Representatives from TITAN partners made a significant impact at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2026 in Glasgow, where they organised, participated in and delivered an array of high-profile activities…
Representatives from TITAN partners made a significant impact at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2026 in Glasgow, where they organised, participated in and delivered an array of high-profile activities over the flagship event’s 4-day duration. With the theme of ‘Connected World for a Sustainable Future’ – addressing the critical role of communications technologies in enabling resilient digital infrastructure, sustainable development, and global connectivity – ICC 2026 saw around 2,000 delegates convene to enjoy a programme rich in keynotes, technical paper presentations, industry sessions, tutorials and workshops.
Kicking off activities on Sunday 24 May, the TITAN Workshop: Beyond 6G convergence of Terrestrial, Non-terrestrial and Quantum Networks, brought this year’s conference theme to life, putting into context how research within the Hub is contributing to making 6G a reality. The audience was taken on a technical exploration of the Network of Networks (NoN) concept at the heart of TITAN –a seamlessly interconnected, secure, self-configuring, self-optimising and self-healing ecosystem – being designed and developed by the project partners.
Professors Octavia Dobre of Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Bruno Clerckx of Imperial College London, each delivered a seminar. TITAN Director Professor Harald Haas, University of Cambridge, gave a presentation in which he discussed current focus areas and notable technology breakthroughs. Five technical talks, covering specialist subjects, completed the agenda:
The workshop was chaired by Professor Michalis Matthaiou of Queen’s University Belfast.
Meanwhile, over a busy few days at the exhibition accompanying the conference, TITAN team representatives welcomed a steady stream of visitors to the TITAN stand. Delegates were keen to experience, first-hand, some of the novel ways in which technologies are being advanced within the Hub and TITAN researchers gave live demonstrations of several different systems including:
The physical demonstrators were supported by interactive digital content and enriched by research insights shared by the stand team.
TITAN Director Professor Harald Haas was one of the leading experts on the panel for the Executive Forum, chaired by Professor Muhammad Zeeshan Shakir, University of the West of England, on Monday 25 May. Professor Haas’s fellow panellists included Professor Julie McCann, CHEDDAR Hub Principle Investigator, Imperial, Wen Tong, CTO, Wireless Network, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, China, Dr Ed Tiedemann, Jr, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Martin McKay, Network Operations Director, Vodafone Three UK.
During an hour-long strategic session, the panel examined how 6G is being shaped through the interplay of academic research, industrial strategy and operator requirements, with particular emphasis on alignment between technological innovation and real-world deployment needs. The discussion sought to identify which technologies, capabilities and system-level innovations truly constitute 6G, and which represent the continued evolution of 5G. The panel also considered coordination across the telecoms supply chain, with specific attention to the UK’s role in global 6G development through its dedicated research and innovation ecosystem.
Lastly, there was a fantastic response, from the audience of graduate students and early to mid-career professionals, to the IEEE ComSoc Young Professionals (YP) panel, on which Professor Haas was delighted to also serve. During a fascinating journey titled Digital Twins and Quantum Intelligence in Next Generation Networks: Rethinking the Foundations of Network Architecture and Control, panellists Professor Lajos Hanzo, Associate Professor Lina Mohjazi, Senior Product Manager for AI RAN, Melike Erol-Kantarci and Professor Haas – each a pioneer in their field – shared their expertise and vision on the powerful potential of digital twins and quantum computing with the IEEE ComSoc YP community. The panel was expertly organised and chaired by Professor Berk Canberk, Edinburgh Napier University.
In summing up TITAN’s presence at ICC 2026, Professor Haas said, “This conference is one of the UK’s most influential for raising the profile of communications technologies amongst different stakeholder groups. So, with TITAN’s mission being focused on helping the UK lead the 6G era globally, ICC is a perfect forum for sharing our latest research on future networks with a like-minded community working towards the same common goals.”
