Digital Salford Launches Smart Strategy

Digital Salford, the collaboration of key stakeholders in the City of Salford, has published its ambitious new Digital Strategy; setting out some clear intentions for Salford to become an internationally recognised connected digital city. It includes the launch of MediaCityUK’s first Smart City Accelerator.

Salford’s race to become a Smart City was boosted further with the official publication of its Digital Strategy and the launch of a Smart City Accelerator. The Accelerator sponsored by MediaCityUK and CBRE will be based at The Landing in 2020 and will be the first of its kind in the region aimed at innovation companies who are looking to develop and demonstrate smart solutions for both build and environmental management.

This comes on the back of Salford becoming one of the first operational 5G networks in the UK earlier this year with Vodafone setting up its Innovation Hub at The Landing in MediaCityUK providing entrepreneurs and start-ups access to 5G resources, and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

We are already home to the UK’s first immersive 5G hub and we’re now ready to unlock the full potential of MediaCityUK as a smart urban environment. Our latest accelerator programme, focussed on Smart City infrastructure, is just the beginning of what we have planned.’

Jon Corner, Chief Digital Officer for the City of Salford said; “Salford’s Digital Strategy focuses on beneficial outcomes for our city’s residents and communities. What’s exciting about MediaCityUK is that it provides us with an ideal starting-point, a “living lab” for pre-testing and deployment of technologies that could have the potential for wider distribution and social impact.”

“Before we can truly consider how such smart technology can improve the quality of life for all people across Salford, we have to find ways to connect all of our physical spaces and communities. Once this bedrock and these infrastructure models are in place then we can develop new services and co-design these within our communities.”

City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Our Digital Strategy is wholly people-focused with a strong emphasis on skills, health and safer, cleaner communities. The coming together of key institutions as “Digital Salford” with one central vision is an important step in achieving the ambition to connect the whole city and ensure that everyone can benefit from the digital revolution. I’m proud that Salford is leading the way with its Smart City agenda and supporting Greater Manchester’s Industrial Strategy to be a leading city of innovation and industrial collaboration.”

A downloadable PDF copy of the strategy can be found at www.digitalsalford.com.