The Centre will work closely with local business, academia, the public sector and the other Digital Catapult Centres across the UK with the aim of unlocking value from proprietary data - generating new jobs across the nation, driving innovation and directing millions in linked investment and funding.
The Digital Catapult Centre Brighton will focus specifically on projects that encourage innovation and value from real-time and location-based data - known as the Internet of Place. An additional £4 million of inward investment has been released as a result of this new project.
Over the next three years, led by Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in collaboration with the core delivery partners - the University of Brighton and Wired Sussex, the centre will be tasked with delivering on a range of innovative projects, designed to be accessible to start-ups and SMEs to use and learn from. The Centre will work across the whole Coast to Capital region which includes Brighton and Hove, Lewes, West Sussex, Croydon and the Gatwick Diamond.
"With the opening of the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton, local entrepreneurs, SMEs and indeed all organisations working in digital will have a new support mechanism to develop and showcase their innovative products and solutions," said Tim Wates, Chairman of Coast to Capital LEP. "Digital innovation is happening everywhere and we're proud that Brighton has been selected. The opening of the Centre will give the thriving local economy the boost it needs to really make its mark as a digital leader in the UK."
In the coming weeks, the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton will launch a programme of events to help create opportunities for SMEs, big business, public sector and academia to collaborate and unlock new value for the Coast to Capital region.
As part of this, the Centre will create links between universities and business that enable cutting edge, pre-commercial R&D findings in the Digital Catapult challenge areas to be converted into commercial market opportunities which can be prototyped and piloted by start-ups and SMEs.
Neil Crockett, CEO of the Digital Catapult said: "The Digital Catapult is here to help create new opportunities across the UK and unlock innovation and value from sharing closed and proprietary data. The truth is the most exciting digital innovation is happening in local communities, like the North East and Tees Valley, who are bringing together new ideas, businesses, universities and the public sector. As a national centre, it is important we support and collaborate with these local innovation communities, it is from these local hotspots that we will find the best innovation, create the most relevant products and reap the economic benefit for the UK."
Organisations and individuals who wish to get involved with the programme of activity should contact the centre on
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