FTH’s inaugural showcase at MWC Barcelona on 3-6 March 2025 was as inspiring as it was successful.
There, we joined the UK Innovation Pavilion where the best of UK telecoms innovators showcased their work – including UKTIN, Innovate UK, the Department for Business and Trade, the UK Space Agency, Digital Catapult and projects REASON, TUDOR, SCONDA and YO-RAN.
We welcomed leading representatives from across industry, government and academia, enabling us to showcase cutting-edge, impactful work across our hubs. Reaffirming our place as a key player in the UK telecoms ecosystem. Amongst many valued delegates, we were delighted to host Minister of State for Investment, Baroness Gustafsson; BT CEO, Alison Kirkby; and GSMA’s Director General, Vivek Badrinath. We were also delighted to welcome many of our valued DSIT colleagues, including Catherine Page (Deputy Director) and Sarah Connolly (Director of Digital Infrastructure).
Harnessing Solar Comms Synergy: Power and Data Transmission in One | TITAN, University of Cambridge
Here TITAN Director, Professor Harald Haas engages Baroness Poppy Gustafsson on the potential of new technologies enabling connectivity and power in even the most remote locations using solar panels to harvest energy and receive optical data simultaneously.
Accelerating Future Communications and Networks Research | JOINER, University of Bristol
JOINER Director JOINER Director, Professor Dimitra Simeonidou speaks to BT CEO, Allison Kirkby about how JOINER accelerates future communications and networks research through exploitation, adoption; and testing and validating services. For example, testing how spectrum sharing systems perform at a national scale.
RF Human Activity Recognition and Robotic Mimicry over 6G | CHEDDAR, Imperial College London
Here CHEDDAR researchers showcase their cutting-edge demonstration on how radar technology can detect and track human movement and posture, relaying actions to a robot over 6G for real-time replication to GSMA Director General, Vivek Badrinath.
Designing the Future of Connectivity Through World- class Research, Discovery & Innovation | HASC | University of Oxford
HASC Director, Professor O’Brien speaks to GSMA Director General, Vivek Badrinath on the world’s most cutting-edge research in the field of all-spectrum connectivity, telecoms technology and the UK’s developing communications infrastructure.
While engaging a wide range of delegates, a key objective for us was to raise awareness of our research translation, commercialisation and standardisation initiatives. We were encouraged by many of the conversations we had with potential investors, technologists and leading telecoms representatives. Beyond our initiatives, FTH had the opportunity to showcase groundbreaking technologies emerging from the hubs, attracting significant interest from attendees.
We are now energised to build on the collaborative opportunities sparked over the four days, nurturing them into meaningful partnerships. The connections made at MWC will play a vital role in advancing our goals—strengthening industry engagement and driving the translation of research into real-world impact.
We would also like to thank all our partners in the UK Pavillion, especially UKTIN, REASON and Tradefair for coordinating efforts across the pavilion.
