Scotland 5G Centre UoG Testbed — University of Glasgow Partnership
£1.6 million investment delivering transformative 5G solutions for healthcare, education, manufacturing, and sustainability across Scotland, with £29 million return on investment to date.
Project Overview
The Scotland 5G Centre's £1.6 million investment in the University of Glasgow's Communication, Sensing and Imaging (CSI) group has enabled the development of transformative 5G technological solutions for urban and rural communities across Scotland. With a £29 million return on investment to date, this partnership is delivering real-world impact across healthcare, education, manufacturing, and sustainability sectors.
The team is developing a 5G-enabled Smart Campus offering sustainable, healthier and intelligent solutions to students, academics and the surrounding community — already attracting investment into the area, creating new jobs, and contributing to Glasgow's carbon neutral commitment by 2030.
My Contribution: 5G Environmental Sensing & Energy Monitoring
As a Co-investigator for the Scotland 5G Centre Testbed led by Prof Muhammad Imran, featured on the Scotland 5G Centre project page, I led the development of the Persuasive Energy Conscious Network (PECN) — a 5G-enabled environmental sensing solution that has become one of the flagship demonstrators for the partnership.
The PECN Solution
PECN allows businesses and organisations to assess energy usage, monitor occupancy in real-time, and generate accurate data to reduce costs and carbon emissions. The system consists of 60+ LoRa-enabled smart energy monitoring nodes deployed across the University of Glasgow's James Watt South Building — a 2,000-occupant campus building — complemented by an AI-powered analytics dashboard. The live system was shown at COP26.
Key Capabilities
- Real-time energy consumption monitoring at appliance level
- Occupancy and space utilisation tracking
- AI-driven anomaly detection and forecasting
- Behavioural insights linking user density to energy patterns
- Automated alerts for energy waste
Strategic Alignment
The technology directly supports Scotland's Net Zero by 2045 target and Glasgow's carbon neutral commitment by 2030, helping organisations understand and reduce their environmental footprint.
Use Cases Demonstrated
| Use Case | Application | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Energy & Environmental Monitoring | PECN deployed in office environments to track energy consumption correlated with occupancy | Cost reduction, carbon emission reduction, Net Zero support |
| 5G Teleoperation | Remote control of robotic arms via secure 5G network with haptic feedback | Enables remote specialist healthcare (e.g., orthodontics) for rural populations |
| 5G Extended Reality (XR) | Immersive remote training environments delivered over 5G | Increased memory retention, reduced travel, cost-effective training |
| 5G Sensing for Healthcare | RF sensing for assistive living in care homes | Non-invasive health monitoring for vulnerable populations |
High-Profile Demonstrations
The work has been showcased at major events and to prominent stakeholders:
- COP26 Glasgow (2021): 3D video-conferencing demos, remote-controlled robotics & AI
- Scottish First Minister Visit: Demonstrated how 5G could transform education and manufacturing
- Industry Engagement: Presented to Nokia, Vodafone, Huawei, Samsung, Cisco
- Academic Delegations: President of UESTC China, Vice Chancellors from top engineering universities of Pakistan
- Digital Scotland Events: Featured speaker at Digital Scotland 2021 and 2022
Key Outcomes & Impact
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Investment | £1.6 million from Scotland 5G Centre |
| ROI Generated | £29 million return on investment |
| Technology Solutions | 4 major use cases (Teleoperation, Sensing, Environmental Monitoring, XR) |
| Infrastructure | 60+ energy monitoring nodes; 5G testbed network |
| Policy Alignment | Scotland Net Zero 2045; Glasgow Carbon Neutral 2030 |
| Sector Impact | Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Sustainability |
| Rural Reach | Solutions specifically designed for Scotland's 15%+ rural population |
Why This Matters for Scotland
More than 15% of Scotland's population lives in rural and remote areas where accessing professional services — particularly specialist healthcare — requires travelling long distances. The 5G solutions developed through this partnership directly address this inequality:
- Remote Healthcare: Teleoperation enables patients to access specialists without travel
- Energy Efficiency: PECN helps businesses reduce costs and meet Net Zero obligations
- Training Access: XR eliminates geographical barriers to professional development
- Smart Communities: Foundation for future smart cities across Scotland
The Scotland 5G Centre estimates that 5G could contribute £17 billion to Scotland's GDP by 2035 and create 160,000 new jobs. The University of Glasgow partnership is proving these projections through real-world demonstrators that are already attracting investment and creating impact.
References
- • Scotland 5G Centre Project Page: scotland5gcentre.org/s5gcprojectglasgow/
- • CSI Group: gla.ac.uk/research/az/csi/
- • Video Demonstration: youtube.com/watch?v=NAI0iXsz96g
- • Energy Monitoring Infographic: Scotland 5G Centre PDF
Project Details
- Role Co-Investigator & Core Research Team Member
- Investment £1.6 million
- ROI £29 million
- Funding Body Scotland 5G Centre
- Period 2019 – Ongoing
Investment Impact
Scotland 5G Projections
Key Partners
- Scottish Government
- Scottish Futures Trust
- University of Strathclyde
- Nokia
- Samsung
- Cisco
- Vodafone
- VMO2