Britain’s David Cameron announces more funding for Internet of things research

The Internet of things — sensor-filled devices that connect to the web — is about to get more congested in the United Kingdom.

Today UK prime minister David Cameron announced that the government is making available £45 million in funding for research on the emerging field of technology, as well as a £1 million European grant fund to support startups working in the space.

“I see the Internet of things as a huge transformative development — a way of boosting productivity, of keeping us healthier, making transport more efficient, reducing energy needs, tackling climate change. … [It] has enormous potential to change our lives,” Cameron was scheduled to say at the CeBIT conference in Hannover, Germany, according to an announcement his office made today.

The funding and ministerial nod of approval make sense when you recall that 2014 is expected to be the year of the Internet of things. It’s all happening right according to schedule.

AT&T, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, and Salesforce.com are among the tech giants making investments to capitalize on the rising Internet of things.

And investors have been looking out for Internet of things startups to back. The control point for multiple devices is an area of focus, as is software for analyzing data from wearables and other devices on the Internet of things.

With the new £45 million commitment, the UK has now put forward £73 million in funding for Internet of things research.