The University of Wollongong and an Illawarra-based technology company will work together on research and implementation of smart cities technology.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The partnership between UOW and the local arm of Japanese conglomerate NEC Australia, which has an office at UOW's Innovation Campus in Fairy Meadow, will see the two organisations work together on projects that will improve the quality of life in urban environments.
This will include projects covering transport, maintenance of civic assets, measuring the resilience and reliability of critical infrastructure, and promoting sustainability and the circular economy.
While the partnership is yet to determine a specific project that residents will see, Andrew Thompson, head of strategic growth for NEC Australia said projects could be similar to those rolled out by Danish NEC subsidiary KMD in Copenhagen.
"There are ways of measuring energy usage, and we hope to be able to change behaviour by showing your energy usage and how that maps back to your carbon footprint," he said.
"So instead of taking a five-minute shower and boiling the kettle at 8.15am when everybody is doing it and energy prices are high, you could wait half-an-hour and boil the kettle then and save money but also be more efficient."
UOW deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president (research and sustainable futures) professor David Currow said the technology could assist with creating a more sustainable city through increasing walking and cycling.
"Smart cities are about every aspect of urban design, so as we adapt to allow better pedestrian movement, coordinate infrastructure like traffic lights to accommodation greater use of bicycles, all of those things are about how we make our cities more liveable and create better infrastructure for the livability of the cities in which we reside," he said.
It's not the first time that Wollongong has dabbled with the "smart" city label.
In 2021, Wollongong City Council rolled out smart bins with sensors to detect capacity limits, while sensors installed at key waterways to detect floods before they occur were rolled out in 2020 in partnership with UOW SMART Infrastructure Facility.
While the latest partnership doesn't yet include Wollongong council, Professor Currow said any future projects delivered by UOW and NEC would have to have local governments involved.
"We need partnerships with every level of government, Wollongong City Council, with state and federal governments, but also with community organisations."
Along the way, Mr Thompson said protecting the data of the city's residents was an important part of the project.
"The management of safety and security is paramount to our operations," he said. "In that regard we draw on our expertise, both locally and internationally, to provide thought leadership within cyber security but also safe and efficient monitoring of government and enterprise systems."
NEC Australia CEO Jason Price said as Wollongong grew, the partnership would enable a more efficient city for current and future residents.
"Wollongong is the third largest city in New South Wales and is growing at a rapid rate. We believe working with the University of Wollongong to incorporate innovative technology solutions and sustainable practices will play an important role in helping create a smarter, more efficient city for the people of Illawarra."
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
