Tim’s firm manufacturers smartengine, a network-powered lighting and sensor technology which provides energy savings and sensor data such as electricity usage, air quality, temperature and room occupancy levels to the building’s management system to enable operators to get a snapshot of their space.

The company has worked in buildings operated by some of the world’s biggest best-known companies, including Google, Meta, Apple, PWC and Gymshark.

And it has also fitted its smart building technology within high-profile projects in New York City, including on the 61^st floor of SL Green’s iconic ONE Vanderbilt building and Remy-Cointreau’s new NY HQ, at Rudin Management’s 3 Times Square.

Smart building technology has been widely adopted and understood in the USA, which has embraced its benefits including sustainability, cost-savings and extra comfort that it delivers for the building’s occupants.

By contrast, Tim says, the UK’s take-up of the technology has been disappointingly slow, which he says is due to cultural attitudes towards building methods, taking risks and spending.

He said: “Compared to the United States, I would say that when it comes to smart building technology the UK, and in many respects wider Europe, is, sadly, stuck in the Dark Ages. Linking the horizontal and vertical technologies of a building is now becoming a standard practice in the US and other parts of the world and we are increasingly working with smaller, less well-known firms that are investing in these technologies so they can have the most intelligent, sustainable and user-friendly space. Saving energy is at the heart of this. Some people think that because we drive around in big trucks in the States we’re free and easy when it comes to energy use in our buildings, but they couldn’t be more wrong, because reducing energy waste is good business and we’re all about doing things that make sense. The UK has made some strides, but it hasn’t got there yet with technology that has been readily available, for the last 10 years. I would equate it to the conversion from analogue to VoIP phones.”

The event is being organised by smart infrastructure equipment and IT firm Scenariio, which is one of the region’s leading firms offering intelligent tech for the workplace, in conjunction with a host of world-leading technology providers.

It is being held at the Chocolate Factory, home to Derby’s Bustler Marker street food event, and follows in the footsteps of a similar conference, which attracted attendees from across the UK and from further afield, including Germany and Holland, last year.

George Pritchard, technical director of Scenariio, said: “Last year’s event was a huge success and showed how much interest there is in technology that meets the demands of companies who’re looking to attract and retain talent while delivering on their carbon reduction targets. An American study showed that simply by monitoring and automating just three things, your HVAC system, lighting and window shading, companies can save up to 50% of their annual energy bill, while swapping traditional lightings with human centric LED lights can improve workers’ well-being. This smart building technology is accessible to everyone, while a new generation of smart building technology powered by artificial intelligence, which is now being developed at a tremendous pace. This will all be explored in what promises to be an exciting conference, which is why we hope that as many building operators, architects, developers and landlords will come along to find out more.”

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Scenariio will also be talking about its recent installation at Treetops Hospice’s Children’s Counselling and Therapy Centre, where it installed a host of LED daylight-harvesting lights and sensors as part of last year’s BBC Children in Need’s DIY: SOS Big Build.

Registration for the event is free, but attendees will be invited to make a donation to Treetops Hospice. For more information and to book your place, visit https://www.workplacetechnology.io/

The event, which was called the Workplace Technology Conference and took place at the Chocolate Factory – home to the Bustler Market – in Siddals Road, attracted delegates from more than 100 firms and organisations keen to explore how innovations making the workplace safer and more people- and eco-friendly.

They included circadian lighting – which is designed to mirror the different shades and intensity of daylight as it changes through the day – movement sensors, cameras, air quality monitors and a host of data-gathering devices linked to the Internet of Things and powered via ethernet cables.

It also featured talks and round table discussions tackling issues such as bringing people back into the workplace, achieving sustainability targets and, in Matthew’s case, looking at how AI technology can create a human-focussed buildings with individual personalities of their own.

Matthew, who works with a host of blue-chip clients and was last year crowned the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Young Engineer of the Year, gave two keynote speeches during the day and welcome the chance to share his thoughts and meet other delegates working in the smart building industry.

He said: “We are struggling to articulate the message when it comes to talking about the benefits of smart building technology so it’s good that Scenariio has brought the industry together to discuss the issues facing companies and what they might be able to do about them. Everybody know about the 2050 net-zero target and there is certainly a will to make a difference, however COVID has badly affected people’s confidence in our ability to achieve it and there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty about whether or not to invest in the technology that can help us do so. Conferences like this can certainly help with that and it’s been refreshing to attend an event that’s been held outside London. I’ve really enjoyed being here and I really love the venue!”

Among the firms represented at the event were Smartengine wtec, UKI CommScope, engineering consultants Cundall, Cisco Meraki, Nottingham Trent University, ISS and fit-out and refurbishment specialists Overbury.

Topics discussed on the stage, meanwhile, included how companies should now be looking providing a range of different working environments, including video call booths and smaller meeting rooms, how face recognition software will replace the plastic ID card and even how modern noise-cancelling speakers can omit the sound of a dog barking in the same room for people who are working at home.

Rob Pritchard, managing director of Scenariio, said: “We’re extremely pleased with how our first-ever Workplace Technology Conference has brought together such a diverse range of companies to showcase the very latest innovations and thinking in our industry. Although we specialise in installing smart building technology, today is a reminder that we operate in just one corner of a growing and multi-faceted industry which is already having a huge effect on changing the way our workplaces look and function. COVID has had a massive effect on employers and employees alike and it’s also been fascinating to learn about the changes it has brought about while showcasing the Chocolate Factory, which is a perfect example of a venue which has benefitted from smart tech.”

Established in 2013, Scenariio has installed smart building technology, including intelligent lighting, integrated and supplementary sensor networks and audio-visual systems, at premises across the UK.

Its clients include Gymshark, Severn Trent Water and Tarmac, as well as, closer to home, Derby College, LKAB and the popular Bustler Market street food venues in Derby and Nottingham.