The first East Midlands Institute of Technology ‘Digital Challenge’ saw students’ tech skills create new ways for people to better move around Derby and Derbyshire’s public transport networks, making for more sustainable travel.
Around 40 of the East Midlands IoT’s students on digital, animation and data-driven courses at academic partners the University of Derby, Derby College and Loughborough College took part in the Challenge; held at the University’s Enterprise Centre in Derby.
The East Midlands IoT is one of England’s 21 regional Institutes of Technology (www.institutesoftechnology.org.uk ); set-up by the Department for Education and Gatsby Foundation. Each is a partnership of higher and further education providers, working with employers to develop skills in technical sectors.
‘Client’ Derby City Council set students the challenge of creating a digital -based solution, such as a mobile phone app, to help people better access public transport for work or learning in Derbyshire. Their solutions had to make it easier for city and county residents to plan their journey, and switch between different modes of transport and/or company providers.
Students worked with their tutors and mentors from two of the East Midlands IoT’s business partners; Bloc Digital (a digital technology innovation company headquartered in Derby) and Toyota Manufacturing UK with support from Toyota Connected Europe, to develop and test their solutions over five days.
On the final day students presented their ideas to a judges’ panel of:
• East Midlands IoT Executive Director Rachel Quinn
• Jorgen Pedersen, lead developer on the RIDE multi-modal transport app for Nottingham and Derby
• Owen Swift, Head of Climate and Active Environment, Derby City Council
• Chris Barrow, External Affairs at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK
• Daniel Quagraine, UX/UI Designer at Bloc Digital.
Winning teams demonstrated most impact in the four categories of ‘creativity and innovation’, ‘teamwork and communication’, ‘user accessibility’ and ‘technical use of data’.
The Digital Challenge event was developed and run with the support of the Gill Scott Consultancy, drawing on their experience of running similar projects in Greater Manchester.
Rachel Quinn, Executive Director of the East Midlands IoT said: “Along with engineering and professional construction, fostering high quality digital skills is one of the East Midlands IoT’s specialisms.
“This Digital Challenge featured students on courses from T-Levels through to degrees and every one of them showed an impressive level of commitment and professionalism. My fellow judges from our employer partners were blown away by the exceptional quality of the presentations and the amount of work teams had invested in tackling such a difficult subject.
“This is the first time we’ve brought students of all levels together to work on shared challenges. It was tricky to organise but the outcome really emphasised how you can do ‘more and better’ for learners and the region through a partnership like the East Midlands IoT.”
Professor Stephan Reiff-Marganiec, Head of the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Derby, added: “I really enjoyed how the learners came together, queried the client brief in very acute and articulate ways, and how they then integrated answers into their many exciting ideas. I am always amazed by the potential that our learners have in making a real impact on our region and beyond.”
Ben Sharp, Head of Operations at Bloc Digital, said: “For me, events like the Digital Challenge are about much more than technology, they’re about people.
“At Bloc Digital, we see real value in getting involved at every level; sparking interest in digital careers, helping students build the right skills, and connecting with other employers to strengthen our region’s talent pipeline. It’s important for us as a company to support future employees, not just by offering opportunities but by being present, sharing our experiences, and learning from them too.
“Working alongside students, educators, and industry partners is always inspiring: and it’s great to see so much energy and creativity focused on solving real problems.”
Chris Barrow, External Affairs at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK and one of the Digital Challenge judges panel, commented: “It was great to be invited to participate in the first East Midlands IoT Digital Challenge event.
“The results presented by the teams were of a very high standard, and it was encouraging to see the level of engagement from the students in relation to the environmental and societal challenges that we face in the region with regards to mobility. We look forward to these teams bringing their solutions to fruition.”
Digital Challenge ‘client’ Derby City Council commented: “The students were set a challenge that many places, organisations and partners are seeking to address.
“The standard and quality of how the students rose to that challenge was inspiring, especially given the time in which they did so. They demonstrated real considered innovation and ingenuity, presented in a way that demonstrated not only their understanding of the challenge but transferable options to implement.”
Students will now work on developing their initial transport planning proposals, with the help of the businesses and organisations involved in the Digital Challenge.
For further information about the East Midlands Institute of Technology see our website at www.emiot.ac.uk
Further information about this news release is available from Sean Kirby, Communications Manager, East Midlands Institute of Technology, on email: sean.kirby@emiot.ac.uk
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