Unique prototypes created by a team of talented University of Sunderland students will be turned into reality by three major north-east organisations.
Culture House Sunderland, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and CyberNorth are set to benefit from the ideas of around 80 second-year Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics and Game Development students.
Over 12 weeks, the students worked on three prototypes to help bring each of the organisations’ ideas to life.
For Culture House Sunderland, they created a virtual reality game showing what the £27 million Keel Square venue will look like once building works are complete and what it will have to offer.
The students designed a mental health application for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to promote and maintain wellness.
Created for Gateshead Mental Health Peer Support Service, the proposal was for an app which runs alongside the treatment people are receiving to offer them more personalised support for their wellbeing.
For CyberNorth, which is a cyber security cluster in the north-east made up of over 90 cyber security businesses and accounts for over 2,000 cyber professionals, the students designed a website to promote engagement with Cybersecurity students across the region.
Impressed by the students’ ideas, all three organisations will now look to develop the prototypes further with support from the University.
This collaboration was made possible through the University’s School of Computer Science and Engineering CET257 Enterprise Project; a 12-week module designed to improve students’ enterprise, innovation and employability skills by providing them with a real-life brief to deliver a technical prototype or a solution for an external company.
Games Development student Victoria Beale worked on the prototype for Culture House Sunderland.
She said: “As a mature student, one of things I hoped for in my first degree was more hands-on experience with professionals in the industry.
“This module does just that and adds the collaborative project element, which very much simulates what is done in the working world.”
Lecturer in Computer Science (Data Science) at the University of Sunderland, Dr Becky Allen, said: “It’s a great experience for the students.
“For many this is their first opportunity both working within a development team and with an external company. This provides them with a taste for industry and working life within the supportive environment of the University.
“The organisations always comment on the range of innovative ideas the students provide for their projects as well as the technical expertise demonstrated in the prototypes. The companies always express how much they have enjoyed working with our students on these projects and how it has sparked further ideas for innovation within their organisations.”
Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism, Councillor Beth Jones, said: “Seeing the students get excited about the possibilities and opportunities that the Culture House is bringing has been a real thrill.
“The work they have produced as part of this project is being showcased within the Culture House and we look forward to working on similar student projects in the future.”
David Newell is the Directorate Manager with Business Lead for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. As part of his wide-ranging role, he oversees Mental Health Services.
He said: “This project gave the students the chance to work alongside us on something which will have an impact in the real world.
“It was a chance for them to work alongside professionals from our team, and we also found it interesting to see what ideas they came up with and how those were then developed.
“This app will benefit patients and improve their experience when they come to us for support. We’re keen to see it be put into use and the difference it makes.”
Danielle Phillips, CEO of CyberNorth, said: “As the cyber cluster for the region, we work closely with the universities in the north-east. Our project was developed to help us find ways to better communicate with our students and make sure they can get the most out of the cluster.
“The students did a fabulous job, and we now have some great ideas to take forward.”
The students were supported on the project by Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University, David Grey, and the University’s Centre for Graduate Prospects.