Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications recently hosted a double birthday party in celebration of 21 years since InfoLab21 in south campus was opened, and 10 years since the delivery of the first million BBC micro:bits.

The event welcomed staff, students, alumni, former colleagues and collaborators to join their peers in InfoLab21’s Sky Lounge for an afternoon of short talks, research demonstrations, and of course, cakes.

Interim Head of School Professor Paul Smith kicked off the afternoon with a short introductory talk, in which he noted that the School had welcomed more than 3,000 students since the opening of InfoLab21, created some 2,000 jobs, and contributed omore than £14 million to the economy.

Former Heads of School, Professors Gordon Blair and Nigel Davies (accompanied by PhD student Andrea Baumann), followed discussing the lasting impact of research undertaken by the School, and the past and future of pervasive computing at Lancaster respectively.

Professor Corina Sas then took to the stage to showcase her work on wall displays intended to support the stimulation needs of dementia patients, while Professor Peter Garrighan, CEO of Mindgard detailed the history of his company, whose roots began in InfoLab21.

Professor Steve Hodges rounded off the afternoon talks by giving a brief history of the micro:bit, a pocket-sized programmable computer that’s revolutionising digital learning, and describing the recently-announced Micro:bit Innovation Research Lab (MIRL) which is based at Lancaster. Building on the University’s recent Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education, the directors of MIRL aim to extend the global impact of micro:bit beyond classroom-based computer science education to other subjects and new audiences.

A series of research demos – including several from members of the micro:bit team and from Lancaster’s FemTech Society – then took place across the floors of InfoLab21, showcasing to visitors the activities undertaken by staff and students across the School.

The day concluded with a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony, in which two cakes – one decorated in the shape of InfoLab21, the other in the shape of a micro:bit – were cut and distributed to guests to mark the occasion.

“The celebration was a fantastic opportunity for us to reflect on our achievements over the past twenty-one years, including what makes the School of Computing and Communications unique,” said Professor Smith. “What struck me is the significant impact that we have had regionally, nationally, and internationally, in terms of our teaching, engagement, and research output. It was also a moment to look ahead with optimism and, as a community, consider what the next twenty-one years will bring.”

Professor Hodges added: “Welcoming many of our long-time collaborators to celebrate with us was a powerful reminder that through close and sustained partnerships we can have significant real-world impact. The global adoption of the micro:bit over the past decade – touching the lives of 70 million children in 85 countries – is an inspiring example of this.”