Cisco Drives Smart City Agenda in Leeds
News provided by Pressat Wire on Wednesday 11th Jun 2014
Collaboration between Leeds and Partners, Leeds City Council and Cisco, is driving Leeds' smart city agenda by exploring significant efficiencies through Internet of Everything for Cities (IoE4C).
Cisco finds Government organisations can improve efficiency by 15% through better collaboration and has called on local authorities across the country to embrace closer collaboration to maximise efficiency and ensure that quality services for citizens can be delivered even on lean budgets.
Increased collaboration across local government teams can improve regional growth and investment opportunities. Cisco estimates that some areas of local government such as lighting, travel budgets and health/social care support could save up to 15%.
The move comes as the network provider prepares to complete delivery on an MOU signed with Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners to provide detailed development plans with incremental implementation across departmental boundaries.
The MOU has seen Cisco provide strategic IT counsel and the review and design of localised vision and plan documents for Leeds and its wider city region. The plans address the development of Leeds' public sector services, urban environment and entrepreneurial ICT skillset, with the aim of helping Leeds to harness the potential of the Internet of Everything.
The partnership with Leeds is part of a wider campaign by Cisco to support local authorities across the country to embrace the Internet of Everything (IOE) for Cities. UK's cities can benefit from connecting people, process, data and things, and the Internet of Everything for Cities is a framework to develop IoE-related projects to address specific local imperatives and needs. The joint-work is based on the premise that currently less than 4% of the world is Internet connected. This is rapidly changing as intelligence migrates to smaller and cheaper devices, and communications technology such as Wireless/4G and fibre broadband become prevalent. Newly enabled devices and cheap reliable connectivity provide a myriad of opportunities to address city issues such as job creation, economic growth, inclusion and environmental sustainability.
“The Internet of Everything has the power to transform our cities for the common good. The opportunity to attain a smart city status is a priority for Leeds,” said Gareth Macnaughton, Innovation Director, CISCO UK & I. “Broader economic and social success builds on a culture where individuals feel empowered to innovate their work environment. Connecting the unconnected is the greatest technological opportunity we are facing since the Industrial Revolution”
“Leeds is a city of growth and prosperity with a wealth of potential still to be realised,” said Tim Straughan, CEO at Leeds & Partners. “The Internet of Things is a key future technology area for the UK and has significant potential for all areas of economy and society. Leeds has the ambition to become a digitally-enabled 'Smart City' and we are excited to work with Cisco to understand how this technological development could improve our city for the benefit of our citizens.”
Cisco, Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners will be hosting a seminar in Leeds on 12th June focusing on the Internet of Everything for Cities programme. The workshop will review and prioritise key projects developed in the four-month partnership between Cisco, Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners.
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Notes to Editors:
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.
Leeds and Partners
Leeds and Partners works to raise the profile of Leeds on the national and international stage, promoting the city as a key destination for inward investment, business and leisure tourism. The organisation works with key private and public sector partners to attract new investment and drive economic growth – helping to create and sustain jobs and employment opportunities in the region.
For corporate and consumer information see www.leedsandpartners.com
Leeds City Region
Leeds City Region employs over 28,800 people in banking, compared to 17,300 in Greater Manchester, 14,200 in Greater Birmingham and Solihull and 11,400 in the West of England. Source: Business Register and Employment Survey 2012, ONS.
Availability of talent: 8 Universities in the region produce more than 36,000 graduates each year. Leeds generates over 9% of all UK graduates. Bradford and Leeds University are also ranked as two of the FT's World Top 100 Business Schools.
Infrastructure/ connectivity: 7 million people are within a 1 hour drive. Game changing transport projects (trolleybus system –the UK's largest single investment in transport infrastructure outside of London). LCR hosts one of the highest concentrations of Internet Service Providers and is home to the only mutual internet exchange in the North of England, putting Leeds in a sound position to offer London-independent disaster recovery, particularly to the financial sector.
Accommodation and affordability: Leeds was named one of the best cities in Europe to locate a business (Cushman and Wakefield 2011), quoting easy access to markets, together with cost amongst the cities many advantages. The North benefits from an average house price 50% lower than the South.
Quality of life: The people of Leeds City Region benefit from a lower cost of living compared to London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and Zurich. Yorkshire featured strongly in
the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain Guide 2014, Skipton taking the top spot with 11 other Yorkshire towns and villages being named.
Leeds City Region
1. The Leeds City Region (LCR) Partnership brings together a group of 11 local authorities (Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, York and North Yorkshire County Council), its local enterprise partnership (LEP) and partners to support economic growth and a better quality of life for our communities.
2. To achieve this vision the Partnership is working to deliver a city region wide economic strategy; objectives are to support business and enterprise, enable a skilled and flexible workforce, foster a low carbon, sustainable economy and create the infrastructure for growth.
3. To ensure effective delivery of these priorities the Partnership was one of the first to agree a 'city deal', securing Government support to deliver its flagship initiatives.
The Leeds City Region economy
1. The Leeds City Region is the largest city region economy and financial centre in the country outside London. With a £54billion economy representing 4% of England's economy, over 100,000 businesses and a 3 million population, the city region continues to be at the forefront in driving the economy of the North and accelerating national economic prosperity.
2. For more information on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership please visit www.leedscityregion.gov.uk.
Cisco finds Government organisations can improve efficiency by 15% through better collaboration and has called on local authorities across the country to embrace closer collaboration to maximise efficiency and ensure that quality services for citizens can be delivered even on lean budgets.
Increased collaboration across local government teams can improve regional growth and investment opportunities. Cisco estimates that some areas of local government such as lighting, travel budgets and health/social care support could save up to 15%.
The move comes as the network provider prepares to complete delivery on an MOU signed with Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners to provide detailed development plans with incremental implementation across departmental boundaries.
The MOU has seen Cisco provide strategic IT counsel and the review and design of localised vision and plan documents for Leeds and its wider city region. The plans address the development of Leeds' public sector services, urban environment and entrepreneurial ICT skillset, with the aim of helping Leeds to harness the potential of the Internet of Everything.
The partnership with Leeds is part of a wider campaign by Cisco to support local authorities across the country to embrace the Internet of Everything (IOE) for Cities. UK's cities can benefit from connecting people, process, data and things, and the Internet of Everything for Cities is a framework to develop IoE-related projects to address specific local imperatives and needs. The joint-work is based on the premise that currently less than 4% of the world is Internet connected. This is rapidly changing as intelligence migrates to smaller and cheaper devices, and communications technology such as Wireless/4G and fibre broadband become prevalent. Newly enabled devices and cheap reliable connectivity provide a myriad of opportunities to address city issues such as job creation, economic growth, inclusion and environmental sustainability.
“The Internet of Everything has the power to transform our cities for the common good. The opportunity to attain a smart city status is a priority for Leeds,” said Gareth Macnaughton, Innovation Director, CISCO UK & I. “Broader economic and social success builds on a culture where individuals feel empowered to innovate their work environment. Connecting the unconnected is the greatest technological opportunity we are facing since the Industrial Revolution”
“Leeds is a city of growth and prosperity with a wealth of potential still to be realised,” said Tim Straughan, CEO at Leeds & Partners. “The Internet of Things is a key future technology area for the UK and has significant potential for all areas of economy and society. Leeds has the ambition to become a digitally-enabled 'Smart City' and we are excited to work with Cisco to understand how this technological development could improve our city for the benefit of our citizens.”
Cisco, Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners will be hosting a seminar in Leeds on 12th June focusing on the Internet of Everything for Cities programme. The workshop will review and prioritise key projects developed in the four-month partnership between Cisco, Leeds City Council and Leeds & Partners.
- Ends -
Notes to Editors:
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.
Leeds and Partners
Leeds and Partners works to raise the profile of Leeds on the national and international stage, promoting the city as a key destination for inward investment, business and leisure tourism. The organisation works with key private and public sector partners to attract new investment and drive economic growth – helping to create and sustain jobs and employment opportunities in the region.
For corporate and consumer information see www.leedsandpartners.com
Leeds City Region
Leeds City Region employs over 28,800 people in banking, compared to 17,300 in Greater Manchester, 14,200 in Greater Birmingham and Solihull and 11,400 in the West of England. Source: Business Register and Employment Survey 2012, ONS.
Availability of talent: 8 Universities in the region produce more than 36,000 graduates each year. Leeds generates over 9% of all UK graduates. Bradford and Leeds University are also ranked as two of the FT's World Top 100 Business Schools.
Infrastructure/ connectivity: 7 million people are within a 1 hour drive. Game changing transport projects (trolleybus system –the UK's largest single investment in transport infrastructure outside of London). LCR hosts one of the highest concentrations of Internet Service Providers and is home to the only mutual internet exchange in the North of England, putting Leeds in a sound position to offer London-independent disaster recovery, particularly to the financial sector.
Accommodation and affordability: Leeds was named one of the best cities in Europe to locate a business (Cushman and Wakefield 2011), quoting easy access to markets, together with cost amongst the cities many advantages. The North benefits from an average house price 50% lower than the South.
Quality of life: The people of Leeds City Region benefit from a lower cost of living compared to London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and Zurich. Yorkshire featured strongly in
the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain Guide 2014, Skipton taking the top spot with 11 other Yorkshire towns and villages being named.
Leeds City Region
1. The Leeds City Region (LCR) Partnership brings together a group of 11 local authorities (Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, York and North Yorkshire County Council), its local enterprise partnership (LEP) and partners to support economic growth and a better quality of life for our communities.
2. To achieve this vision the Partnership is working to deliver a city region wide economic strategy; objectives are to support business and enterprise, enable a skilled and flexible workforce, foster a low carbon, sustainable economy and create the infrastructure for growth.
3. To ensure effective delivery of these priorities the Partnership was one of the first to agree a 'city deal', securing Government support to deliver its flagship initiatives.
The Leeds City Region economy
1. The Leeds City Region is the largest city region economy and financial centre in the country outside London. With a £54billion economy representing 4% of England's economy, over 100,000 businesses and a 3 million population, the city region continues to be at the forefront in driving the economy of the North and accelerating national economic prosperity.
2. For more information on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership please visit www.leedscityregion.gov.uk.
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of Pressat Wire, on Wednesday 11 June, 2014. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
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