Telecoms Innovation Programme | Project: UKTIN

The UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) is the innovation network for the telecommunications sector in the United Kingdom. It brings together industry, government stakeholders, and academia to catalyse telecom R&D investment, collaboration and commercialisation.

Delivered in partnership with Digital Catapult, Cambridge Wireless, University of Bristol, and WM5G, and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UKTIN transforms the UK telecoms innovation ecosystem. These delivery partners are also supported by Satellite Applications Catapult and Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult which offer specialised expertise.

By leveraging the country’s strengths in technology, academia, and entrepreneurialism, UKTIN aims to strategically position the industry for growth by seizing new opportunities as they emerge and diversifying the supply chain within the UK telecoms industry.

Digital Catapult plays a leading role in UKTIN, bringing its unique expertise of uniting industry leaders, academics and innovators to drive the adoption of digital technologies. By leveraging our strong telecoms, technical and policy expertise, we coordinate and lead the landscape mapping and explore future capabilities. We focus on delivering recommendations that align with cross-government activities. Additionally, Digital Catapult is also involved in UKTIN Supplier Specialist Guidance Service to support international organisations looking to enter the UK or venture into the telecoms for the first time by identifying and capturing new opportunities. We also offers mentorship to SMEs through Innovation and Investment activities. 

UKTIN takes a strategic approach to address the challenges that the UK telecoms sector faces by convening expertise from across the industry through its Advisory Board and its Strategic, Expert and Standards Working Groups. The Digital Catapult team plays a leading role in the work undertaken by these groups.

Advisory Board

Digital Catapult set up the advisory board and actively provide guidance and support to the network, helping them achieve their long-term objectives. The board advises UKTIN in its capacity as an effective collaborative point across all telecoms organisations and companies in the UK telecoms R&D ecosystem. Additionally, the board provides an independent view of the telecoms sector, promotes research, development and innovation within the sector and helps UKTIN to provide impartial input to the Government as it continues to further develop its telecoms policies.

Transforming Telecoms is a free UKTIN incubation programme that is designed to help your deep-tech start-up thrive and grow into 2025 through flexible, self paced e-learning and live coaching sessions. If you’re innovating with core, wireless and non-terrestrial networks, or AI, compound semiconductors, quantum, photonics, cyber security or cloud – this is the programme for you.

There are two strands of the programme currently open for applications, including:

• Commercialisation Through Partnerships – where you can explore how to build strong supply chain partners through the Commercialisation
• Investment Support – designed for you to invaluable skills to help you secure your next raise through dedicated Investment Support.

Learning takes place fully online over three weeks, with two 1-2 hours of self-paced learning to complete each weekly module. 

Find out more by visiting the Transforming Telecoms website

UKTIN hosts a variety of events to support the UK’s telecoms sector. Upcoming events include:

• Unlock telecoms R&D: partnerships: UKTIN AI-Powered Discovery Toolkit | 26 November 2024 | 10:00-11:00 (GMT) | Online | Read more and register
• Future Connectivity 2025 | 10 December 2024 | 10:00-11:00 (GMT) | Online | Read more and register

UKTIN provides an impartial, accessible and inclusive network for the UK telecoms innovation ecosystem. By signing up to UKTIN, you can access free resources, events and regular updates to keep you up-to-date with the latest industry developments and opportunities in the UK and beyond.