Member Article

Liverpool hosts Internet of Things SME event

SMEs and start-ups in the connected product space are being offered a unique opportunity to find out how they can capitalise on what promises to be the next technology revolution, the Internet of Things.

The Connected Digital Economy Catapult, a national centre set up to rapidly advance the UK’s best digital ideas, will host Boost –an event to connect Internet of Things experts from across the UK with small and fledging businesses.

The event takes place on Friday 3rd October from 11am-7pm at DoES Liverpool, a co-working space and workshop made up of a community of entrepreneurs, makers, artists, software developers, engineers and academics.

Experts from companies including RPD International, MCQN Ltd, PHD UK and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will run one-to-one, confidential advice clinics on an array of topics related to the possibilities unlocked by the Internet of Things. This includes manufacturing, engineering, embedded software, big data, wireless connectivity, marketing, user research and security.

After these sessions, there will also be a showcase where start-ups can demonstrate their prototypes to some of the Catapult’s corporate partners.

Marko Balabanovic, innovation director at The Connected Digital Economy Catapult said: “We are in a time of rapid innovation, with the Internet of Things representing a huge opportunity for SMEs and start-ups. The Digital Catapult exists to help them capitalize on that opportunity by providing the tools and expertise which will enable them to more quickly bring new ideas to market.

“But the Internet of Things is not just about building new applications or niche products. Its potential is far more wide-reaching: namely, big data.

“The valuable behavioural insights and data collected by the devices could significantly change the way SMEs operate and market to customers.

“We’re proud to host Boost DoES Liverpool. It’s the perfect event for those developing consumer products in health, smart homes, smart cities, wearables or similar.

“The DoES space features a living lab where practically everything you see is connected to the internet in some shape or form: coffee pots, laser-cutters and even the doors. With the rapid growth in the maker community and bourgeoning Baltic Triangle, we’re excited to be joining the Liverpool community this October.”

The Internet of Things is the phrase coined to describe a growing network of interconnected internet-enabled devices or ‘things’ that can send and receive data.

This could be anything from everyday household items such as washing machines, fridges and lamps, to components in manufacturing machines, major infrastructures and medicines. Analysts, Gartner forecast that the Internet of Things (IoT) will reach 26 billion installed units by 2020,

Tickets require a deposit of £40, which will be refunded on arrival to ensure everyone who books an expert clinic attends. More information about the experts and tickets are available via the event website - http://boost.cde.org.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .