The IoT is a network of computers, devices, and ‘things’ that collect data to be processed and shared to benefit individuals and industries. By introducing IoT to manufacturing and energy industries, Industrial IoT (I-IoT) is focused on delivering large scale information and automation to bring more efficiencies, operational benefits and opportunities for new service development.

The I-IoT is set to revolutionise rural UK industries with the help of 5G connectivity by enabling accessibility to greater amounts of data at greater speeds and with lower network latencies than before.

This theme will focus on the Orkney Islands, a group of 70 islands, of which only 20 are permanently inhabited.  It is the second most poorly connected part of the UK, making it the perfect place to trial connectivity that must work in the most rural or isolated areas.

Use cases include:

  • Aquaculture Health Monitoring
    • farmed salmon is the UK’s largest food export, and therefore a major contributor to our national economy.  Measuring parameters (pH / dissolved oxygen / salinity / temperature) inside and outside the salmon cages is vital as exceeded parameters can pose a serious risk of death to the fish stocks. Despite this being a tech heavy industry, deployment today is seriously constrained by limited connectivity.
  • Connected Windfarm
    • 5G-connected weather sensors installed at the Hammars Hill windfarm in Orkney to help operators to identify incoming patches of disruptive or dangerous weather that could damage the turbines – and enable them to make more informed decisions, faster.
  • 5G Smart Parking
    • A smart mobility solution to help manage traffic flow at popular tourist sites during peak season. Historic and real-time data on which parking spots are busiest allows tourists to plan their travel, and the tourist board to learn more about which destinations attract the most visitors.
  • Security At Sea
    • IoT sensors provide remote 24/7 monitoring of sea farms located off the Orkney coast and alert farmers to feeder barge breaches – keeping them abreast of any disturbances to doors, feeder hops and pipes, fuel caps and more.