Information Technology

 

The Energy Industry

The Energy industry is one of the most demanding and challenging to Stu_Student_At_Screenserve, and with the UK Continental Shelf now regarded as being in a mature phase of development, the need for new technology innovation has never been so great. This competitiveness and innovation has created a high level skills base with a high concentration of knowledge workers and technical engineers in the city.

WIFI

Aberdeen is one of Europe’s most ‘wired’ cities with links to:

  • extensive broadband connections
  • LAN networks
  • ‘SuperJanet’ academic network
  • Scottish Enterprise’s ATLAS programme
  • city wide information kiosks
  • proposals for one of the UK’s first city-wide public information wireless networks

Software Development

Innovative practice, entrepreneurial activity and an excellent communications infrastructure is enabling Aberdeen’s software development sector to achieve growth of around 15% per year. This has led international IT companies to establish a major presence in Aberdeen, servicing clients both locally and globally. Many SMEs are also born into the sector, often after working in the oil industry and recognising the need for new innovation.

Research and Learning

Universities, further education institutes and research establishments have a pedigree of working closely with business and industry to effectively manage, assist and benefit from advances in this sector.

The University of Aberdeen is internationally recognised for its work on knowledge and information management, and has a long-standing reputation in artificial intelligence and databases. Its research and consultancy experience has been built up over more than a decade through programmes funded by various organisations such as the Defence Research Agency (Malvern), Satellite Communications Centre (DRA Defford), Intelsat, the European Space Agency and the British National Space Centre.

The Robert Gordon University (RGU) also offers a BSc Honours course in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, which enables graduates to design the next generation of advanced technology – thinking machines and intelligent robots.

Their Applied Optoelectronics Research Centre undertakes research and development projects with extensive experience of designing and building systems for deployment in the North Sea. The Centre’s largest area of activity is the development of laser/optical based sensors, which are currently being developed for physical, biomedical and chemical applications.

The Robert Gordon University also received a £748k grant to develop a SmartWeb Technology Centre to examine future ways to interface with web technologies. RGU was also one of the first UK Universities to launch a Virtual Campus in 1999 for distance learning and won a national prize for excellence for an Intranet developed to enhance student learning.