Smart City-zens Project Showcased to Catalyst NI Inbound Investors

15^th September 2023

Smart City-zens, a multidisciplinary project developed by QCAP, the Market Development Association (MDA), and colleagues from the Institute of Electronics, Communications, and Information Technology (ECIT), was one of several initiatives featured at a Global Innovation Institute (GII) Pilot Project showcase event. The event, scheduled as part of Catalyst NI’s Inbound Investors programme, brought together industry stakeholders, business leaders, and academia, including representatives from various faculties and senior positions at Queen's University.

During the event, along with QCAP colleague Chloe Carragher, Dr Hamza Shakeel from ECIT and Ciaran Hargey from MDA, Dr Gareth Robinson provided an overview of the project, highlighting its progress and outlining future steps:

“At its core, our initiative is about developing a model for Inclusive Innovation, one that harnesses the power of technology to address community challenges. We firmly believe in empowering communities to leverage their own data, and as part of this vision, we've embarked on a pathway project designed to engage and inspire young people in research and innovation. This project involves a unique community-led sensing effort, partnering with 16–18-year-olds from the Market community in South Belfast. Together with Queen’s Communities and Place (QCAP), the Market Development Association (MDA), and ECIT, we've initiated a co-design programme to collaboratively identify and resolve local issues. Using advanced sensors, we're actively measuring environmental data within the community, providing a unique opportunity for young people to explore, learn, and drive positive change within their own neighbourhood."

The Smart City-zens project goes beyond just scientific exploration and aims to establish an educational pathway within what Dr Robinson and the team refer to as a 'community innovation ecosystem.' The hope for the ecosystem is that it will encourage local residents, especially young people, to actively participate in shaping the future of their community and environment by engaging with technologies in a way that is embedded in local context.

At the event, the team showcased the significance of inclusive innovation and emphasised the need for collaboration between academia, community organisations, and industry to drive positive change.

As the Smart City-zens project continues to progress, it not only contributes valuable data on issues identified by the community but also fosters a more inclusive and novel approach to urban innovation.

To stay updated on the Smart City-zens project's progress or learn more, contact: ga.robinson@qub.ac.uk