Engineering news
A competition to develop a new £10 million Internet of Things (IoT) research hub to be run by a small number of leading universities has been announced.
The call, which is being facilitated by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC), aims to invest up to £9.8 million over three years to support a small number of leading UK universities working together as a single internationally recognised "research hub" carrying out inter-related and interdisciplinary research. This will include looking into the challenges around security, privacy and trust in the IoT, including the various interactions, policy and governance, beliefs and behaviours between people and the IoT systems.
The ESPRC said: “As well as the economic benefits of leading a major new technology application, UK progress on the IoT will deliver life-changing improvements for citizens and cost and efficiency savings, particularly in the, transportation systems, and UK cities, if designed in a user-focussed and people-centric way. The creation of real usable knowledge and impact (be it economic, societal or cultural) will help to cement the UK's position as a world leader in this area.”
It is anticipated the research hub will be announced and should be ready to start activities during January 2016.
The funding is part of an integrated £40 million, three year programme, which has been laid out by government to maximise capabilities and opportunities that will help the UK become a leader in the IoT.
Government chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, said: “The Internet of Things has the potential to boost productivity, make transport more efficient, reduce our energy consumption and to make us healthier. The research hub will help to catalyse the technologies and address the challenges associated with the Internet of Things to make the UK a world leader. I would encourage universities to make the most of this opportunity.”
Funding will be led by the RCUK Digital Economy Theme, through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in conjunction with the Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council. There is an expectation of anticipated matched funding over the lifetime of the hub, cash and in kind, from the host universities and partners.
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