A new partnership between Hull City Council and smart city operator Connexin is set to put Hull among ‘the world leaders in smart city technology’, according to the council.

The agreement will see the delivery of the UK’s first purpose-built Smart City Operating System, which will link services across the city, including waste management, traffic and parking.

The Smart City platform will allow the local authority to be able to integrate information from a range of council services and systems into a single intelligent dashboard.

The information, which will be derived from data-producing sensors linked to smart lighting, parking, traffic, waste management and Wi-Fi deployments, will help the council improve its services.

It will also be made available to the public to encourage new ideas to benefit the economy in Hull.

‘Developing Hull as a smart city will give us the opportunity to work with public and private sector partners to deliver real benefits to communities, businesses and visitors to Hull,’ said Cllr Daren Hale, the deputy leader of Hull City Council.

‘The project will involve innovative technological solutions to enhanced data-sharing and decision-making, which will help us to deliver more effective services, including everything from traffic management to health and social care.

‘The system pulls together information that currently sits within separate council computer systems to enable citywide management of public assets in real time using state-of-the-art technology.

‘Residents will receive better information to make choices about transport, traffic and parking. But this will be just the beginning of what is possible.

‘As the project develops, it will create a demand for new digitally skilled workforce in the city, so we will need to invest in skills and training for younger generations so they are prepared for the new types of jobs that will be created in the digital sector.’

Furqan Alamgir, founder and CEO of Connexin, said: ‘We are thrilled to be partnering up with our home city and are committed to making Hull a world-leading smart city to foster economic development and enhance many aspects of liveability, workability and sustainability.’