The Internet of Things Collaborative

CSU President Ronald M. Berkman and CWRU President Barbar Snyder sign off on the collaborative

The Internet of Things (IoT) Collaborative between CSU and Case Western Reserve University has moved from planning to full launch with $1.75 million in funding from the Cleveland Foundation. The internet of things refers to items connected wirelessly so they can communicate and make data-based decisions. The term also describes devices connected to the web.

Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of about 30 billion objects by 2020, excluding smartphones, tablets and computers. It is predicted that over the next five years, the economic impact of IoT projects could be upwards of $6 trillion worldwide.

In May 2017, CSU and CWRU formed the IoT partnership to expand research and educational opportunities in this emerging technology. In November, the project received a $100,000 planning grant from the National Science Foundation to determine what the internet of things will mean for small and mid-sized businesses in several Cleveland neighborhoods.

The Cleveland Foundation grant will help attract top academic talent, create research labs and formally establish the IoT Collaborative. The grant builds upon a $250,000 planning grant awarded by the foundation in January 2017 as part of its Digital Excellence Initiative.

The IoT Collaborative will focus on research and education and training programs to prepare students and professionals in law, business and computer science to take advantage of the emerging IoT revolution.