The UK government, Glasgow City Council and the Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC) have formed a partnership, backed by substantial government investment, to establish Glasgow as a leading smart things and Internet of Things (IoT) innovation hub in Europe.
The alliance will centre around a £2.5 million public and private sector investment into a 250-desk state-of-the-art facility named ‘thebeyond’ at SkyPark, Finnieston in Glasgow.
Projections are for Glasgow to have a view to as many as 100 companies being up and running by the end of 2024. Through the partnership, Glasgow City Council and the city, the third largest city in the UK, will become a test bed for homegrown innovations via STAC, which was launched in 2021.
The initiative is supported by industry executives with decades of experience from various organisations, including Dyson, Plexus, Meta, Blackberry, Motorola and Volvo Cars.
Paul Wilson, a CEO and co-founder of STAC, said: “Glasgow can be a powerhouse in the key technologies that will enhance life and industry for the next decades. As we build the leading tech cluster around STAC’s thebeyond we will gain a reputation and attract international investment. That’s the goal, ambitious and realisable. We believe thebeyond will be Europe’s largest Smart Things and IoT.”
“Technology innovation being driven through STAC’s accelerator programme can provide companies like Meta a vital source of ‘first of kind’ technologies, that will change how people live, communicate and play in future,” said Sean Murphy, a vice president of global supply chain at Meta and STAC advisory member. “That’s the play here at thebeyond.”
“This collaboration will help Glasgow become a leading technology-driven city, with our services and buildings powered by homegrown innovation to the benefit of everyone who lives, works and studies here,” according to councillor Ricky Bell, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council. “We will empower Glasgow’s start-ups to hone their technologies here and then compete internationally, enhancing our position on the global tech stage and bringing a great number of new jobs and careers in this sector.”
Comment on this article below or via X: @IoTNow_
