Manchester has been awarded £10 million in funding from the UK Government’s Internet of Things competition. The money will see the city develop smart-city technologies, such as ‘talking’ bus stops, air-monitoring lamp posts and park benches and commuter areas which encourage visitors to exercise.
These initiatives are being driven as part of Manchester’s CityVerve project, which aims to improve public services and boost quality of life in the city through the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The project is primarily aiming to improve services in healthcare, energy and environment, and culture and community.
Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said in a statement:
“I’m delighted that the CityVerve Project is the winner of our Internet of Things Cities competition. The Project will bring real benefits to people who live and work across Manchester, one of our Northern Powerhouse cities.
“The UK’s tech sector is renowned for its creativity as well as pioneering research and development. The Manchester project will help the UK to be a world leader in the adoption of Internet of Things technologies and inspire others around the world to create smarter cities.”
Out of 22 entries involving 34 cities across the UK and with a shortlist of six finalists, the City Verve project was declared the clear winner. The project is led by Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership and was selected because of its ambition, scale, coordination across the public and private sector, and potential for success.
On behalf of the CityVerve consortium, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“I’m delighted that Manchester has been selected as the UK demonstrator city to test and demonstrate how the imaginative use of smart technology can make a real positive difference to our people and businesses. The lessons learned from this project should benefit the country as a whole.”