The Connected Digital Economy Catapult aims to position the UK as a leader in developing and launching digitally-enabled systems to harness the digital economy's potential. It focuses on collaboration between businesses, research organizations, and the public sector, targeting key areas such as media, digital adoption, and the merging of physical and virtual worlds. The catapult will operate as a not-for-profit entity, providing facilities, expertise, and opportunities for innovation across sectors to help UK companies capitalize on digitalization.

1. Connected Digital Economy Catapult
An over overview of the
Technology Strategy Board’s
planning for the
Connected Digital Economy Catapult
Webinar September 2012
Catapult is a Technology Strategy Board programme

2. The
Vision
To
make
the
UK
the
best
place
in
the
world
to
develop
and
launch
digitally-­‐enabled
systems,
services
and
products
to
unlock
the
digital
economy’s
massive
economic
poten7al
and
support
its
rapid
commercialisa7on
by
UK
companies.
The
Catapult
will
achieve
this
by
• being
highly
networked,
collabora7ve
and
business
led
• developing
world-­‐class
R&D&I
exper7se
and
facili7es
• in
a
single
physical
centre
forcing
mul7-­‐disciplinarity
and
above
all,
by
bringing
together
large
and
small
businesses,
research
organisa7ons,
and
the
public
sector
in
ways
that
haven’t
happened
before.

3. Why
a
centre
is
required
The
consensus
community
feedback
is
that
The
Catapult
must
be:
• A
physical
centre
of
world-­‐class
Research
&
Innova7on
• Fully
engaged
with
users
&
developers
• A
catalyst
for
innova7on
by
coordina7ng
demand
and
supply
The
Catapult
must
help
the
community
by:
• Helping
define
industry-­‐wide
strategic
innova7on
needs
• Coordina7ng
innova7on
demand
and
supply
(cross-­‐sectorally)
• Steering
joint
development
of
industry-­‐wide
plaRorms
• Giving
the
community
access
to
shared
exper7se
and
facili7es
• Showcasing
UK
leading-­‐edge
innova7ons
to
global
markets

4. Main
market
opportuni7es
addressed
In-­‐depth
consulta7on
has
iden7fied
3
areas
where
the
community
expects
the
Catapult
to
add
most
value.
Media
and
Content
Suppor7ng
the
development
of
leading-­‐edge
plaRorms
and
applica7ons
with
SMEs
and
large
companies
Digital
adop7on
across
all
services
sectors
Transferring
exper7se
and
models
from
sectors
with
high
digital
penetra7on
(eg
media)
to
newer
sectors
(eg
e-­‐health
and
educa7on)
and
developing
solu7ons
to
sector-­‐level
problems
Merging
of
physical
and
virtual
worlds
Suppor7ng
the
development
of
“plaRorm-­‐level”
demonstrators-­‐
pilots
and
giving
test
beds
to
SMEs
and
large
companies
to
develop
applica7ons

5. Core
R&D
and
Innova7on
capabili7es
Catapult
world-­‐class
exper7se
in
these
areas
will
help
its
communi7es
explore
and
develop
massive
opportuni7es
in
each
of
the
market
areas
iden7fied.
“Big
Data”
There
is
limited
ability
to
iden7fy,
access,
interrogate,
manipulate
and
re-­‐use
the
vast
data
resources
available
via
the
internet
User
centricity
There
is
weak
understanding
of
user
needs/expecta7ons
which
are
typically
not
embedded
into
all
elements
of
system
design
inhibi7ng
take-­‐up
&
usability
Trusted
internet
Poor
user
iden7fica7on
and
authen7ca7on,
privacy,
trust
and
security
on
the
internet
is
inhibi7ng
its
adop7on
in
a
wide
range
of
markets
and
applica7ons
Infrastructure
and
mobile
The
nature
of
emerging
internet
infrastructure
is
poorly
understood
yet
its
impact
upon
business
models
and
markets
will
be
fundamental
and
extreme

6. Catapult
long
term
capabili7es
Major
markets
and
sectors
Ecosystem
build
and
support
Pilot,
demo’
&
test
beds
“Big
data”
Strategic
applied
R&D
User
centricity
&
experience
Trusted
internet
Closeness
to
market
Infrastructure
&
mobile
CDE
Catapult
areas
of
experAse
Where
available,
strategic
partners
with
relevant
facili7es
and
capabili7es
will
be
asked
to
make
them
open
to
others
to
access.
Where
not
available,
the
Catapult
will
develop
these
assets
to
support
UK
innova7on.

7. Open
access
culture
The
Catapult
has
3
categories
of
“space”.
Catapult
R&D
teams
CollaboraBon
space
2nd
In-­‐house
R&D
space,
supported
facili7es
and
collabora7ons
e.g.
Catapult
1st
Catapult
front
office
plus
front
office
IP
Advisors
Investor
clubs
R&D
grant
finders
SME
advisors/networks
G
“Public”
space
for
exhibi7ons,
teaching,
etc
MeeBng
Raised
lecture
theatre
crea7ng
SME
awareness
rooms
Exhibi7on
space
Videowalls
and
crea7ng
new
“supply
chains”
and
communi7es
“Flat”
teaching
&
Recep%on
exhibiBon
space
The
alloca7on
of
space
to
be
determined
by
Catapult
priori7es
&
some
of
these
facili7es
will
be
delivered
by
partners

8. Applica7on
of
exper7se
R&D
partnerships
and
projects
building
core
CDE
Catapult
dis7nc7ve
capabili7es
Collabora7ng
on
sector
specific
applica7ons
Rest
of
Suppor7ng
the
World
commercialisa7on
in
the
community
Other
Catapults
CDE
Catapult
partners,
networks,
SMEs
…

9. Connected
Digital
Economy
Catapult
Opening
in
2013
and
configured
to:
ü
operate
as
a
not-­‐for-­‐profit
independent
company
ü
become
a
world-­‐class
centre
of
applied
R&D
ü support
the
journey
“research”
“applica7on”
ü
collaborate
widely
and
openly
ü
support
innova7on
&
business
in
many
“sectors”
ü build
communi7es
within
and
between
sectors
ü
provide
test-­‐beds,
exper7se
and
networks
to
SMEs
ü
help
UK
be
the
place
to
innovate

10. Conclusion
The
Catapult
will
have
massive
economic
and
social
impact
on
the
UK
by
allowing
its
companies
to
fully
exploit
the
opportuni7es
which
increased
“digitalisa7on”
is
bringing
to
almost
every
sector
of
the
economy.
This
view
is
reinforced
by
the
very
significant
buy-­‐in
from
large
companies
and
SMEs
from
all
relevant
sectors
and
from
universi7es
across
the
UK
who
hope
to
collaborate
and
coordinate
with
the
Catapult.