Tourism is a cornerstone of the North East of England’s cultural and economic fabric, with top attractions such as Hadrian’s Wall, The Glasshouse, Centre for Life, and Alnwick Castle and Gardens drawing thousands of visitors each year. However, ensuring that these sites are accessible and engaging for all, regardless of ability, weather conditions, or technological limitations, remains a significant challenge.

Coming soon this Autumn, we are launching an open call for organisations with an idea for a product or service, that uses immersive and/or 5G technologies to bring value to or to help solve this problem for the tourism sector.  

Twelve successful organisations will be invited to join the programme to bring their solutions to life. This cohort will gain access to our private 5G testbed, immersive equipment, and will enjoy free coworking at our central 5G Immersive Lab, providing a collaborative environment to develop ideas.

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Context

September saw the opening of the brand-new Digital Catapult 5G Immersive Lab, based in Newcastle’s Eldon Square, which is there to help businesses better understand the power of 5G and immersive technologies.

5G and immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) have vast use cases across a number of different industries - one such industry is Tourism and Visitor Economy. There is arguably no better place than the North East of England to explore how these technologies can create high-quality experiences, that allow users to explore and experience regional culture in new ways.  

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Benefits of the Open Call

12 successful companies will benefit from:  

• Access to the 5G testbed.
• Use of immersive equipment (VR headsets, sensors, virtual glasses).
• Access to free coworking space in Eldon Square.
• Seminar sessions to advance general knowledge on topics such as: IP and legal, agile ways of working, design thinking, pitching.
• One-to-one support provided by 5G and Immersive technology experts.
• Roundtable advice session with Vodafone.
• Opportunities to connect with industry leaders in their field via events and mixers.
• Opportunity to promote their solution at a Showcase to the challenge owner and Vodafone.

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Key Dates

11^th November – Application opens

6^th December – Applications close

9^th December – Evaluation and selection takes place

16^th December – Announcement of successful applicants

6^th January – 14^th of March - Programme runs

17^th – 23^rd March - English Tourism Week Showcase

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Outputs

Participants in the "All Access Pass" programme will have the exclusive opportunity to present their solutions at a high-profile showcase event, which will be attended by programme partners and market leaders. This showcase not only serves as a platform for exposure but also offers participants a unique chance to pitch their investment proposals to regional investors and key stakeholders.

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Eligibility

This open call is for organisations in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.  

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Need more info?  

The open call is not yet live, and we will be publishing the link to the application form on the 11^th of November.

If in the meantime you have any questions, please get in touch with the programme lead, Jenna Ingoe at: jenna.ingoe@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

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