The Institute for Sustainability, in partnership with the Mayor of London’s Office, is encouraging small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop new forms of technology that could help the capital’s major regeneration projects cope with the demands of London’s growing population.
Winners of a competition, announced on 18 May, will earn the opportunity to pitch their innovations to organisations involved in some of the highest-profile redevelopment districts in the capital including Imperial West and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The regeneration areas are members of the Smart London Districts Network, created by the Smart London Board with the aim of supporting the Mayor of London’s vision for ‘smart city’ innovation. They aim to encourage small businesses to provide solutions that are targeted at the challenges posed by the extraordinary growth of the capital. By harnessing technology and helping develop cutting edge ideas and products the Network believes they can meet the challenges that growing global cities face.
Matthew Pencharz, senior advisor to the Mayor of London on Environment and Energy, said: “This competition provides an opportunity to connect innovators with some of the capital’s highest profile businesses; and to support their ambition to take forward some of London’s largest areas of redevelopment.”
The Chief Executive of the Institute for Sustainability and Smart London Board member, Ian Short, said: “We are working directly with organisations delivering large-scale redevelopment projects, to bring forward innovative smart technology which directly meets their needs and will help make their districts more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.”
The Smart London Districts Network members are aiming to do more than simply build new homes and offices – they want to create thriving and dynamic communities. The members are interested in how smart technology and data can be used to help connect people with others in their district as well as with the places they live, work and visit, creating a sense of place.
Winning innovations will be capable of operating at a district scale and may be software, hardware or a combination of the two. The winners will be invited to pitch their innovations to the Smart London Districts Network members later in the year, and shortlisted small businesses or start-ups may qualify for further support through network partner EIT ICT Labs.
Examples of the potential innovations that the Network hopes to see include:
- Creative apps and smart technology to engage people with the local area, its biodiversity, other features and each other.
- Cutting edge platforms and apps that will help facilities management services to engage with local people.
- Apps and data sharing devices that help businesses engage with and incentivise their customers.
Individuals, sole traders, small businesses, and research and academic institutes, as well as public sector bodies and large companies, are all eligible to compete for the opportunity to pitch their innovation to senior decision makers from the organisations leading London’s largest and most ambitious developments. The deadline for submissions is Friday 12 June 2015.
