U.K.-based software development company SysMech has been chosen by Energy Systems Catapult to help deliver a cloud-based Digital Integration Platform for Living Lab 2.0.

SysMech (Systems Mechanics Limited) specializes in large scale big data solutions, delivering real-time analytics for telecommunications operators, high-volume IoT applications, government and large enterprise infrastructure monitoring projects.

Living Lab 2.0 will be a first-of-its-kind, agile and scalable real-world test environment for businesses innovating in the home energy market by upgrading existing homes from across the U.K. to become digitally connected smart-homes.

This national asset will provide innovators with a safe, affordable, shared space to trial and demonstrate energy products, services and business models with real consumers to de-risk and scale innovations for market. While also providing insights and evidence to help transform market arrangements, policies and regulations — all while moving toward a net zero carbon future.

A critical part of the Living Lab 2.0 infrastructure is the development of a cloud-based Digital Integration Platform that acts as the intermediary — to intake, manage and analyze huge amounts of data — between the innovations being tested and the wide range of mainstream smart home devices and energy appliances within Living Lab homes.

Based on SysMech’s Zen product, the Digital Integration Platform will be open and technology-agnostic, providing true interoperability and scalability to enable a range of innovative new products, services and business models to be trialed in hundreds and eventually thousands of U.K. homes.

Living Lab 2.0 will significantly improve and expand on the Catapult’s existing Living Lab of 100 connected homes, where businesses can rapidly design and market-test heating products and services.

Initially, it will focus on low carbon heating and transport innovations and the integration of smart controls, electric vehicles and distributed energy technologies. New integrations will be added in response to evolving policy and market needs.

Dr. Andrew Barton, Energy Systems Catapult systems development manager, said: “SysMech are helping us develop a Digital Integration Platform that enables U.K. businesses trial their products and services with real consumers, generating the high-value, high-volume data needed to validate and improve innovations and business models.

“We chose SysMech because they were a U.K. SME (small or medium-sized enterprise) with experience developing systems that can handle huge amounts of data while ensuring performance, health and utilisation.

“The Digital Integration Platform will act like the operating system, allowing innovators to plug in their own software or utilise a Catapult option that will be interoperable — physically, digitally, and commercially — with the smart control systems and IoT devices being used by households.

“The overall goal of Living Lab 2.0 is to help U.K. companies to test products, services and business models that deliver low carbon innovation for a wide range of consumer homes and lifestyles, and provide insight to develop market arrangements, policies and regulations for net zero carbon future.”

Selected via a competitive tender process, SysMech have formed a joint team with the Catapult that will work very closely throughout the project, which is being delivered using an Agile Scrum approach.

Rob Green, SysMech joint founder and CEO, said: “We are really delighted to be selected by the Energy Systems Catapult as their Delivery Partner for the design and implementation of the Digital Integration Platform that will be at the heart of the next generation Living Lab.

“This is a great opportunity for us and our entire team are very excited to be involved in such an innovative project and helping the Catapult to transition the U.K.’s energy systems towards a net zero carbon future.”