Kingston University London

London-based university accesses unique expertise via Enterprise Europe Network London.

A Kingston University researcher sought expertise to demonstrate an exciting new prototyping platform and found the right Italian company at an Enterprise Europe Network brokerage event.

London-based academic Fleeta Chew Siegel has unique expertise in the area of digital media technology and seeks to introduce his students to the latest innovations.

At an Enterprise Europe Network London event on Next Generation Web, Fleeta encountered a wide array of the latest technologies from across the UK and Europe. One particular innovation caught his eye.

In 2005 Tinker IT produced an innovative open-source electronics prototyping platform based on a flexible hardware and software called Arduino. In the event’s networking session, Fleeta approached Tinker IT’s Brock Craft, and arranged for Brock to visit Kingston University and demonstrate the programme.

“The meeting went really well and the event provided the perfect backdrop in which to discuss emerging technology and how to collaborate, as we were able to see what the current state of development was in the realm of academia and SMEs,” Fleeta said.

As a result of the meeting, Fleeta invited Tinker to run an Arduino workshop at Kingston University, London for the MA Interaction Design students, to implement and adopt the platform.

“The evolution of the projects from previous years was improved dramatically to the point where students were able to ‘hack’ together sensors from the Wii and touch pads in order to make their final projects, based entirely on the knowledge gained from the Tinker workshops,” Fleeta said. “These projects would have been impossible without the guidance and insight provided by Brock and the team from Tinker.”

Enterprise Europe Network London is a consortium of business support organisations, including GLE, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and LTN. They are part of a European-wide network consisting of 600 offices across 40 countries, assisting companies to engage in transnational technology transfer.

For more information please contact Enterprise Europe Network London at 020 7940 1512 / innovation@gle.co.uk