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SMART Places research programme: Update & regional workshops

We last reported on the ADEPT SMART Places Research Programme in the December 2017 newsletter. ADEPT published two reports last Autumn: ‘Digital innovation: the route to the highways of the future’ and ‘Planning SMART Places: unlocking growth and place making through innovation’ (available in the Resources section). Since then, we’ve been working on Phase 3. This has included:

  • Securing ongoing financial and intellectual support from our project partners: Ringway, Atkins, Kier, O2, EY and the Department for Transport
  • Refreshing governance arrangements including merging the two project boards with Neil Gibson, 1st Vice President as Chair
  • Defining three prototype projects for the next phase: 1) Getting to grips with data 2) Running highways and AV 'live labs' 3) A knowledge hub 'aggregator'

We have now commissioned WSP to write the three business cases. We are planning three regional workshops for ADEPT members and partners to help define the scope, potential application and anticipated benefits of these three projects. In particular, DfT is very interested in the prospect of local authorities coming forward with proposals of digitally innovative techniques / approaches they would like to test on real roads. The regional workshops are where we would like to capture this ambition – we hope you are able to attend.

The workshops, which will be no more than 3 hours in length, will take place at the following locations: 

  • Exeter: 2pm, Thursday 22nd March – The Forum, Barnfield Road, Exeter. EX1 1QR
  • Birmingham: 10am, Monday 26th March – One Queens Drive, Birmingham B5 4PJ

Spaces are limited - please contact Giles Perkins ([email protected]) to book.

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