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5PRING – the consortium delivering the UK’s first 5G commercial application accelerators – has partnered with leading global infrastructure operator Ferrovial. The partnership is launching a new challenge for innovative startups and small businesses to shape the future of the construction sector.
With construction output in the UK valued at more than £110 billion, accounting for 7% of GDP and employing around 10 million people, the sector is well positioned to benefit from the impact of deploying 5G solutions to increase efficiency and optimise processes such as asset monitoring, as well as reducing costs and emissions. The Future of Construction challenge will provide startups and other small businesses with support in developing and scaling innovations targeted at the construction sector which harness the power of 5G to create a safe, dynamic and efficient construction industry, with a specific focus on:
- Health & Safety and security
- Logistics and site operations
Applicants with 5G-enabled solutions which leverage augmented reality, computer vision, IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and robotics, and are still relevant to the construction sector, are also encouraged to apply.
The Future of Construction challenge offers successful companies’ access to cutting edge technology via a private 5G network, a tailored acceleration programme, as well as coaching, mentoring and expertise provided by experts from Ferrovial and the 5pring consortium members Telefonica UK (O2), Deloitte, Wayra and Digital Catapult.
Javier Vaca De Osma, Technology and Process Directpr at Ferrovial Construction, said: “5PRING will give Ferrovial the opportunity to explore 5G potential to leverage innovation for our businesses by accessing a new ecosystem of startups and disruptive solutions.”
“With this partnership we are looking to foster the digitization of our construction sites integrating, through 5G, technologies such as augmented reality, edge computing or IoT systems to boost efficiencies while ensuring the safety of our working environments. 5PRING will allow us to identify and test cutting-edge solutions on a real test-bed of innovation.”
Last year, West Midlands 5G (WM5G) and collaborators O2, Deloitte, Digital Catapult and Wayra announced the launch of the UK’s first commercial accelerators – 5PRING – to develop the first region-wide 5G testbed.
Robert Franks, Managing Director at WM5G, said: “It is through partnerships such as those that 5PRING is developing that we will truly be able to understand the real potential that 5G has to revolutionise the UK’s major industries. The guidance and expert advice that our 5PRING teams can provide both virtually and through our dedicated Accelerator hubs in Coventry, Wolverhampton and Birmingham are leading the way. “Ferrovial’s decades of experience will be vital in helping to shape and guide the innovative solutions that we are hoping to see delivered through this programme, transforming their ambitions into reality.”
Applications for the accelerator are now open and should be submitted here by midnight on 14 May 2021. Successful applicants will start working with 5PRING from 05 July 2021. For participation in the Incubator, registration should be submitted by 07 May 2021 ready to start on 10 May 2021.
For more information, visit 5pring.org