Achievements

Click on the links below to see the progress SmarterUK made in 2017:

Develop Markets and Networks

• Championing Smarter digitised Infrastructure.

  Outcome: Creating smarter digitised infrastructure requires cross-industry collaboration. Transport, energy and cities will all be transformed by new technologies and many of the issues facing these areas will be cross-cutting in their nature. 

  techUK has acted as a convenor of the smart infrastructure market, bringing together members and external organisations together through forums and a series of events. These have included discussing future energy purchasing models and workshops with organisations such as Highways England and TfL. Alongside our Local Government programme we have helped to drive techUK’s Council of the Future project, helping to create the environment for greater collaboration between councils and tech companies. Throughout 2017 we engaged closely with Harrow Council, supporting them on their innovation journey.

  Turning to transport, SmarterUK worked closely with the SMMT, supporting greater understanding between the two communities through joint sessions and engagement at Automechanika Birmingham. The team has also worked with Digital Railway making it easier for tech companies to participate in the project and engage with the supply chain.

  Establishing itself as a champion for smart infrastructure across a range of areas, the team supported the ICE with its State of the Nation 2017 Digital Transformation Report, providing members an opportunity to feed into the drafting process through a series of focused roundtables.

  SmarterUK holds a seat on the Infrastructure Client Groups Project 13 Digital Transformation workstream. Through this project the team works with key stakeholders across the infrastructure industry to develop two outputs; an industry readiness matrix and a technology platform. Both outputs seek to deliver higher levels of technology implementation across UK infrastructure assets and related services.

  In the energy market, SmarterUK has consistently and successfully helped to drive Government policy towards embracing a smarter, more flexible system. In smart cities we have helped newly elected metro mayors to understand the opportunity that embracing the smart city concept can bring to their region and the practical steps they can take through techUK’s digital devolution paper.

• Shaping policy and regulatory developments.

  Outcome: Smart Infrastructure spans many areas but a general theme is that it is shaped heavily by either policy or regulatory outputs. Given the diverse nature of smart infrastructure apparently benign developments can have wide-ranging impacts.  

  techUK has ensured that members have stayed up-to-date with related developments through monthly newsletters, as well as highlighting opportunities such as innovation funding. The team has also ensured that members are able to engage directly with relevant organisations either through workshops, such as with the National Infrastructure Commission or through engaging directly with companies such as UKPN.

  The programme delivered significant insight into ongoing projects through SmarterUK’s membership of several bodies. These include the ENA’s Open Networks Project, UK Power Network Critical Friends Panel, Quarterly SMMT CAV Forum, BSI's L13 Smart Grid Policy Committee, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities and the BEIS/Ofgem Smart Systems Forum. 

Reduce Business Cost and Risk

• Addressing security and privacy challenges.

  Outcome: Security is a growing issue in operational technology, particularly in areas of Critical National Infrastructure. At the same time there is growing concern over the damage poorly secured  IoT devices can have within their own ecosystems and beyond.

  The programme has explored several aspects of the privacy and security debate, starting with a set of Trust Principles for an IoT World. The team continues to explore IoT security both from a technical viewpoint and looking at international best practice within Critical National Infrastructure.