London councils partner for IoT project

Written by Peter Walker

08/10/19

Five London local authorities have partnered with Digital Catapult to explore the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

The South London Partnership - consisting of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton councils - will develop IoT solutions to improve services for local residents and businesses.

Digital Catapult, the government backed agency to encourage the adoption of new technologies, will act as an advisory and assurance partner for the councils, supporting their stakeholder engagement.

The overall aim of the InnOvaTe Project is to deliver a multi-purpose IoT platform for local authorities.

The South London Partnership was awarded £4 million from London’s Strategic Investment Pot, administered by the City of London Corporation.

Alex Gluhak, head of technology at Digital Catapult, said: “By integrating connected technologies into our community spaces and built environment, we can gain a far clearer picture of how these are being used.

“Equipped with this data insight, councils will be in a far better position to make decisions on a whole range of issues.”

Ruth Dombey, leader of Sutton Council, said they were focusing on the potential for using air quality and location data to support public health initiatives, as well as investigating the potential of smart street lighting systems and traffic lights.