James Turing, the director of the Turing Trust, recently attended a dinner at Buckingham Palace. This was hosted by the University of Edinburgh Chancellor, HRH The Princess Royal, in recognition of the University of Edinburgh’s teaching, research and international partnerships for global impact.

He gave a presentation on his own research and on the work of the Turing Trust in developing the concept of the SolarBerry (an offline computer laboratory powered by solar energy). Guests were introduced to the Raspberry Pi, which uses approximately 100 times less energy than a standard desktop PC. It can, therefore, be powered by solar energy and used to provide an electronic library that will provide new opportunities for independent learning for students and other members of the community. This will allow us to help bridge the digital divide for even the most remote rural communities and ensure that they are not left behind in our global world.