HUB-IN funding brings innovative visitor experiences to Belfast’s Maritime Mile

Belfast HUB-IN aims to further enrich and animate Belfast's Maritime Mile through digital innovation.

An illuminated Belfast City Hall and Donegall Place

Belfast region secures £3.8m wireless innovation funding

Driving economic growth and innovation by unlocking the opportunities presented by advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies.  

SS Nomadic and Titanic Belfast visitor attractions

HUB-IN: Transforming Belfast’s Maritime Mile through innovation

Belfast HUB-IN aims to further enrich and animate Belfast's Maritime Mile through digital innovation.

Woman wearing virtual reality headset

Augment the City

Major new funding competition to support local SMEs to innovate in immersive technologies to enhance the visitor experience.

Older resident walking down street in Belfast neighbourhood

Homes for Healthy Ageing testbed in Belfast

A new healthy ageing testbed has been set up in Belfast to trial innovative approaches to tackling isolation and loneliness in older people as part of the £2.5 million Connected Places Catapult 'Homes for Healthy Ageing' Programme.

Smart Belfast Urban Innovation Framework 2022 – 2026

The Smart Belfast Urban Innovation Framework aims to harness urban innovation to tackle Belfast's major economic, social and environmental challenges.

NI’s first public data panel launched

Northern Ireland's first public data panel will work with citizens to consider how data is used in research, innovation and decision-making in Northern Ireland.  

Homes for Healthy Ageing innovation showcase event

Healthy ageing innovation showcase

Businesses showcased and shared insights on the innovative products and services they trialled in real-world settings through a pioneering healthy ageing testbed in the Markets area of Belfast.

FinTech: Better access to business support and finance

Making it easier for local businesses to find and receive support and finance to help them grow.

Innovative Procurement Challenge – Belfast and Sejong

Belfast City Council worked with Connected Places Catapult and the South Korean city of Sejong to develop an Innovative Procurement Playbook to better understand the challenges related to innovative procurement.

People cycling using Belfast's public bike hire scheme, Belfast Bikes.

Using machine vision to manage active travel routes in Belfast

This pilot is looking at how machine vision and machine learning can help to identify obstacles along Belfast routes that can reduce the capacity for more active travel.

Using IoT and data analytics to improve waste management

Belfast City Council trialled sensors to better understand how litter bins are being used in the city.

Streetdock bike launch

Belfast electric delivery bikes pilot

Belfast is supporting a trial of electric delivery bikes by local company, streetdock.

Civic Dollars founder Stephen McPeake, Lord Mayor of Belfast and Minister for Department of Justice

Civic Dollars app trial in Belfast

Belfast trialled a community currency mobile app which enables people to earn ‘Civic Dollars’ for the time they spend in local parks.

Open Data Fund winners

Belfast companies win funding for innovative open data projects

Belfast City Council is working with locals companies Xpand and Allstate NI on two innovative data projects.

Free AWS cloud computing skills training

Innovation City Belfast and TechTalent Academy are collaborating with Amazon Web Services to deliver a new, free online training programme – AWS re/Start.

Innovation City Belfast Board members

New Innovation City Belfast partnership launches

Innovation City Belfast, formed by six of the city’s key institutions, aims to accelerate growth in Belfast’s most exciting knowledge economy clusters, while at the same time supporting Belfast to prepare for the impact of innovation. 

Belfast Bike

Belfast introduces 450 new ‘smart’ bikes to public hire scheme

Belfast's public bike hire scheme has introduced 450 new 'smart' bikes with upgraded features using a smart technology framelock, solar energy and GPS technology.

Pathway in Belfast park

Amazing Spaces, Smart Places pilot projects in Belfast parks – Phase 2

Using data and innovative technologies to ensure our parks are safe, accessible and enjoyed by all.

Belfast launches first climate plan for the city

Belfast's Resilience Strategy aims to transition the city to an inclusive, zero-emissions, climate-resilient economy in a generation.

Belfast pioneering new global policy roadmap for the ethical use of smart city technologies

Belfast is collaborating with other leading smart cities and global experts to refine policies in areas such as privacy protection, cybersecurity, open data and digital connectivity.

Artemis zero emissions ferry

Belfast consortium to develop zero-emissions ferry

Belfast aims to be a global leader in zero emissions maritime technology with the development of the world's most environmentally friendly high-speed ferries.

Screenshot of Covid Connect NI website

Covid Connect NI website launched to tackle Covid-19 challenges

Belfast City Council has launched a new website to connect organisations and provide solutions to Covid-19 challenges.

Companies taking part in Amazing Spaces, Smart Places pilot projects in Belfast parks

Amazing Spaces, Smart Places pilot projects in Belfast parks – Phase 1

Using data and innovative technologies to ensure our parks are safe, accessible and enjoyed by all.

Winners of Open Data NI Fund competition

Belfast companies win funding for innovative open data projects

Belfast City Council is working with locals companies Xpand and AllState NI on two innovative data projects.

ParkUnload app

Belfast’s ‘smart’ loading zones proving popular with drivers

Belfast is trialling innovative solutions to help manage loading bays and electric vehicle charging points at two sites in the city as part of the Last Mile Delivery challenge.

Translink launches Northern Ireland’s first hydrogen buses

Translink launches Northern Ireland’s first hydrogen buses

Northern Ireland's public transport provider, Translink has launched Northern Ireland’s first sustainable fuel cell buses powered by hydrogen from local on-shore wind energy.

Electric vehicle

Belfast unveils new electric vehicles for city parks

Belfast City Council is reviewing its vehicle fleet, with long-term ambitions set for transition to low carbon transport options in the future.

Cave Hill in Belfast

Draft Belfast Resilience Strategy launched

Individuals and organisations across Belfast have worked together to identify the shocks and stresses which make the city more vulnerable, and could threaten our economic, social or environmental future.

Translink Glider bus

Belfast Glider buses boost passenger numbers

The Belfast Rapid Transit Glider service has contributed to 1.67 million fewer car journeys in 2018-19, reducing congestion and enhancing city air quality. 

Daytime harbour and docklands Belfast

Phase two of Last Mile Delivery challenge

Smart, low cost solutions to optimise freight and cargo deliveries in urban centres, and improve traffic management, air quality, noise pollution and road safety.

Belfast Harbour in UK first for 5G technology, using AR and VR

BT brings 5G future to Belfast Harbour with live demonstrations of augmented and virtual reality.

People cycling using Belfast's public bike hire scheme, Belfast Bikes.

Belfast Bikes help to reduce car usage and traffic congestion

Belfast's public bike hire scheme is helping to reduce car usage and traffic congestion, while offering a low cost and healthy way to travel around Belfast city centre.

A small team of office workers at a desk, one laptop is open on emails

Measuring the economic impact of Belfast’s investments

We want to understand the needs and ambitions of your company and how digital investments can help you innovate and grow your business.

Belfast Skyline

Using machine learning to support business rates collection

We explored how data analytics and machine learning can maximise the accurate collection of business rates, as well as maintain an up-to-date register of businesses in the city.

What is ‘Hello Maritime Mile’?

We're part of a pilot project that’s using technology to create an engaging and fun experience for visitors and residents exploring the Maritime Mile in the Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

Queen’s University researchers

Belfast trailblazing in 5G

Queen’s University Belfast researchers win major global award for 5G network research.

Belfast joins global ‘City Possible’ programme

Belfast has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mastercard to become the latest member of its new 'City Possible' programme.

Sport cyclist on bike on country road

iPedal intelligent city cycling pilot

Cycling is a key solution to urban mobility. More cyclists means less commuters, reduced congestion and pollution while increasing the health and happiness of our citizens. Knowing more about cycling behaviour can help planners make our city more welcoming to cyclists.

Poster for Belfast Region City Deal

Belfast Region City Deal – £1 billion investment

Belfast Region City Deal partners welcome news of £350 million investment from the UK Treasury. As part of the deal, the NI Executive is expected to add at least a further £350 million and councils will contribute over £100 million.

Smart Belfast investing in urban innovation

The region offers more than just skilled people, competitive costs and great infrastructure; it's a location that delivers altogether more for investors.

Using satellites to study urban air pollution

We're part of a UK Space Agency Space for Smarter Government project that’s using satellite technology to help our planners and residents understand urban air pollution.

Building a resilient city

Belfast is part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities global programme to support us in dealing with the physical, social and economic challenges of the 21st century.

Screen shot of VuCity software, stylised ariel view of Belfast

The future of city planning

We have been working with partners to explore the future of planning and the potential of new digital technologies to support systems that are more responsive to radical change and more centred around the future needs of citizens.

Bearded man wearing virtual reality headset

Bringing immersive tech to the mainstream

Belfast has become a magnet for talent in music, theatre, film and television. In a statement of our ambition the city has established a national Immersive Lab that seeks to bring Virtual and Augmented Reality Tech into the home, the office and on to the factory floor.

Close up of a man and woman shaking hands

Collaborating for urban innovation

Working with Invest NI we established the ‘Smart Belfast Collaborative Challenge’ which provides funding to SMEs to work together to explore innovative opportunities in the areas of Active Living, Tourism and Transport.

Drone footage of green landscape, lake and clear skies

Urban drone technologies

With a strong aeronautical engineering tradition, it’s not surprising that Belfast is also emerging as an ideal testbed for urban drone technologies.

Night time and the exterior of Belfast City Hill is lit up with pillars of gree, blue, purple, red and yellow light.

Illuminate the playable city

The concept of a playable city is one which encourages city-dwellers to engage with public spaces in playful, fun and creative ways.

Titanic Memorial, Belfast City Hall

Building a personal visitor experience

Our tourism industry is thriving; we have a unique offering and our visitors love it. We’re working with partners to find better ways to collect, share and analysis real-time tourist data in order to build the world-class offering.

Lady wearing augmented reality headset

Belfast, leading the way in urban innovation

The Smart Belfast framework is about creating the circumstances in which cross-sectoral innovation can flourish to address urban challenges.

Securing smart cities

Belfast is gaining a global reputation as a cyber security hub with the Centre for Secure Information Technologies now the largest cyber security centre in Europe.