Could the birthplace of global warming help tackle the climate change crisis?
A town in Shropshire which is often accredited with starting
off climatic change may lead the fourth industrial revolution and help to tackle
the weather change crisis, among the UK's top tech minds claimed.
Ironbridge Gorge is widely seen as the birthplace of the
industrial revolution, with iron smelting technology, extensive coal and tar
mining, tile and china manufacture and also the world’s first cast-iron bridge born
in the area.
And according to Tim Luft, a Government technology dealmaker for that Department of International Trade, it can lead the planet into the new digital industrial revolution just as it did with the first industrial revolution.
Learning from innovation
“If you go to Ironbridge throughout the first industrial
revolution, everyone was innovating and tinkering with new materials and
creating services that they didn't really know what they'd be utilized for
at the time,” says Tim, who's also the founder owner of Telford's VR
Simulation Systems and the digital champion for that Telford Business Forum.
“There wasn't any knowledge of smelting iron so you could
develop a bridge or perhaps a tower – they were just experimenting.
“I think we are able to learn from that innovation here today. If you take a look at changing technology like a raw material as opposed to that which was available in the era of the first industrial revolution, then the ability to actually create new products that do not actually exist yet is really where there is really a crossover.”
Festival of Imagination
Tim will be bringing a futuristic feel towards the Festival of Imagination, a two-week celebration from the Ironbridge Gorge's past, present and future which runs for two weeks this September.
The festival, organised by Telford & Wrekin Council,
with funding from Arts Council England's Cultural Destinations Tourism Fund
runs between September 14-29.
It aims to interact, inspire and educate people concerning the Ironbridge Gorge, not just looking at its history and effect on the planet, but taking a look at what is there now and just how the area can affect alternation in the near future.
Artificial intelligence and technology
“Fifteen of the top 20 jobs in tech don't exist yet for
children when they leave school because they do not understand what they are going to
be – technologies are continuing to move forward that quick,” says Tim.
“If you appear in the whole growth of artificial intelligence
and technology around augmented reality, virtual reality and simulation then
you will find massive possibilities to come up with products.
“It's only within the last 10 years or so that we have seen this
platform where innovators are coming in with businesses that are becoming
billion pound companies based on ideas, not from recycleables.
“It's people saying 'let's do something different and
disrupt the technology that's there to try something new'. That's the link
back to the past – suddenly people are being more creative and being more
disruptive.
“You can reason that the united states Silicon Valley started at large amount of this, but where there is an chance of Ironbridge is perfect for it to state 'could we create an atmosphere and encourage that creativity with our young adults?'.”
Freedom of young minds
Education through events like Festival of Imagination as
along with school is essential, believes Tim, who says the liberty of young minds and a
fearlessness to experiment and explore is key to the Ironbridge Gorge being
in a position to lead this change.
“It has to start with children as well as in schools. This level of
imagination and creativity comes when you have no risk, no barriers and can
start tinkering with ideas. It would be really great to see Ironbridge
leading that,” said Tim.
“Ironbridge was a hotbed of smelting metal, noise and moving
goods around, there is need for these goods to become exported all over the world
and that created a buzz. There was a supply chain and industry grew all around
it, and also the whole of this area and also the Black Country grew – and that we needs to be
taking a look at where technology can provide that supply chain again.
“Technology isn't just about building code or an algorithm
for a bit of AI, you need expertise around that to make it work and that
fascinates me.
“These will be really innovative jobs, which we
don't know what they are likely to be yet. But we will need to look
at just how we use technology to solve big societal problems.
“It could be argued that Ironbridge created global warming,
well can we turn that on its head an say that Ironbridge can solve global
warming?
“Could we put the challenge out that we want Ironbridge to be the creative part of the world to help tackle big issues like climate change and plastics, using technology for good. It would be an excellent opportunity.”
