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 Eugene Bari, the CEO and Managing Director of Ecomar Propulsion and Dr Victoria Kroll, CEO & co-founder of Esitu Solutions.

Ecomar Propulsion builds zero emission propulsion systems for the maritime industry, whilst Esitu Solutions is on a mission to improve road safety and reduce the number of driving accidents using virtual reality technology.

Theme music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com)

Show notes:

To read the full article on Ecomar Propulsion or Esitu Solutions, click on the link. To read more articles in our ‘Meet the Innovator’ series, click here.

To register for our inaugural Connected Places Summit, being held in London on 20-21 March 2024, click here.

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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Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please also take a moment to write a review and rate us so that more people can hear about the podcast and what we do at Connected Places Catapult.

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 making a difference? What do innovators need to be thinking about when developing solutions for people with disabilities? And what is the Catapult doing to support better collaboration and support for companies working in this space?

We meet Ann Frye, the UK Government's Disability and Access Ambassador for Aviation, Fredi Nonyelu, CEO and Founder of Briteyellow, Gavin Neate, CEO and Founder of WelcoMe, Yael Shomron, Marketing Manager at Step Hear, and Andrew Chadwick, the Catapult’s Interim Ecosystem Director for Airports & Aviation.

Theme music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com)

Show notes:

To learn more about this issue and what the Catapult is doing, check out this article by Vasant Chari, the Catapult's Director of Human Connected Design.

To register for our inaugural Connected Places Summit, being held in London on 20-21 March 2024, click here.

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!

Follow the show!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please also take a moment to write a review and rate us so that more people can hear about the podcast and what we do at Connected Places Catapult.

We conclude our three-part podcast series on digital twins with a conversation with Ali Nicholl, Head of Engagement at IOTICS, 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 studio to tell us about some of the organisations that IOTICS are working to create a greener and more sustainable future. Ali explains some of the complexities of data sharing between companies, and the importance of making sure digital twin technologies have the real-world impact when it comes to some of society’s greatest challenges. The voices in this episode are also featuring on The IOTICS Podcast, where Ali has interviewed a number of fascinating guests to showcase the growing significance of digital twins in shaping our connected future.

Featured in this episode are Elly Howe, Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator at Portsmouth International Port; Louise Donaghey, Services Programmes Director at Rolls Royce; Simon Evans, Global Digital Twin Leader at Arup; Ian Gordon, Head of Data at Houses of Parliament Restoration & Renewal; and Rich Walker, a Data and Analytics Leader in the Government and Public sector.

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. IOTICS is an active supporter of the Hub and was a sponsor of the Summit.

In 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!

Follow the show!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please also take a moment to write a review and rate us so that more people can hear about the podcast and what we do at Connected Places Catapult.

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 recently up in Leeds at UKREiiF – the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum – where we hosted a panel on the future of innovation procurement.

We were joined by Emma Frost, Chair of the UK Innovation District Group, Amabel Grant, Chief Executive of Bloom Procurement Services, and the Catapult’s own Rikesh Shah, Head of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre.

Theme music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music (www.phillward.com)

SHOW NOTES:

Applications for the SES Awards are open until 31 July 2024. Interested organisations are invited to submit their programs and initiatives for consideration here.

You can learn more about the work of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC), a new partnership created to inspire, upskill and empower public authorities in innovation-friendly procurement procedures.

You can also learn more about what the UK Government is doing to improve our public procurement regime by visiting the Transforming Public Procurement landing page where you can find webinars, factsheets, summary guides and even a checklist to help prepare for when the new rules come into force.

To find out more about the work of Bloom, a professional services facilitator specialising in public procurement, click here to learn more about ‘NEPRO BloomSustain’.

If you'd like to get in touch with your feedback, comments and suggestions on what you'd like to hear more of on Connected Places, please email: [email protected]. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

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!