On 1 May 2025, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from across Ireland and the UK gathered in Dublin for a landmark workshop on Future Prosperity Driven by Telecoms Research and Innovation (R&I).
The event was organised by leading researchers from Tyndall National Institute, Trinity College Dublin, and Queen’s University Belfast including Professors William Scanlon and Holger Claussen (Tyndall), and Professors Dan Kilper and Marco Ruffini (CONNECT Centre, TCD), and Professor Simon Cotton (QUB). It highlighted the critical role of cross-border and Ireland-UK collaboration in advancing next-generation connectivity.
The event was opened with addresses by both Patrick Neary, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Government of Ireland and Jasper Pandza, Head of International & Standards (Future Telecoms), Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UK Government which confirmed the strategic importance of advanced connectivity across both countries.
A highlight was the series of expert-led panel discussions. Panel 1, Securing Economic Prosperity through Research, chaired by Professor Claussen, Head of the Wireless Communications Laboratory at Tyndall and Professor of Wireless Communications at both UCC and TCD, explored how targeted R&I supports long-term economic resilience, with case studies from Smart Docklands, A-techSYN, and Nexalus.
Professor Scanlon, CEO of Tyndall, delivered a forward-looking address on deepening Ireland-UK research ties, before chairing Panel 2 on practical steps for strengthening bilateral collaboration across funding, infrastructure, and expertise.
Panel 3 focused on the strategic role of telecoms in national resilience and announced plans to expand the UK’s JOINER platform to Ireland, a move that promises to facilitate and deepen Ireland-UK collaboration and innovation.
Professor Scanlon commented:
The first joint Ireland–UK workshop on advanced connectivity is a major step forward in cross-border innovation. Strong engagement from Irish SMEs, academia, and government highlights shared ambition. Welcoming the JOINER open architecture network to Dublin will enable Irish researchers and industry to trial 6G technologies alongside UK collaborators in a state-of-the-art environment.
Professor Dan Kilper, Director CONNECT Centre, Trinity College Dublin, commented:
At CONNECT, we see collaboration as the catalyst for shaping the future of telecommunications. This workshop was a powerful reminder that by bringing together Ireland’s and the UK’s brightest minds, we can develop technologies that not only transform connectivity but also create more inclusive, sustainable societies for years to come.
As telecoms R&I evolve rapidly, the workshop reinforced the importance of sustained Ireland-UK cooperation.
