Students from the East Midlands Institute of Technology (EMIoT) have taken part in the IoT’s first ‘Digital Challenge’, using their digital and data skills to design new ways for people to plan and undertake journeys more easily and sustainably across Derby and Derbyshire.

Around 40 EMIoT learners on digital, animation and data-driven courses at academic partners the University of Derby, Derby College and Loughborough College took part in the five-day challenge, held at the University of Derby’s Enterprise Centre.

Students were set a brief by ‘client’ Derby City Council to create a digital solution to help residents better access public transport for work or learning. Their ideas needed to make it easier for people to plan journeys, switch between different modes of transport, and navigate services from multiple providers.

Students worked with tutors and mentors from two of EMIoT’s employer partners, Bloc Digital and Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, with support from Toyota Connected Europe. Working in teams, they developed, refined and tested their solutions before presenting them to a judging panel made up of representatives from the IoT, Derby City Council, Bloc Digital, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK and the RIDE multimodal transport app. Winning teams demonstrated most impact in the four categories of ‘creativity and innovation’, ‘teamwork and communication’, ‘user accessibility’ and ‘technical use of data’.

Students will now work on developing their initial transport planning proposals, with the help of the businesses and organisations involved in the Digital Challenge.

Collaboration supporting digital skills development

Rachel Quinn, Executive Director of the East Midlands IoT, praised the commitment and professionalism shown by the students:

Along with engineering and professional construction, fostering high quality digital skills is one of the East Midlands IoT’s specialisms. My fellow judges from our employer partners were blown away by the exceptional quality of the presentations and the amount of work teams had invested in tackling such a difficult subject. This is the first time we’ve brought students of all levels together to work on shared challenges, and it really emphasised how you can do ‘more and better’ for learners and the region through a partnership like the East Midlands IoT.

Ben Sharp, Head of Operations at Bloc Digital, emphasised the value of connecting learners with industry:

Events like the Digital Challenge are about much more than technology, they’re about people. At Bloc Digital, we see real value in getting involved at every level; sparking interest in digital careers, helping students build the right skills, and connecting with other employers to strengthen our region’s talent pipeline. Working alongside students, educators, and industry partners is always inspiring; and it’s great to see so much energy and creativity focused on solving real problems.

Institutes of Technology (IoTs) are a national network stretching from Truro to Tyneside, collectively comprising over 80 further education colleges, 30 universities, and 100 employer partners. Our mission is to equip individuals with the advanced technical skills that drive innovation and meet employers’ evolving needs.

To get in touch with your local IoT, see our Find an IoT page.