The announcement was made on 24 July 2024 during the Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to India to further cement the UK-India bilateral relationship.
The UKRI-DST collaboration on telecoms research is jointly funded.
India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) leads the collaboration in India.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology provides funding through its International Science Partnerships Fund.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) leads the collaboration in the UK.
The funding seeks to develop advanced tools and technologies that underpin critical advancements in communication systems.
It will build on the successes of the EPSRC-funded UKRI-India Future Networks Initiative, which explores innovations in hardware and software systems supply chains.
Foster a resilient, secure and sustainable digital future
Professor Christopher Smith, UKRI’s International Champion, and Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, said:
This collaboration with DST on Future Telecoms research is not just important; it is essential.
By joining forces, we are poised to drive forward next-generation connectivity solutions that will underpin the digital economies of both the UK and India.
Our partnership will foster a resilient, secure, and sustainable digital future, and develop technological advancements that will have a global impact.
UKRI and DST have a long-standing partnership, having invested over £50 million in joint research and innovation programmes over the past 15 years.
These collaborations have supported over 55 projects in areas such as clean and renewable energy and water technologies, delivering significant impact and advancing scientific and technological frontiers.
A multi-institutional cooperation
Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary to the Government of India, DST, added:
The India-UK STI Partnership, based on principles of co-funding and reciprocity, is a multidimensional, multi-institutional, and multi-agency cooperation.
It covers various aspects of research and innovation which is required for our nations to rise to new heights together.
The DST-UKRI Future Telecoms joint research programme intends to support the development of new innovative solutions in hardware, software, and protocols that will support the future integration of high-speed mobile systems with metro and core optical communications networks.
Activities under the joint research collaboration can be shaped as joint research projects, joint workshops, researcher exchanges, continued networking and engagement.
The programme is set to fund three to four projects over a period of four years.
Key research areas
Key research areas include:
- open radio access networks
- networking software and systems architecture
- network of networks
- cybersecurity improvements
- spectrum innovation
- future services and satellites
For more information and to apply for the funding opportunity, see India-UK joint opportunity in telecommunications research.
Top image: Credit: Government of India