A multimillion-pound scheme is earmarked to make schools in southeast Scotland “Europe’s largest” IoT network. University of Edinburgh’s Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) programme will allocate £9.5 million to provide every school in the Edinburgh area of Scotland with smart sensors.
The IoT Schools Network focuses on environmental technology and will see sensors collect data on CO2 levels and soil moisture, which is then fed back to a supercomputer at Edinburgh’s International Data Facility. This information is then processed into digestible snapshots, like graphs, that can be accessed online.
Currently, 43 of the region’s schools are currently involved with the project, supplying them the latest environmental sensors. This figure is set to double as West Lothian schools join over the next month. It’s expected that the remaining majority – 525 schools – will also join in by the end of the academic year. It’s said this full deployment would make the IoT network “Europe’s largest”.
The Network was first created in 2019 in a bid to inspire students to consider STEM subjects and careers. The University of Edinburgh claim its breathed new life into the region’s science classes, providing learners with the chance to explore and assess environmental data first-hand. The project has been implemented in 40 schools across the Scottish capital since 2019.
The £9.5m in funding stems from the university’s DDI programme, which is part of the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and southeast Scotland City Region Deal to drive the region’s growth. The aim of DDI itself is to institute the region as a European data capital through inward investment, entrepreneurship, research, and collaboration.
Commenting on the IoT Schools Network, Principal and Vice Principal Professor Sir Peter Mathieson said: “Data is all around us, shaping the way we live, work and engage with each other: our goal to make the digital sector more accessible to young people is therefore clear.
“The Internet of Things schools’ network aims to give pupils the confidence, competence and ambition to use data to benefit themselves and their communities in an ever-changing digital world.”
Neil Gray, the Scottish Government wellbeing economy secretary, also commented: “Internet of Things technology is transforming how we all live our lives, from checking the weather to inspiring green growing walls to improve the school environment.”
The network is part of the University of Edinburgh’s DDI programme, which UK and Scottish governments have funded. UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord claimed UK investment made up £261m of the £1.3 billion scheme.
Since its founding in 2018, DDI has supported multiple facilities for the university, including the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the National Robotarium, a partnership with Heriot-Watt University. The programme looks to establish the city as the European data capital while boosting investment and entrepreneurship in the sector.
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