Innovating & Collaborating for Better Public Services

Valentine’s Day 2019 saw experts on Property, Construction and Technology converge on the QE2 Centre in Central London. The purpose being to share expertise, ideas and lessons in the hope that we will all benefit from a leaner, more efficient and smarter state; using technologies not only for communication and working, but devices and sensors to monitor infrastructure, and so very much more. The opportunities seemed boundless, the challenge of course is where to start.

There was much talk about sensors, smart devices, unified communications, space sharing, digital twining and so on, but the takeaway (for me) was the real appetite for innovation and the burning platform of current funding challenges. Whether we like it or not, the state will need to be smaller, more focused, better able to use physical and human resources for an even bigger and better impact. Whether its front line service or simply things that just keep the “lights on”, doing more with less, is a mantra that seems even more relevant today.

My perspective is simple, though I recognise that solving the problem is not.

Technology and culture change, ways of working and trust, all have to dovetail together if we are to get the most from the promise (and sometimes peril) of technology. It’s going to take minds far smarter than mine to realise the maximum potential of “convergence” in my field of telecommunications, leveraging every last possibility to ensure that services are really going to be more relevant, less costly and immediately available at point of need. To do this we need to find a way to break down a few barriers and to recognise that 5G, IOT, Machine learning, RPA and Big Data are great technologies looking to become a solution, but in and of themselves they will deliver little lasting value, unless they come together in the real world.

To that end BT are looking to identify some of the great new ideas which will make this difference. Our business is about joining it all together in a way that is secure, reliable and safe. Whether its communications to support the critical infrastructure of Great Britain or ensuring that devices communicate with other devices remotely to manage key services supporting the fabric of the country, BT is continuing to innovate, partner and deliver upon the promise of technology for the Next Generation.

The “Post Brexit period” will be critical for us all and collaboration and innovation will need to be the watchwords if we are to build a strong, thriving economy and deliver upon the promise of technology to transform our lives, at home, at work and at play.

Watch this space.