The UKTIN Strategic Groups bring together academic and industry leaders and experts, governmental and regulatory specialists, and representative bodies to cohesively communicate the needs of the broader ecosystem and propose a shared public and private sector strategic vision for UK telecoms.
UKTIN spoke to Professor Maziar Nekovee, Chair of The Academic Future Networks Strategic Group to learn more about the group’s most recent paper.
How does this paper follow on from the 2024 paper?
The report builds on the first paper by the UKTIN Future Networks Academic Strategy Group, which provided an initial overview of the UK’s academic-led research, innovation, and development (R&I&D) landscape in future networks, and also compared the UK's research ecosystem with the global landscape.
Our second paper focuses on addressing specific questions from DSIT, identifying key research strengths in future networks including those that have been developed organically within the research community, strengthening interdisciplinary collaborations, and exploring the commercialisation of research.
Thanks to the participation of more of my colleagues, we covered a wider range of academic R&I in UK universities and developed a more holistic view than our first paper. We were also fortunate to use the UKTIN discovery toolkit, which uses AI to help map the UK's R&D telecoms ecosystem.
What was the focus?
The paper focuses on identifying and prioritising research areas where the UK has strong capabilities in future network technologies. We highlight the UK’s research strengths in optical wireless communication, spectrum technologies and wireless networks, including non-terrestrial networks. We also incorporate relevant adjacent areas: AI-driven telecom solutions, quantum technologies, semiconductor advancements, and new computing paradigms. The paper additionally examines how research communities integrate business and entrepreneurial skills to ensure commercial success alongside technological advancements.
What are the main findings?
The UK has significant strengths in optical and wireless communication, spectrum technologies, AI-native networks, quantum-secure communications, and NTN and fibre optics technologies. I was also pleased to see that UK academic institutions have either led – or have a leading role – in several industry 6G standards initiatives that are taking place under the umbrella of ETSI. However, while the UK’s telecom sector relies on top-tier research talent, funding gaps and barriers for international researchers could impact long-term innovation.
Our recommendations include creating accelerated commercialisation pathways for economic growth such as targeted investment funds, and expanding baseline support for testbeds, infrastructure projects and Future Telecom Hubs. We also suggest strengthening international research collaborations to ensure UK institutions remain engaged with and influence key industry players in global telecom innovation and standardisation in 6G and beyond.
How do you anticipate people using the paper?
I see it as a strategic guide for policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, international players and investors who wish to collaborate with the UK’s academic research in future networks. Hopefully, the paper will inform government decisions on funding priorities and policies, provide researchers with insights into promising areas of study and collaboration, and support industry leaders in identifying key innovation trends and potential partnerships. It should act as a roadmap for strengthening the UK's position in global telecommunications through targeted research, commercialisation initiatives, and international standardisation efforts.
