SMLL LAUNCHES: DRIVING TO A SMARTER FUTURE OF MOBILITY
I am delighted to announce that after a two-year build full of complexity and challenge, today we are launching with our partners the Smart Mobility Living Lab in London.
This world-class public test environment for the development of future transport and mobility solutions is a unique facility. It is a critical part of CAM Testbed UK, the UK Government’s investment to put the UK at the forefront of automated mobility on the global stage.
At its core, SMLL aims to develop the next generation of mobility. Cleaner, safer, more accessible, more available, more affordable, more efficient. Mobility that underpins tomorrow’s society and economy.
As the lead industry partner within the consortium, Cisco has provided the backbone of SMLL’s infrastructure. From edge computing to V2X capabilities and a staggering 276 CCTV cameras across the 24km of testbed, Cisco is baked into SMLL. Dedicated expert resource throughout the build period has helped to secure its role as the most advanced connected urban testbed in Europe.
Cisco’s investment in SMLL forms part of our Country Digitisation Acceleration programme in the UK which has been at the forefront of pushing forward the UK’s digital story. Transport is a critical sector for digitisation. Congestion remains a real cost of progress and prosperity. Transport is the largest contributor to carbon emissions. Inner city air quality remains poor. And yet, the private car has been an essential transport mode during the pandemic; more fundamentally, it is an essential tool for personal freedom. It is these complex challenges – competing individual, societal and economic imperatives – that the technology-driven future of mobility must address.
Our approach within our Country Digital Acceleration programme has always been about getting things done, driving change and exploring the future in key industries. Nobody can say right now that they know exactly what the future of transport will look like. But our investment in SMLL means we can help shape that future. We need to develop new concepts, test out new technologies, and reimagine what mobility means. At SMLL we can make this happen.
But ultimately what matters is what comes next. There is an exciting ecosystem building around SMLL. Players from across the mobility sector, alongside those new to mobility. Already there are brilliant projects lined up to start building the future. We’re in. If you want to be too, we want to hear from you – come with us, and let’s build the future of mobility together.
Author - Peter Shearman, Head of Co-Innovation, Europe CSIG
