Transport Management Systems provider Microlise, along with The University of Nottingham, have been awarded funding to work together on a project to develop innovative new solutions in the transport and logistics sector.
The funding of £359k from the Technology Strategy Board will be used to run a project which will result in the creation of new software tools which will result in significant cost savings and other benefits for the industry.
The project, “Value Enhancement for Data from Assets & Transactions” (VEDAT), aims to achieve customer and market value from the high volumes of complex data (Big Data) generated in real-time through telematics technology.
Providing new, innovative solutions
The backdrop to VEDAT is the 30,000,000 miles worth of event data generated through Microlise telematics solutions. This data is used at a local level by customers to understand driver behaviour, vehicle usage and customer service levels. However, taken as a whole, the data captured around driving style, risk areas and vehicle flow rates represents a whole additional dimension for Microlise to provide further innovative solutions.
The VEDAT project will take advantage of Microlise technology and market experience, as well as the expertise in hardware products of the company’s research & development team, and will utilise the OEM relationship between Microlise and a global vehicle manufacturer also involved in the project.
The University of Nottingham will provide the extensive skills available through its’ Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning (ASAP), Advanced Data Analysis Centre (ADAC) and Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC) teams.
Creating a lasting impact on how 'Big Data' is used
The project will be led at The University of Nottingham by Professor Robert John, Head of the ASAP research group at the school of computer science and will use innovative data mining and advanced data analytics techniques.
Speaking about the project, Professor John said: “The VEDAT project should yield some exciting applications for industry that have a lasting impact of the way that Big Data can be used.”
“Through Microlise telematics technology, a huge amount of data is collected each day that has the capability to offer great insight to those in industry. Our aim is allow organisations to unlock the power of this data.”
Applications for other sectors
The project is expected to last two years and run at a total cost of £500,000. The approaches planned for Data Exploration during this period will culminate in novel tools and approaches, with additional applications across other sectors that suffer 'Data Silo' black-holes, such as finance, engineering, biotech/informatics, and other complex disparate data environments.
Matt Hague, Product Strategy Director at Microlise, added: “As a solutions led company, we are delighted to be partnering with the University of Nottingham on this project which has secured the backing of the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.”
“The opportunities that Big Data offers transport and logistics operators are significant and we are confident that the VEDAT project will offer significant benefits to the industry”.
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More information is available from Nick King, Marketing Projects Manager, Business Engagement and Innovation Services at The University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 823 2184, or on nicholas.king@nottingham.ac.uk or from Jonathan Dolby, Head of Marketing & Communications at Microlise on jonathan.dolby@microlise.com (0)1773 537000
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with campuses in China and Malaysia modelled on a headquarters that is among the most attractive in Britain’ (Times Good University
Guide 2014). It is also the most popular university in the UK among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the World’s Top 75 universities by the QS World University Rankings.
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About Microlise
Microlise is a leading Transport Management Systems provider. Our systems, underpinned by market leading telematics technology, enable customers to reduce operating costs and environmental impact by maximising the efficiency of their transportation. Key drivers for implementing a Microlise system are to increase utilisation & productivity, reduce fleet & operational costs, improve customer service, improve driver safety & fuel economy and ultimately lower CO2 emissions. For more information, please visit www.microlise.com.
About the Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is the UK’s innovation agency. Its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org.