The world’s first purpose-built computer centre, Block H on Bletchley Park, now hosts a Fujitsu Innovation Hub with the latest in classroom technologies as a result of a collaboration between Fujitsu UK, its partners: Intel, Brocade, Kyocera Document Solutions, and The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC).
The hub will be used to educate students, and general visitors to Bletchley Park the opportunity to develop their digital skills further and learn about potential career prospects. The Fujitsu Innovation Hub will have an immediate role in TNMOC’s acclaimed Learning Programme and enable students to directly compare and contrast computing technologies.
Ash Merchant, director of education at Fujitsu, said: ‘The National Museum of Computing is a unique and highly inspirational place, playing a major role in supporting the technology skills development of young people. We’re delighted that the museum is now part of our Education Ambassador Programme, and know that the passion they have for supporting young people will see that the Innovation Hub will support in making a real impact on teaching and learning outcomes – this is the vision that Fujitsu and our programme partners are committed to bringing to life by collaborating with institutions like the National Museum of Computing.’
The Hub contains an array of Fujitsu technology including tablets, hybrid devices, laptops and desktop PCs. These systems run on the latest Intel Atom and Intel Core processors to give users access to the latest technology for personal computing.
The Fujitsu Innovation Hub is right next to the famous TNMOC Classroom that houses BBC Microcomputer workstations representing the landmark schools’ computer literacy initiative of the 1980s.
The museum also features the Rebuild of Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer, and a wide selection of other working computers showing the huge advances in computing over the past 70 years.
Margaret Sale, TNMOC trustee, said: ‘To be selected from so many applicants to become a Fujitsu Innovation Hub is an honour and testament to the highly skilled and creative work of our Museum staff and volunteers. We are thrilled to take our place alongside educational establishments to partner with Fujitsu and Intel on the Education Ambassador programme to help develop digital skills of today’s students and educators. Our Learning Team, which greets 5,000 students in groups each year, has great ideas to utilise the space to best advantage.’
The National Museum of Computing, located at Bletchley Park, is an independent charity housing the world's largest collection of functional historic computers, including the rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer, and the WITCH, the world's oldest working digital computer. The Museum enables visitors to follow the development of computing from the ultra-secret pioneering efforts of the 1940s through the large systems and mainframes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and the rise of personal computing in the 1980s and beyond.
The Museum runs a learning programme for schools and colleges and promotes introductions to computer coding among young people to inspire the next generation of computer scientists and engineers. Fujitsu well help this endeavour with its Education Ambassador Programme, which is designed to develop and encourage a passion for technology. This kind of work can help to motivate a new generation of students, helping to promote STEM careers.
Sponsors of the Museum have included Bletchley Park Science and Innovation Centre, Bloomberg, CreateOnline, Ceravision, Fujitsu, InsightSoftware.com, Ocado Technology, FUZE, 4Links, Google UK, IBM, NPL, HP Labs, and BCS.
