City selected for new 5G innovation centre

ADundee innovation hub focusing on the next generation of mobile internet technology will bring pioneering firms and jobs to the city.

That is the claim from the Scotland 5G Centre as it announced Dundee as the location for its new facility.

5G is the next generation of mobile internet connection, promising speeds of up to 100 times 4G, which is today’s standard.

The Scotland 5G Centre innovation hub plans to support innovation and growth in the games, virtual reality and interactive entertainment sectors.

The Dundee hub will also work in partnership to create new tools and services to combat cyber crime activities.

The centre is part of a £4 million national network announced in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

It is hoped the facility will help drive growth and increase opportunities for employment and investment in the city and surrounding area.

Experts from the Scotland 5G Centre will lead work in the new hub in collaboration with Abertay University’s Emergent Technology Centre and the INGAME research and development centre.

The hub will be operational by May and its location will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Professor Gregor White, dean of the School of Design and Informatics, said: “Abertay has been helping to drive Dundee’s evolution as a leading UK tech hub for many years.

“This 5G innovation initiative has the potential to further strengthen industries that are hugely important to the city.

“The rollout of the 5G hub offers significant growth potential for Dundee’s business sector. We are keen to explore all business collaboration opportunities.”

The Scotland 5G Centre hub will be created in partnership with Abertay University, Dundee City Council and infrastructure experts Scottish Futures Trust.

It will work with regional businesses and provide access to a 5G development platform, driving even more investment and interest to the area.

It will offer collaboration and partnerships to bring together industry, academia and government bodies, creating opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

It will provide access to a Dundee City Council-led testbed, a demonstration and development environment where organisations can test and develop new 5G applications for potential business models.

The facility will support research and development on enabling technologies for applications where mobile plays a key role, such as service delivery, manufacturing, training and marketing by diverse industries and sectors.

Paul Coffey, chief executive at the Scotland 5G Centre, said: “Dundee has a proud track record of partnership working with established tech networks to enable the city to flourish.

“The local team at the 5G innovation hub will support organisations, networks and communities to get involved in the acceleration of 5G deployment at an earlier stage.

“We will work closely with the city’s games industry to enable organisations to harness the many opportunities that 5G offers, such as truly simultaneous game play.”

5G will open up opportunities to design products and services incorporating technologies such as immersive, interactive, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, automation and the Internet of Things.

The latter in particular allows for new and innovative deployments of sensor-based systems and products to deliver solutions such as better management of buildings and places.

Another focus area will be cyber security. The hub will encourage the adoption of proactive cyber security practices for SMES who adopt 5G technologies through collaboration with Abertay University.

New products, tools, services and software will be designed and developed to ensure secure access to the 5G network.

The Central Waterfront Testbed, funded through the Scottish Government’s Growth Accelerator Model, will help deliver core infrastructure needed to meet the objectives of the 5G innovation hub.

A total of £2m of funding has also been ringfenced within the Tay Cities Deal to support the delivery and demonstration of 5G use cases.

HI-TECH MOVES: Top: A 5G mast being installed. Above: The innovation centre has been welcomed by Professor Gregor White, dean of the School of Design and Informatics at Abertay University.