Engineering news
Research funding to use the internet to improve everyday devices - such as fridges which can order more milk when it runs low - is to be doubled in a drive to make the UK a world leader in digital technology, David Cameron has said.
The Prime Minister announced an extra £45 million to develop the so-called "internet of things" in Germany at the CeBIT 2014 trade fair.
During the event in Hanover he is holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - as Britain is the official "partner country" of the event.
As part of their discussions he said that they had agreed to work together for the abolition of mobile roaming charges across the European Union.
He said: "We welcome the long-term ambition of the European Commission but we want to take steps that deliver benefits for businesses and consumers including complete elimination of mobile roaming charges."
Combining British ingenuity with German engineering would put the two countries at the forefront of a new technology-based "industrial revolution", he suggested.
"This is a world on fast forward. A world of permanent technological revolution," he said.
"And in this world, countries like the UK and Germany will only succeed if we have a relentless drive for new ideas and innovations."
Another £45 million of taxpayer investment in "internet of things"-linked research will take the total being made available to £73 million.
Mr Cameron. who is accompanied by a five-strong industry delegation at CeBIT, said: "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.
"These are developments that could allow literally billions of everyday objects to talk to each other over the internet using low-cost, low-power chips.
"Electricity meters that talk to the grid to get you the best deals. Health monitors that keep an eye on your heart rate. Water pipes that warn of a fall in pressure. And yes, even a fridge that can order your milk if it sees it's getting low."
"We are on the brink of a new industrial revolution and I want us - the UK and Germany - to lead it.
"Take British ingenuity in software, services and design, add German excellence in engineering and industrial manufacturing and together we can lead in this new revolution."
The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser is also to carry out a review into how the new technologies can be best exploited.