Smart London Innovation Network

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The Smart London Innovation Network (SLIN) is an initiative that brings together and coordinates existing and emerging smart city activities across London.
What are the main aims and objectives?

SLIN seeks to foster innovation by identifying, connecting, and supporting smart city activities across London, creating an ecosystem where SMEs and innovators can thrive. SLIN focuses on addressing urban challenges through technology and data, particularly in areas like connectivity, transportation, and data analysis. By Q1 2015, the network aimed to engage with approximately 100 innovative London-based SMEs, with up to 30% receiving further support through workshops and challenge-led competitions. Ultimately, SLIN's overarching objective is to improve the quality of life for Londoners by making the city more efficient, responsive, and livable, while positioning London as a global leader in smart city development and driving economic growth through innovation.

How does the program work?

The Smart London Innovation Network (SLIN) operates as a cornerstone of London's smart city strategy, employing a multifaceted approach to drive innovation and urban development. At its core, SLIN functions as a collaborative framework, bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders including innovators, technologists, and those with the resources to implement smart infrastructure. This ecosystem fosters the development and implementation of innovative solutions across the city, addressing key urban challenges in areas such as connectivity, transportation, and data analysis.

SLIN consists of two main components: the Smart London Districts Network and the Smart London Infrastructure Network. These networks focus on three primary areas: connecting people and creating communities, navigation and transportation, and metering, monitoring, and analysis. By concentrating on these areas, SLIN aims to address the resource pressures anticipated with London's projected population growth to nearly 10 million by 2030.

One of the primary mechanisms through which SLIN operates is the facilitation of innovation challenges, exemplified by initiatives like Challenge LDN. These open innovation contests encourage tech sector involvement in solving urban issues, resulting in numerous projects and pilots that directly address city problems. Complementing this approach is the work of the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI), which plays a crucial role in fostering joint innovation projects with boroughs, ensuring that smart city solutions are tailored to the specific needs of different areas within London.

SLIN's operations extend beyond technological innovation to encompass broader societal goals. The network supports digital inclusion initiatives, such as the Digital Access for All mission, which aims to ensure that every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills, and necessary devices. This focus on inclusivity is balanced with ethical considerations, as evidenced by the network's adherence to London's Emerging Technology Charter, which provides practical and ethical guidance on the deployment of smart technologies in the city.

Sustainability is another key aspect of SLIN's work. The network aligns its efforts with the Mayor's sustainability goals, supporting the introduction of green technologies and advanced solutions to achieve net-zero emissions targets. This commitment to sustainable development is complemented by SLIN's support for data utilization initiatives like the London DataStore, which promotes open data sharing to enable data-driven decision-making and foster transparency in city governance.

What is the overall cost?

There is no available information about the cost of SLIN

How was it implemented?

The Smart London Innovation Network (SLIN) was created as a key initiative to support the Mayor of London's vision for smart city innovation and to address the challenges of London's growing population. The network's establishment was part of the broader Smart London Plan, published in December 2013, which set out a targeted program of activity to transform London into a leading smart city.

The creation of SLIN was a direct response to the commitment made in the Smart London Plan to "Establish a Smart London Innovation Network by 2014." To bring this vision to life, the Greater London Authority approved an expenditure of £80,000 as a grant funding contribution to the Institute for Sustainability to develop the Smart London Innovation Network program.

The network was designed to identify and bring together existing and emerging smart city activities across the capital. It aimed to support SMEs and London's innovation community in seizing market opportunities and scaling them up. The SLIN was structured around two main components: the Smart London Districts Network and the Smart London Infrastructure Network. These networks focused on three primary areas: connecting people and creating communities, navigation and transportation, and metering, monitoring, and analysis.

The development of SLIN involved collaboration between various stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, infrastructure providers, IT/software providers, property developers, corporates, London boroughs, universities, investors, and experts. This collaborative approach was intended to examine Smart London challenges and articulate market opportunities, ultimately supporting SMEs and the wider ecosystem in seizing and scaling up these opportunities.

What impact has been measured?

There is currently no information available about the impact of SLIN.

What lessons can be learned?

The benefits of this programme include: 

1) The winners get direct exposure to potential customers, increasing their chances of doing business with them.

2) Infrastructure network members are better able to understand demand-side needs and possible solutions to them.

Notes + Additional Context

About policy instruments related to corporate procurement (excerpt from Nesta's ‘Idea Bank’ for Local Policymakers):

Corporate customers can be transformative for startups. As well as their direct custom, large companies bring validation, industry connections and market insight. However, selling into large companies is often little easier than selling into government – as with the public sector, corporate procurement processes can be slow, cumbersome and bureaucratic. This could be improved by promoting the use of simplified procurement contracts and incentivising prompt payment by suppliers.

From their side, many corporates report that startups are ill-prepared to become suppliers. Local government can therefore assist by educating potential suppliers about typical procurement processes. Search costs can be reduced by encouraging brokering or matching events between potential partners and improving visibility of smaller firms so that larger players can more readily identify them.

In addition, many corporates like to engage with startups through alternative mechanisms before entering into a procurement relationship. For instance, a startup might begin a relationship with a large firm via a corporate accelerator or corporate hackathon, long before it reaches a procurement agreement. This can be aided by policies which raise awareness of the benefits and mechanisms of collaboration, promote collaboration as a life skill for young people, and encourage collaboration between suppliers (e.g. as a qualifying criterion for public contracts or grants).

CURATED BY

Chris Haley

Head of Research
United Kingdom