Region’s software companies selected to trial transport and weather data applications.
The Chief Executive of the Met Office will be in Sunderland on Friday to launch a unique partnership with Sunderland Software City which will see never before released weather data opened up to the region’s software companies.
Durham born John Hirst CBE will be at the Sunderland Software Centre to launch the Integrated Transport and Weather Information Pilot (ITWIP).
ITWIP is a unique project exploring opportunities to develop usable software applications and technology solutions on the back of big data sources and is being piloted in the North East due to the skill and breadth of the region’s software sector.
Mr Hirst will present Met Office data sets to an audience made up of some of the region’s most innovative software businesses and will discuss the importance of the project, which has been developed in partnership with the Connected Digital Economy Catapult (CDEC) and Transport Systems Catapult (TSC).
ITWIP marks the first time Met Office meteorological data has been released to an audience for commercial development.
Along with weather data a number of other partners including Nexus, the Port of Tyne and Sunderland Council have made data available for software businesses to utilise and explore technology solutions for the transport and logistics industry.
The event will also be attended by potential buyers from some of the UK’s biggest transport and logistics companies including Stagecoach Buses, the RAC and First TransPennine Express.
Representatives from both Catapult Centres will also present at the event, providing details of ongoing support being made available to software companies to turn their ideas into fully commercial solutions.
ITWIP marks the first time two catapult centres – newly established national, independent research, development and innovation centres – have worked together on a project.
David Dunn, CEO of Sunderland Software City said: “The ITWIP project is a long term effort to facilitate collaboration between innovative software companies and end users with real business needs; companies who can achieve greater efficiencies or productivity through the use of new technology systems or intelligence services.
“The project has been developed in collaboration with internationally recognised experts in big data and transport systems and mobility management from both CDEC and TSC respectively.
“Bringing these centres of excellence together, along with never available before MET Office data makes this a nationally important project and is a truly unique opportunity for Software SME’s in the North East to enter new markets and sell innovative solutions that are in demand from large, international organisations.”
Recent flooding has highlighted the demand for technology built on the back of existing data that helps to plan for and manage extreme weather events, with a hack event in London attracting over 200 software developers earlier this month.
‘Flood Hack’, which was organised by Tech City UK, took place at Google’s London Campus on 16February and saw developers use the Government’s flood level data to produce innovative mobile phone apps that aimed to help people living in flood affected areas plan and prepare for future flooding.
Amongst those ideas developed was a service that visualises flood levels in 3D, allowing residents and businesses to determine whether their property or land was likely to flood and an alert system that allows people to receive SMS notifications of incidents such as power cuts, burst river banks, flooded roads and breached flood defence systems.
As well as producing genuine technology solutions that help people and agencies prepare for and manage future weather events, the Flood Hack event demonstrated the opportunities to deliver vital solutions developed on the back of big data.
David Dunn said: “The Flood Hack event demonstrated the possibilities presented when government data, and other big data sources, are opened up to the tech community. We hope the ITWIP project will demonstrate the demand for and positive solutions that can be derived from opening access to weather and transport data, leading to applications and solutions that will continue to be of immense benefit businesses, public services and the general public.”
