” said Paul Wilson, CEO, and co-founder of Stac. “As we build the leading tech cluster around Stac’s thebeyond, we will gain a reputation and attract international investment. That’s the goal, ambitious and realisable. We believe thebeyond will be Europe’s largest smart hhings and IoT space.”
Sean Murphy vice president, global supply chain, Meta and STAC advisory member, said: “Technology innovation being driven through STAC’s accelerator programme can provide companies like Meta a vital source of ‘first of kind’ technologies, that will change how people live, communicate, and play in future. That’s the play here at thebeyond.”
Glasgow is building momentum in smart things with a number of technology companies already winning UK and international market share, including Utopi, Beingar and iOpt in proptech, Krucial in space and satellite tech, Novosound in ultrasound technology, and Kingdom Technology in robotics.
Councillor Ricky Bell, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, added: “This collaboration will help Glasgow become a leading technology-driven city, with our services and buildings powered by homegrown innovation to the benefit of everyone who lives, works and studies here.
“We will empower Glasgow’s start-ups to hone their technologies here and then compete internationally, enhancing our position on the global tech stage and bringing a great number of new jobs and careers in this sector.”
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How will thebeyond facility support IoT startups in Glasgow?What industries will benefit most from Glasgow's Era of Things focus?How does the partnership plan to attract international investment?What role will AI and robotics play in Glasgow's smart city goals?How will Glasgow measure the social and environmental impact of IoT?Latest City Profile
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