The Government’s state-of-the-art UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL) will open at UK Central in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, with plans to create up to 50 skilled tech jobs by March 2025.
The announcement was made during “Global West Midlands: The Tech That Makes Tomorrow Work” – a dedicated event hosted by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) during Birmingham Tech Week 2023.
The event saw Birmingham Tech Week pivot towards a global audience for the first time, with WMGC actively targeting overseas firms looking to nurture new innovations in the UK.
The first of its kind in the country, UKTL was established as a response to the Government’s 5G Diversification Strategy and aim to make the UK a “science and technology superpower” by 2030.
Funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), it will be run on DSIT’s behalf, by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), championing cybersecurity and shaping the future of telecoms infrastructure. Experts from NPL will provide testing and advice to venders, suppliers, and users, for example on network vulnerabilities to enable them to improve their systems before deployment or use, helping to keep the UK’s networks safe and secure.
Encouraging collaboration between telecoms operators, suppliers and academics, the Lab will act as a secure research facility, providing a realistic environment for testing equipment such as radio network infrastructure and the software that underpins it. As well as helping to boost the security, resilience and performance of the UK’s mobile networks, the UKTL will play a role in closing the UK’s digital skills gap.
With a tech sector valued at over £15 billion, the West Midlands was recently crowned the best-connected UK region for 5G. Major commercial players including BT, Vodaphone, Fujitsu, Ericsson, Telent and Telefonica/O2 are already reaping the benefits of the region’s faster data speeds, ultra-low latency and high connection density.
Councillor Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council and portfolio holder for the economy, said: “This strategic investment supports Solihull’s ambition to be an important driver of national connectivity, with UK leading connectivity already forming the hallmark of our proposition. By helping new businesses to secure a foothold in the telecoms market, UKTL also strengthens Solihull’s reputation as an ideal environment for ambitious companies to thrive.”
Emma Haynes, partnerships director at NPL, said: "NPL is delighted to operate UKTL on behalf of DSIT. The lab will identify national security risks and vulnerabilities and ensure vital equipment and software are protected against cyberattacks, as well as ensuring the UK has an infrastructure that can continue to support, encourage, and increase innovation and growth.
“From its Solihull base, UKTL will support the UK’s mission to become a global leader in digital connectivity while strengthening supply chains and creating a more diverse and innovative 5G market.
“Through UKTL we will place the UK at the forefront of new technologies, injecting innovation, supporting invention and providing the platform for implementation to deliver impact from science for our national security and economic growth.”
