Internet of Things research hub for UK

Combining a small number of top universities, the Hub will be used to explore the interdisciplinary challenges around security, privacy and trust in the IoT, while simultaneously focusing on the various interactions, policy and governance, beliefs and behaviours between people and IoT systems, the EPSRC said.

According to EPSRC chief executive Philip Nelson, our lives are becoming ever-more interconnected with digital devices and the internet.

The IoT has the potential to boost productivity, make transport more efficient, reduce our energy consumption and to make us healthier

Chief scientific adviser Mark Walport

“The potential benefits are wide; an exchange of information in an emergency could save time and lives,” Nelson said.

“However, it is also clear that people have concerns about how their data is handled and kept secure so the Internet of Things Hub will address these challenges.”

The £10 million funding is part of an integrated £40 million, three-year programme, which was laid out by the Chancellor George Osborne in March’s Budget, to maximise capabilities and opportunities that will help the UK become a leader in the IoT.

“The Internet of Things has the potential to boost productivity, make transport more efficient, reduce our energy consumption and to make us healthier,” said the government’s chief scientific adviser, Mark Walport.

“The Research Hub will help to catalyse the technologies and address the challenges associated with the Internet of Things to make the UK a world leader. I would encourage universities to make the most of this opportunity.”

However, there is still some confusion as to what the IoT actually is and how it can be applied.

The IoT consists of any ’thing’ that can be assigned an IP address and provided with the capability to transfer data over a network, an article in TechTarget suggests.

“Internet of Things has been most closely associated with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication in manufacturing and power, oil and gas utilities,” the article said.

The IoT, and specifically its potential to revolutionise manufacturing, is closely aligned to the idea of Industry 4.0.

Again slightly confusing, Industry 4.0 - a phrase coined by the German government - is a name given to the 4th industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 represents the widespread uptake of advanced technologies such as cyber-physical systems and powerful analytical tools as a means of streamlining manufacturing and production processes.

’Change manufacturing beyond recognition’

Manufacturing trade body EEF published a survey in February that suggests 80% of UK manufacturers think the next industrial revolution will have become a reality by 2025.

Of the 206 industry representatives surveyed, however, 58% voiced concerns that the UK is in danger of being “left behind”, while only 14% said the UK is readily equipped for a leading role in the uptake of Industry 4.0.

In response to that concern, EEF chief executive officer Terry Scuoler said: “The 4th industrial revolution will change the global face of manufacturing beyond recognition. The UK must take a leading role if we are to realise our ambitions for a healthy, balanced and growing economy.

“The next decade will bring great and rapid change and the early-adopting nations will maximise the opportunities presented by new technologies and thrive as a result,” Scuoler said.

“Our sector’s ability to remain on top of the 4th industrial wave hinges on the decisions made now and over the next decade by consecutive governments.”