We are delighted to announce that UKTIN is set to continue from April 2025 with a set of activities which address priorities that have been refreshed in consultation with the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) Future Networks Programme.
Over the last two years we have worked with all aspects of the UK’s rich and vibrant telecoms ecosystem, and are proud of what we have achieved in that time. From taking strides to co-develop a shared strategic roadmap for future capability to making our sector easier to navigate, raising the profile of our industry to attract and retain diverse talent, nurturing start-ups in telecoms and adjacent fields, and supporting the adoption of advanced connectivity, the UK’s telecoms innovation network has had a tangible impact.
The continuing programme of work from April 2025 will focus on :
- Expert support through our specialists and through the discovery toolkit which harnesses the power of AI to map the UK's rich R&D telecoms ecosystem;
- International activities to help promote UK capabilities and support Government policies in priority countries as well as helping to drive engagement in international programmes like Horizon Europe;
- Facilitating the adoption of advanced communication technologies into the wider economy in priority vertical sectors and throughout the nations and regions of the UK;
- Highlighting to the ecosystem progress within targeted international standards bodies, and signposting how organisations can benefit;
- Continuing to convene and listen to expert working groups to provide input to the government future telecoms strategy and oversee a technology roadmap for UK future telecommunications capability from 2025-2035.
All these priorities will be addressed within the context of maintaining and growing the well-established and vibrant UKTIN community.
Digital Catapult and its UKTIN delivery partners (namely the University of Bristol, CW, and WM5G) look forward to working with the community to continue this ambitious programme of work, and we thank all the numerous individuals and organisations whose contributions have made this network so successful.
Joe Butler, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Catapult said:
"At Digital Catapult, we are pleased to continue leading UKTIN and working with our partners to accelerate the development and deployment of open and future networks in the UK. Over the past two years, we have made significant progress in bringing together the UK telecoms ecosystem around a shared strategy for future growth, improving industry navigation, attracting diverse talent, scaling start-ups, and promoting the adoption of advanced connectivity.
"As we look ahead to 2025, our focus will be on strengthening international initiatives to showcase the UK's capabilities, driving the adoption of advanced communication technologies, and convening expert working groups. By accelerating the practical application of deep tech in industry, we will provide valuable input into the government's future telecoms strategy and play a key role in shaping the UK's telecoms technology roadmap for the next decade."
