Smart Cities Accelerator

Applications are now closed 

The Smart Cities Challenge is now open for applications from businesses looking for support to use 5G to develop innovations in the sector. Successful applicants will gain access to cutting edge technology and private 5G networks, a tailored acceleration curriculum, coaching, mentoring and expertise provided throughout the programme from experts at Telefonica UK (O2), Deloitte, Wayra, West Midlands 5G and the Digital Catapult.

5PRING has partnered with end customers within the West Midlands; Birmingham City Council, Black Country Consortium, Coventry City Council, City of Wolverhampton, Walsall Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, GBS LEP, Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Wolverhampton Holmes.

A ‘Smart City’ is a city that uses technology enabled solutions across a variety of sectors to address key urban challenges. A big part of the technology is the use of an intelligent network of connected objects and machines, that transmit data using wireless technology or 5G.

The forecast market for ‘Smart Cities’ was more than £900bn GDP in 2020, equivalent to the 12^th largest nation on earth. It is estimated that the top 750 Smart Cities will generate two-thirds of the world’s GDP by 2030. Birmingham is currently 40^th out of 109 in the Smart Cities global ranking, with road congestion and health services noted as the most urgent priorities.

The Smart Cities challenge will provide startups and other small businesses with support in developing and scaling 5G innovations targeted at the health, social, public and transport sectors. This includes developing ‘Smart City’ solutions to support health and wellbeing, digital experiences, smart parking, journey planning, waste management and many more.

Organisations will be working with experts from local councils across the region including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, as well as Black Country Consortium, Coventry and Warwickshire and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Applicant’s solutions will harness the power of 5G to create safe, cutting-edge and successful Smart Cities, with challenge areas in:

• Health and Social Care
• Public Services
• Social and Events
• Public Safety

Organisations with 5G-enabled solutions that leverage capabilities such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and edge computing are strongly encouraged to apply.