New platform showcases projects and research
Credit: PA
Newcastle City Council has created an online platform to showcase insights from a wide range of smart-city projects across the city and academic research initiatives focused on emerging technologies.
In 2018, the authority announced its intent to become “the UK’s leading smart city”. Since then, working alongside locally based specialist consultancy Urban Foresight, Newcastle has undertaken a range of technology-focused projects with the aim of delivering benefits for citizens, businesses and public services providers across the city.
Initiatives include trials of electric scooters, the use of connected devices to support vulnerable adults in their homes, sensors to detect potential flooding and drainage issues, and chatbots to support online service delivery.
Case studies for these projects will now be gathered on a new website: NCLEUS.com.
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The site will also bring together research from local universities, which have led programmes such as the Urban Observatory, a digital data platform which the city believes is the largest store of publicly available real-time data sets.
NCLEUS will also provide profiles of local businesses and other organisations that are supporting the city in its smart city work.
Councillor Ged Bell, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for development, neighbourhoods and transport, said: “Newcastle has a proud history of exporting world changing ideas and innovations. Today the city is embracing technology, data, and new ways of working to deliver better services and improve people’s lives. NCLEUS gives visibility to the exciting and innovative projects and companies within the local area. It also shows why Newcastle is seen as a great location for smart city businesses and investors.”
