Digital Catapult, Immersive Tech & the 5G Testbed

Delivery Body: Brighton & Hove City Council

Theme: Digital

Coast to Capital LGF Allocation: £1.76m

Match Funding Contribution: £70k

Project Status: Complete

 

Summary of Project

The digital sector is a fast growing industry which is vital in supporting business, employment and our economy, and Coast to Capital has awarded Local Growth Funding over three linked projects to help provide vital digital infrastructure in Brighton.

 

The Digital Catapult project looked at creating a leading advanced digital technology innovation centre, where business and enterprises are welcomed and supported to grow on site in Brighton. LGF was used to help refurbish the site, and to assist with research in 5G technology to ensure the continued growth of the economy.

 

The Immersive Tech project has enabled an emerging part of the Creative Digital & IT sector to understand and develop ways to capitalise on the significant market opportunities that immersive technologies can create. This includes supporting the development of VR/AR/MR products.

 

The 5G Testbed project has seen the establishment of one of the first pioneering use case test beds for 5G connectivity in Brighton. This is vital as the future of many businesses depend on faster, more secure and reliable internet and connectivity. The infrastructure installed has allowed the creation of a wireless local area network that emulated a 5G signal to allow Brighton-based small businesses to benefit from state of the art 5G mobile wireless communications, and provide space to test and explore the potential new applications of 5G.

 

Key Outputs

• 460sqm of refurbished employment space
• 1,000 businesses receiving non-financial support
• 189 enterprises supported