Newcastle College University Centre unveils cutting-edge digital labs

Newcastle College is celebrating the opening of two specialist digital laboratories. The college hopes that the state-of-the-art facilities, dedicated to cyber security and immersive technology, will help students to take advantage of the growing tech sector.

The digital lab, which include a cyber lab and an immersive technology lab, are the first of the new higher education facilities to be opened as part of £6 million it was awarded by the Office for Students (OfS) earlier this year. The digital labs will be situated within the College’s higher education setting, Newcastle College University Centre (NCUC).

The opening of the facilities is well timed as it follows the news that the North East has been announced as the Digital Technologies Launchpad. One of eight regional clusters appointed by the government, each a launchpad for a different area of innovation. As one of these clusters, the North East will receive part of a £75m investment from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The Launchpad project aims to establish world-leading, globally interconnected innovation clusters, catalysing increased employment, economic growth, and productivity within these regions.

Jon Ridley, deputy principal (HE) at Newcastle College said: “We are committed to giving our students the higher technical skills needed to succeed now and in the future. We invest in facilities, kit and equipment so the cyber security architects, analysts and engineers of tomorrow can refine their skills and explore ideas. NCUC graduates are work ready and that can only be a good thing for a thriving region and beyond.”

The cyber labs are equipped with high-spec machines with the latest Cisco networking kit, where students can undertake practical sessions working with industry-standard equipment. The labs are also off-network, creating a secure “sandbox” for students to take part in ethical hacking activities and skills vital for digital roles.

The immersive labs also contain high-spec computers, with the addition of a spacious environment for students to use VR, AR and XR equipment, as well as state of the art full-body and facial motion capture suits.

Networking and Cyber Security student Lucy Hall has been using the cyber labs this term. She said: “The new facilities are great. I’m getting to enhance my knowledge by putting it straight into practice with this bespoke equipment. I feel like it’s really going to help when I go into industry.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

• Add me on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep up to date
• And follow Bdaily on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Submit press releases to editor@bdaily.co.uk for consideration.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →