University News Last updated 22 November 2024
Birmingham City University (BCU) has signed a landmark agreement with Dtonic, the South Korean tech firm responsible for developing the country’s highly lauded track-and-trace software during the pandemic.
The Memorandum of Understanding calls for greater strategic collaboration between the University and the data infrastructure developer, with a focus on supporting various research initiatives across BCU’s health, education, business, computing, and built environment departments.
The agreement was signed by Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba and Dtonic’s R&D Lab Director, Junyoul John Lee, (pictured) during a week of engagements across the university and city, including a meeting with Birmingham City FC and Birmingham’s Chamber of Commerce.
Dtonic was founded in 2014 as a spin-off company from Hyundai Motor Company.
Since then, Dtonic’s Data Intelligence Solutions have powered more than 100 organisations to gain efficient data management and data-driven AI applications.
The collaboration with BCU will seek to identify and pursue opportunities in the development of smart city solutions, including AI-enabled infrastructure and advanced data management systems, with the objective of enhancing urban environments and improving public services.
Yong-joo Jun, CEO of Dtonic, said: “We are truly honored to sign this MOU with Birmingham City University. This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to introduce optimised infrastructure that will serve as a foundation for the Birmingham metropolitan area.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to build on Dtonic’s proven technological expertise to improve urban issues, elevate them to the highest standards, and ensure we meet expectations of our partners and the communities we serve.”
Martin Weston, Senior Development Manager at BCU, said: “Dtonic’s interventions have a proven track record of helping to improve the lives of people across the world.
“We are committed to bringing these technologies to the region and believe our collaboration with Dtonic will help provide us with the expertise needed to deliver lasting change.
“Colleagues in our health faculty are already very excited about the practical applications Dtonic could offer to improve the health outcomes of patients.
“We hope this partnership continues to grow and flourish in the coming years.”