Smart Places Working Group Terms of Reference
The Smart Places Working Group (SPWG) is a network for people from the private, public, university and third sectors seeking to share and shape how we make best use of technologies for the future of our towns, cities, and rural communities. It is convened by the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands (IAWM), an organisation that exists to catalyse and promote innovation across the West Midlands and that is part of the West Midlands Innovation Programme (WMIP).
Engagement in the SPWG is voluntary and constitutes an informal agreement both to share best practice and challenges with others and to collaborate on innovation projects.
Meetings are coordinated and hosted by the private-sector Chair and the Co-ordinator (member of IAWM executive team) and sit within the wider context of the objectives of IAWM and WMIP. Though the content presented at the SPWG occasionally overlaps with content presented at other Working Groups that are part of WMIP (Innovative Zero Carbon Working Group (IZCWG) and Innovative Health Working Group (IHWG)), the SPWG sits as its own community within the wider WMIP family.
The SPWG functions as a sounding board for the creation, production, and dissemination of innovative, Smart, and emerging technologies across the West Midlands. The SPWG champions cross-sector innovation and encourages members to collaborate with each other on new projects. Projects are led by members, but the IAWM executive may facilitate partnership and project development.
The SPWG Chair and Co-ordinator will represent the aggregated voice of the SPWG to Local Government. SPWG members’ feedback will be used to shape challenges issued by Local Government, but the SPWG will not provide a governance structure for other organisations, projects, or services.
The SPWG will meet on the first or second Wednesday of most months (with no meetings in January or August) on the following schedule:
- Formal meetings in February, April, June, September, and November
- Informal drop-in sessions in March, May, July, October, and December
These Terms of Reference are effective from 1 March 2021 and will be ongoing.
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