Global technology giant IBM have joined forces with the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company to transform Whitehill & Bordon into a smart town, improving connectivity and efficiency, making it a town for the future.
The smart town concept has been a hot topic of conversion in the technology world, with architecture giant UNStudio launching their own smart technology start-up; and that same technology is coming to Whitehill & Bordon.
The new collaboration with IBM will bring state-of-the-art technology to the town, which will mean Whitehill & Bordon runs at a far heightened efficiency, but additionally, the technology will elevate connectivity higher than any town before.
The smart town technology will enable residents to interact with their home and allow businesses to interact with their offices, but it will also provide the direct link between consumers and local businesses, meaning faster and more efficient exchanges than ever before. IBM also understand the need for ease of communication with the council to allow for quick improvements and increased access to public services.
IBM are also keen for Whitehill & Bordon to be a healthy town, allowing residents and businesses to thrive by providing care to those in need and by encouraging healthy lifestyles through exercise and nutrition, meaning a more sustainable future for the town.
Another key focus is transport and movement within Whitehill & Bordon, and IBM are keen to create smart systems to decrease traffic, reduce journey times and improve the air quality to allow far easier day-to-day movement.
James Child, Programme Director of the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, commented on the significance of Whitehill & Bordon’s smart future, “The integration of smart technology into everyday life is an essential part of creating a future-proofed and sustainable new town. In five, ten, 15 years’ time, it will no longer be good enough to just have a fully-connected smart home, we will need to have smart streets, work places, transport, education and health facilities and more all talking to each other and making life easier and healthier.
“I am delighted that IBM is an active partner in the creation and delivery of digital solutions to meet the way in which people will choose to live and work in the new town. The design thinking to date has been exciting and I believe that together we can make a real difference to the lives of people in Whitehill & Bordon through this programme.”
Whitehill & Bordon – the UK’s New Smart Town
IBM will be utilising their Design Thinking method to transform Whitehill & Bordon, which puts the residents and businesses at the heart of the design. Through intelligent thinking and top-quality technology, the town can focus on solutions that will tackle real-world problems and provide solutions that work for everyone.
Councillor Ferris Cowper, portfolio holder for Whitehill & Bordon at East Hampshire District Council, has welcomed the new collaboration stating, “To have such a famous corporation of IBM’s distinction just shows that Whitehill & Bordon’s regeneration is firmly on the trail of success and prosperity.
With IBM’s help everyone in the town, in the new build and the existing town, will be able to look forward to a dramatic improvement in the quality of day-to-day living. The first few homes will be able to do that within just a couple of years.”
Joining forces with a global firm of the calibre of IBM is a recognition of the vast potential Whitehill & Bordon’s future holds for everyone that makes it. Businesses will be able to run faster and more efficiently than ever, putting Whitehill & Bordon on the map as a new tech hub in the UK. Creative minds can exchange ideas and interact to further their business potential, while also having unrivalled access to local consumers.
The new smart town of Whitehill & Bordon has it’s eyes firmly fixed on the future.
