by Paul Eggleton (@thePEggleton), Head of Smart Metering, Telefonica UK (@o2m2m)

The G8 Innovation Conference taking place today sets the stage for the UK to show G8 that Britain really has got talent. All eyes will be on UK innovators as they’re joined by delegates en route to next week’s summit.

With home-grown entrepreneurs given the chance to mix with potential investors, scientists and policymakers from across the globe, it will be a meeting of minds reflecting the Prime Minister’s G8 theme of innovation as a driver for growth and trade.

Whilst the Prime Minister has emphasised that the UK’s success lies with the ‘ideas people’, it’s also the doing and demonstrating that will set us apart competitively.

I hope the nation’s role in making the smart home of the future a reality will get the attention it deserves both in terms of the connected devices brought to the table and the UK’s delivery of a smart meter in every home and small business by 2020.

This is a theme discussed by 3 global experts in our latest Digital Futures episode (also see below), which paints a fascinating picture of what the connected home of the future will look like. It’s this future-proofed hub that will pave the way for the likes of smart appliances, home security systems and e-Health services.

We’ve found consumers to be hugely receptive to this vision (see report here), and the key to a successful smart meter implementation lies with engaging them. The UK has what it takes to become the case study for other countries to follow, not just with smart meter deployment but across other fields of innovation too.

It’s great to hear that David Cameron will today launch a new global prize for inventors or scientists, setting our brightest and best the challenge of solving the biggest problems of our generation. With a £1million fund ready to back the winner, I’m sure we’ll see some inspirational innovators step forward with their proposed creations to change the world.

The UK should seize opportunities like this where we can be stepping up and showcasing the nation’s compelling successes and innovation-driven roadmap for the future.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4en5xVPzq58[/youtube]

 

(main article image courtesy gov.uk)