The future of innovation procurement
Connected Places
Every year the UK spends £380bn on third party suppliers - £60bn of that is spent by local authorities - so it is vital to ensure we are getting the best value from the goods and services we buy. A big part of any public budget is not just the question of what things to buy, but how can we be more creative in how we buy, especially when it comes to innovation. So, in this episode we want to revisit what’s happening in the world of public procurement, and what’s being done to not only improve the UK’s procurement landscape, but also make it more innovation-friendly. We were...
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Inclusive Innovation in the West Midlands
Connected Places
The UK is positioning itself to be a global hub for innovation by 2035. But how do we make sure that the innovation economy creates opportunities for people and communities from all corners of the country? Getting this right has implications not just for businesses and research institutions, but also for the life chances of people and communities who have typically been marginalised or overlooked by the innovation economy. So in this episode we explore some of the latest thinking on inclusive innovation and what it means for places - specifically one of the UK’s most diverse and...
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Highlights from the Connected Places Summit - 2024
Connected Places
Last week was a big one for the Connected Places Catapult. On the 20/21 March we hosted our first ever Connected Places Summit, in the heart of the City of London. It was a big one because even though we run multiple events throughout the year, this was the first time we’ve run a 2-day Summit which brought together all of our flagship projects under one roof. But it also included a keynote programme with some of the most influential thinkers and leaders from across government, business and academia. Over the two days had 220 speakers, 27 companies exhibiting, 30 supporting...
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Minding the gaps in London with Graeme Craig
Connected Places
Ask any Londoner what the city’s greatest challenge is and they’ll probably mention the housing crisis or, more specifically, the affordable housing crisis. Over the last 40 years, London’s population has boomed from 6.9 million in 1980 to 9.6 million today. London now hosts 6 million jobs, £1.5 trillion of housing assets and a £4 trillion property asset base. All of that growth has put enormous pressure on the affordability of living and working in London. In this episode we meet , CEO of Places for London – an innovate, TfL-owned property company that is transforming how...
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In conversation with Baroness Brown of Cambridge
Connected Places
In this episode we meet member of the House of Lords and an engineer by training. We talked about the UK Government’s ambition to become a science and technology superpower by 2030; what it’s like to straddle the worlds of academia, industry, and government; the role that data and digital has to play in making our national infrastructure more resilient; and how alloys in aeroplane engines react under extreme pressure! Julia began her academic career by studying metals, and the composite structures used in wind turbines. Her specialty was designing metal alloys that are...
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2023 - A Year In Review
Connected Places
It’s been another eventful year on the Connected Places Podcast and we’ve got a lot to look back on as 2023 draws to a close! In this episode we revisit some of the stories we’ve featured on the show this year, and the fascinating guests we’ve been able to have on. We hear from three companies making extraordinary strides on the use of connected digital twins to tackle real world problems; RoyalHaskoningDHV, National Grid ESO and IOTICS. We return to Bristol Temple Meads station where the UK's first Station Innovation Zone was launched earlier this year – how are...
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Meet the Innovators
Connected Places
Innovating isn’t easy. It's risky, it's fraught with failure, and there’s no guarantees of success. In this episode we meet two companies that have had to navigate the innovation rollercoaster to get to where they are. Both companies have been supported by the Connected Places Catapult at various points in their journey. They have each developed two ground-breaking products and collected some great stories to tell along the way. Our in-house journalist, Mike Walter, spoke to , the CEO and Managing Director of and , CEO & co-founder of . Ecomar Propulsion builds zero emission...
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Reimagining national infrastructure with Sir John Armitt
Connected Places
The future of Britain’s national infrastructure is getting a lot of attention. In large part because it’s facing some big challenges. Not least our changing climate and the commitment to decarbonise our economy. But also the question of who pays for it, who benefits from it, and who gets to contribute to the decision-making process about its future. There are also the opportunities that new technologies bring to improve the way we design, build and operate our infrastructure – from transport and energy, flooding and waste management, digital and data, to protecting our...
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How are tech innovators making flying more accessible?
Connected Places
There are 14 million people in the UK with some form of disability. For too many, using public transport can be a nightmare - whether it’s getting on and off a bus, or navigating the complex, stressful and often-confusing environment of a large transport interchange. Sadly, when it comes to accessibility, there’s some way to go before we can genuinely say that our public transport system really is open and accessible for all. In this episode we take a look at what airports and airline operators are doing to make flying more accessible. How are new technologies...
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The power of digital twins with IOTICS
Connected Places
We conclude our three-part podcast series on digital twins with a conversation with Head of Engagement at , a data company helping innovators to better collaborate on digital transformation. Ali and his colleagues are passionate about this. They’re impatient too! IOTICS are on a mission to empower those dedicated to making a meaningful impact on our world. They’re providing the tools to navigate the intricate landscape of data and information, enabling companies to unlock valuable insights and share data and information better. So in this episode we invited Ali into our...
info_outlineIn this episode we meet National Grid ESO, the electricity system operator for Great Britain, and one of the sponsors of the Digital Twin Hub’s inaugural Connected Digital Twins Summit held this summer.
The UK Government has a target for National Grid ESO to be running a zero-carbon electricity system by 2035. This ambition is crucial in helping the UK meet its wider zero carbon targets.
For National Grid ESO, a major milestone in that journey is the development of a Virtual Energy System. This is a real-time, digital replica of Great Britain’s entire energy landscape which mirrors the physical system - a network of interconnected digital twins that can be shared by industry to improve ESO’s ability to simulate and forecast electricity supply and demand.
So how is digital twin technology helping to bring this bold vision to life? How is it being used to better understand and influence consumer behaviour, especially during a cost-of-living crisis? And is the tech always the biggest hurdle when it comes to digital transformation?
Featured in this episode are Carolina Tortora, National Grid ESO’s Head of Innovation Strategy & Digitalisation in conversation with Dr. Alison Vincent, Chair of the Digital Twin Hub, as well as Lucy Yu, CEO of Centre for Net Zero, and Symon Brown, Smart Grid Director at CGI.
Connected Digital Twins Summit – 22 June, 2023
The huge opportunity that digital twins offer place-based infrastructure is what guides the work of the Digital Twin Hub (which came out of the UK’s National Digital Twin Programme) housed at the Connected Places Catapult. It is a network that is helping to bring people together to learn from each other and collaborate on this hugely ambitious social, environment, and technical journey.
Their work is also guided by the Gemini Principles which are shaping the development of an ecosystem of connected digital twins. And they also host the weekly Gemini Call which has become a staple date in the diary for practitioners across the UK.
On 22 June 2023 the Digital Twin Hub and the Connected Places Catapult hosted the inaugural Connected Digital Twins Summit. National Grid ESO is an active supporter of the Hub and was a sponsor of the Summit.
Theme music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com)
Show notes:
Centre for Net Zero is an impact-driven research unit founded by the global tech disruptor, Octopus Energy. They deliver pioneering research to make the future energy system a reality.
Their access to tens of billions of customer data points gives them an unparalleled insight into the behaviours of people and businesses around the world. They combine analysis of this dataset with field trials and experimentation, to build models and centre intelligent demand into the design of the changing energy system.
Centre for New Zero works directly with governments, policy-makers, grid operators and academics, translating their research and analysis into real-world action.
Find out more at centrefornetzero.org
To find out more about what we do at the Connected Places Catapult and to hear about the latest news, events and announcements, visit cp.catapult.org.uk and do sign up to our newsletter!
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