Future skills for future telecoms: how do we deliver the talent pool to take us beyond 5G?

Martin McHugh, CEO at Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult explains how industry can play a central role in mapping the skills that the next generation of engineers will need to transform the UK’s future telecoms network. ?

Just over 10 years ago, the introduction of 4G technology led to a complete step-change in how we communicated with each other.

The faster speeds, lower latency and greater bandwidth of the network turned the humble telephone into a handheld powerhouse.

The phone no longer became a tool for just texting and calling, but an all-encompassing gadget for conference calls, HD video streaming, social media, live navigation and much, much more.

When 5G technology came along in 2019, the dial was turned up even further, with even greater speeds and lower latency enabling almost instantaneous data exchanges and the birth of the Internet of Things (IoT) that allowed humans, factories and machines to interact like never before.

Over the next 10 years there is an opportunity for the mobile network to transform our lives once more, which is why we need a clear roadmap of how we’re going to get there.

Compound semiconductor applications will deliver energy efficient telecoms networks

Each generation of mobile network has brought about a significant upgrade in hardware that has enabled us to send and receive data quicker and with less delay.

Semiconductors are at the very heart of these technologies and can be found in frequency transistors, amplifiers, modems, microprocessors, memory chips and power management integrated circuits.

But as we consume more and more data and applications demand even quicker data speeds and lower latency, these critical components need to become more efficient.

Integrating compound semiconductors into applications such as the power amplifier is quickly becoming the go-to solution to solve this efficiency problem.

Compound semiconductors can handle high-frequency signals because they have a much wider bandgap compared to traditional semiconductors, making them ideal for use in 5G networks.

They can also significantly reduce energy consumption and deliver much faster, reliable data transfer speeds as they perform well in high temperatures , have high electron mobility, and a greater breakdown voltage.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is one of the leading compound semiconductors currently being used in telecoms hardware and is becoming the technology of choice for power amplifiers.

Catapulting the UK to success

Following the UK government’s decision to remove Huawei equipment from the country’s future mobile networks, the opportunity has arisen to create a more diverse and competitive supply chain to increase the quality, innovation and future resilience of our networks.

As a result, there is a sizeable opportunity for UK businesses to integrate their technology into the network, which the UK is already supporting through several challenge led programmes and collaborative research and development funding calls.

Our purpose at the CSA Catapult is to deliver long-term benefit to the UK economy and accelerate UK economic growth in industries where applying compound semiconductors creates a competitive advantage and enables new products or end markets.

We are experts in the application and commercialisation of compound semiconductor technologies and using our state-of-the-art equipment and extensive knowledge and experience, we develop new methods, tools and techniques to help companies make better products and de-risk the commercialisation process, ultimately making those companies—and the UK as a whole—more competitive.

We have identified future telecoms as one of our key focus areas due to the UK’s strong capability in this industry and the potential for the market to grow considerably.

Our Future Telecoms Hub in Bristol focuses on the energy efficiency and security of telecoms hardware—factors which have become critically important in developing future networks that are robust and resilient and are less impactful on the environmental.

Who will take this technology forward?

For us to fully realise the benefits of 5G technology and beyond, helping businesses develop compound semiconductor applications and technology is only one half of the jigsaw.

We must also think about the people who will be developing and working with these technologies and the very specific skills they will need.

Training engineers can take time, which is a commodity in this industry.

To keep up with the latest technological advancements, we need a workforce that is agile and adaptable and ready to take on new tasks, responsibilities and skillsets when required.

When we speak to businesses across the compound semiconductor industry, they tell us that they lack access to the skilled workforce needed to develop their products and remain competitive.

“In the wireless industry, it is widely known that we face a skills shortage. It is less clear how to begin to address this issue in a meaningful way and in terms or timescales that businesses can support. In my roles at Samsung, I can see that it's incumbent on industry leaders to come together and play a pivotal role in mapping out the skills development needed to keep our industry alive and well in the decades to come.” – Raj Gawera, VP & Managing Director of Samsung Cambridge & Samsung Denmark Research Centres

This is why skills development is a key part of CSA Catapult’s remit and why our Skills Academy engages with parents, teachers, school students, post-graduates and engineers to demystify the industry and highlight the excellent career prospects that are on offer.

The Skills Academy is currently leading a Skills Foresighting project, specifically for future telecoms, in which we are engaging with businesses across the UK to map out the skills needs of a workforce in 5-10 years’ time, as well addressing the vital need to find co-ordinated ways of upskilling the current workforce.

The conversations will help identify the technological priorities of the industry and spotlight where specific skills gaps may exist.

From this we intend to engage further with industry, academia, education and government to put plans in place to ensure that the UK stays ahead of the curve, and we have a workforce that is fit for the future.

“This foresighting project is supported by the Future Telecoms team in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Future Telecoms has been identified as one of the critical technologies for the future in the government's new Science and Technology Framework. In order to meet our ambition to grow the UK's future telecoms ecosystem, we will need the right talent and skills in place that enable true leadership in innovation and commercialisation in the UK. This foresighting project will help DSIT identify which skills the sector will require, and how academia, industry and government can work together to ensure we have the right workforce in place to meet our ambition” – Felix Ruechardt, Policy and Regulatory Lead, Telecoms Diversification Unit, Department for Science, Technology and Innovation

CSA Catapult is holding roundtable discussions with industry on Thursday 26 October 2023.?

If you would like to take part in the roundtable discussions or find out more about the Skills Foresighting exercise, contact us at: [email protected].