The first new hub in Aberdeen will be created in partnership with Opportunity North East and be based at the ONE Tech Hub located in the former Robert Gordon University (RGU) administration building in the Schoolhill area of the city (pictured below). ONE Tech Hub also hosts Barclays Eagle Lab, Censis, CodeBase, the Datalab and RGU.
Alongside this, HALO Kilmarnock will be the lead partner of the North Ayrshire-based hub that will be hosted in The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre at The HALO Digital & Cyber Innovation Park. HALO Kilmarnock is a £63m brownfield urban regeneration project on a 23-acre site, formerly the home of Johnnie Walker, the world’s leading Scotch whisky.
The expansion of the S5GConnect Programme will create the fourth and fifth hub sites in Scotland, with the centre having already begun to build hubs in Forth Valley, Dundee and Dumfries.
According to S5GC, the new hubs will “support economic growth through the deployment and adoption of 5G technology” and will be backed by a £4m investment from the Scottish government.
At the hubs, specialist staff will support companies to develop, prototype and test real-world applications and use cases over a 5G innovation platform.
Scottish government economy secretary Kate Forbes said: “The S5GConnect Hub programme is playing an important role in unlocking the power of 5G technologies, helping small and medium‑sized enterprises with the skills they need to understand how 5G can benefit their business.
“This transformational technology could provide Scotland with competitive advantage and, most importantly, improve quality of life for citizens and businesses across the country as we rebuild a sustainable economy with good jobs at its heart.”
Since launching the first three hubs, S5GC claims it has engaged with over 400 businesses on the “transformational benefits of 5G technology”. The centre said the new hubs will focus on engagement with key sectors in the Ayrshire and Aberdeen economies including energy, offshore and ports.
Paul Coffey, chief executive of the S5GC, added: “Announcing two further S5GConnect Hubs is a significant step forward in this innovative new programme. Our expanding hub network will unlock growth and innovation, augmented through 5G network capabilities, and re-imagine customer processes and outcomes through data, AI/AR and machine learning.
“Acting as a catalyst to place Scotland at the forefront of digital connectivity, each hub will build on regional engagement, job creation and skills development by supporting key sectors and businesses.”
