CHEDDAR Sandpit Sparks New Collaborations and Expands Research Network

On 23 May, CHEDDAR brought together 12 shortlisted researchers from a competitive pool of 52 applicants for an intensive one-day sandpit event in London. This was a call for new partnerships supported by the CHEDDAR New Partnership Fund aimed to discover fresh thinking and visionary ideas for the future of telecoms research.

Condensing a traditional UKRI style week long sandpit into a single day was no small feat. But thanks to the dedication and agility of the CHEDDAR team and our exceptional participants, the day was both dynamic and highly productive.

The event began with seven invited stakeholders leading voices from industry and academia sharing their perspectives on where telecoms research should be heading. Their insights laid the foundation for the day’s activities.

What emerged was a powerful example of organic team formation. Over the course of the day, the 12 candidates developed four compelling collaborative research proposals, each addressing real-world needs and reflecting the interdisciplinary essence of CHEDDAR.

We are especially grateful to our stakeholders who generously offered their time, expertise, and mentorship. Our sincere thanks to:

• Yang Hao (Queen Mary University of London)
• Alain Mourad (InterDigital)
• Leila Musavian (University of Essex)
• Robert Stewart (University of Strathclyde)
• Yangyishi Zhang (BT)
• Shiqiang Wang (IBM)
• Moe Win (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Their guidance helped shape and sharpen the teams’ final ideas and ensured the sandpit delivered not just promising project concepts but the beginnings of long-term research collaborations.

Welcoming Our New CHEDDAR Partnership

We are thrilled to announce that CHEDDAR is growing. As a direct outcome of the sandpit, eight new institutions will now be joining the CHEDDAR network:

• Oxford University
• Brunel University London
• King’s College London
• Loughborough University
• University of West London
• Digital Catapult
• University of Essex
• University of Hull

These new partnerships mark a major step forward in CHEDDAR’s mission to foster a diverse, inclusive, and cutting-edge research ecosystem focused on the future of communications.