Edinburgh’s ‘smart’ ambitions have been boosted with the announcement of a new £2.6m security and surveillance CCTV control centre.
The city council will invest in high-definition cameras, expanded security coverage, and the introduction of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence that can provide ‘situational awareness and predict and alert new and existing threats’.
The council has partnered with North, a leading IoT service and solution provider, deliver a transformational project set for completion in September this year.
The project will see North intelligently integrate the security system with traffic and transportation platforms to enhance the management of city operations.
It will improve efficiency, quickly identify and address issues, provide simple and rapid retrieval of footage, and integrate with remote security systems that are currently not connected to the existing control room.
The new system will allow for better city planning and will be able to provide a richer view of how people interact with the urban environment – whether on foot, bicycle or vehicle.
“Edinburgh has big ambitions in becoming a world-leading smart city – a digitally inclusive, data-rich and sustainable city with services that are easily accessible by all of our residents no matter where they are in the city, or what their circumstances are,” said council deputy leader Cammy Day.
“We’re looking to deliver a more digitally-enabled proactive service to help make everyone’s lives in our Scottish Capital better and so we can continue our work towards ending poverty, meeting our net zero targets and improving wellbeing for all.
“With this smart city partnership with North we’re looking to make transformative differences to the way we manage our city – gathering real-time intelligence to improve safety on our streets, manage services more effectively and better serve the wellbeing of our residents.
Through North, alongside our other partners, we believe we’ve found a strong partnership that will deliver on our world-leading vision, changing the way we provide our services to all, while improving our communities.”
The project will see the delivery of:
- Refurbishment and kit out of the control room at the central monitoring facility to create a central security hub
- Upgrading the city’s digital video surveillance system (VSS) which will be adaptable and allow for integration into the Council’s vision of a smart city operations centre in the future
- Advanced video analytics, set to greatly enhance city operations management and data analysis
- Installation of high-resolution Internet Protocol (IP) cameras as visual sensors to create a state-of-the-art video surveillance system (VSS)
- Replacing cameras from analogue to IP, which will drastically increase the quality of data captured and the capabilities of video content analysis and enable a variety of variables to be measured from data captured
The city operations capability project is jointly funded by the City of Edinburgh council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme known as ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’. Edinburgh is one of the seven Scottish cities collaboratively working toward becoming a world leading smart city. Supported by the Scottish Cities Alliance, a partnership of Scotland’s seven city local authorities and the Scottish Government, £48.2 million, including £20.3 million of ERDF support, is being invested in the ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’ Programme.
Related posts
Interviews
Comment
Getting the best out of patient data is key to unlocking future health benefits in Scotland
It is important that clinicians’ voices are heard in the consultation around Scotland’s new health and care data strategy, which closes this week (12 August). Busy GPs like myself are the trusted…
How motherhood helped me be a better leader
Consider this an open letter to anyone I have worked with before I became a mother and before I fully understood how being a parent is actually a prized asset…
‘We cannot achieve our goals without entrepreneurs’ – Kate Forbes on vision for new ‘tech scaler’ network
From the very start of my ministerial career, I have had responsibility for the Scottish tech sector – and I can still say what I have said from the start,…
Finding a role in cyber was ‘tough’ for Cheryl Torano. Now she’s determined to help other women join an under-represented industry
When I decided to upskill to change careers at the age of 30 and dive into the digital world, I knew I would be starting out at the bottom of…
Why innovation and marketing are the perfect partners to make changes that matter
With the rapid evolution of traditional marketing and the appearance of digital marketing, technology and innovation has become part of any marketer’s life without the need of working for a…
Transitioning to a four-day week – CEO’s vow to strike a healthier balance in the workplace
I came to Scotland nearly 20 years ago from Ireland, with no contacts but a lot of determination. While Ireland will always be my home, Scotland has given me amazing…
Women Lead: The female-led company championing intuitive working
Over the last two years, the pandemic forced a shift to more remote and flexible working practices. Whilst we might be seeing a “return to normal”, some companies are choosing…
Women Lead: My passion for young people to consider a career in digital
Twenty years ago, I stumbled across my career in digital marketing almost by accident. It was during my honours degree in marketing at Glasgow Caledonian University. I was on work…