Cambridge Wireless’ CWIC 2025: Resilience at the Heart of Innovation

Hundreds of delegates gathered at Hinxton Hall (and virtually) for the 16th annual Cambridge Wireless International Conference (CWIC), where this year’s  theme, “Building Resilience: Future-proofing the Future,” brought together leaders from across technology, business, and government to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time – resilience in a rapidly evolving world. 

From the resilience of business models and digital infrastructure to personal and national security, attendees immersed themselves in a day of thought-provoking talks, expert panels, and vital conversations. With sessions spanning from cybersecurity and AI to home tech and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), CWIC challenged organisations to plan for uncertainty and design with resilience at the core. 

The conference opened with a warm welcome from Olu Orugboh, Chair of CW and CEO and Co-founder of Black Talent & Leadership in STEM. She was followed by a powerful keynote from internationally renowned cyber security expert Chris Kubecka, who explored the ever-changing threat landscape, the urgent need for strategic cyber resilience and the risk of digital certification being held by US companies. 

It proved a timely moment to debate the resilience of CNI. The opening plenary, “Critical National Infrastructure,” featured insights from Dr Mike Short CBE, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Business and Trade and Chair of the UKTIN Advisory Board; Nihal Newman, Director of Security & Resilience Policy at Ofcom; and Deborah Petterson of the National Energy System Operator. Nihal brought the conversation close to home, referencing the recent Heathrow electricity outage and challenging the room with the sobering question: 

"In a contentious world, have you thought through your role in national resilience?"

She went on to highlight how with the increasing reliance on digitisation we still need to protect ourselves from analogue threats...like ships deliberately dragging anchors over deep sea cables that we rely upon to stay connected. "A resilient system is not one that's never in crisis...it can adapt and learn lessons for next time." 

A standout session on Resilience and Future Communication Technologies sparked lively discussion, with Professor Gerard Parr MBE discussing the dangers of optimism bias with critical infrastructure, striking a chord when he declared: 

“AI doesn’t rule the world – networks do.” 

The statement echoed throughout the day as a reminder of the foundational role that robust, intelligent infrastructure plays in enabling our digital futures. 

In the networking and exhibition space, 25 companies showcased their innovations, services and technologies, while the dedicated Start-up Zone featured 12 early-stage businesses presenting breakthrough solutions in Cybersecurity, AI, Quantum, Healthtech, Robotics, and Immersive Technologies. 

Dr Raoul Peltier, Founder & CEO of Anthrotek Ltd – a start-up specialising in hyper-realistic artificial skins and surgical simulations, commented: “We had an absolute blast. We were really impressed by the number of contacts we made. This has exceeded all our expectations and has been one of the most productive days for networking this year!” 

A panel chaired by Daniel Clarke, Head of Innovation and Technology at Greater Cambridge Partnership, explored how digital twins can strengthen resilience.  
 
Dr Jennifer Schooling highlighted how data can be used to inform infrastructure decisions, saying "If you’re in the business of generating or analysing data, you have potential for working in the digital twin space.”  

She also gave a concise explanation of digital twins and explained the challenge of keeping our civil infrastructure in good repair, she said: “So many of our bridges and railways were built in the Victorian era and we don't have the plans - or even know if they stuck to them!” 

Wei Bi, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Systems at the University of Cambridge, wowed the attendees with a climate-resilience model simulating service disruptions under extreme weather conditions. 

Leon Lobo, Head, National Timing Centre, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) encouraged delegates to think about where we get our time from and how it's generated. With geopolitical instability, there may be selective use of satellite systems. "One of our biggest problems is that we don’t understand the level of our dependence on GPS.” 

Tony Flavin from CHRONOS spoke about eLoran, a terrestrial-based alternative to GPS, and demonstrated the frightening power of small vehicle jammers on both a low and higher-level from unfriendly states. "We’re the only country in the world with a dedicated governing body looking after PNT.” 

Daniel Fitzsimmons, Partner at Cambridge Management Consultants, said: “An outstanding event featuring leading experts in regulation, academia, and technology. CWIC delivered real thought leadership on the key challenges shaping the present and future of the telecoms industry. Truly exceptional!” 

The closing session of the day featured an eye-opening keynote by ethical hacker Jasper Nota, Domain Manager IoT / Ethical Hacker at Secura, who lifted the lid on just how vulnerable our everyday tech can be. In a session titled “Breaking and Entering Your Smart Home, attendees were walked through real-world examples of how hackers can exploit seemingly harmless devices.  

From mousejacking – hijacking wireless keyboards and mice to gain access to systems – to hacking smart lights to infiltrate home Wi-Fi networks, Jasper demonstrated just how easy it can be for bad actors to break through digital walls. He also revealed the alarming weaknesses in NFC (Near Field Communication) tags, commonly used in hotel room key cards, which can be cloned in seconds due to a lack of authentication. 

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – practical solutions were also shared. Simple steps like isolating IoT devices from your core network, questioning the necessity of new smart devices, and checking if the manufacturer offers a bug bounty programme can go a long way in reducing risk. 

Jasper closed with a clear message: while users should remain vigilant, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring device security lies with the manufacturers. Robust, built-in protections must become standard as our homes and lives become ever more connected. 

Alex Rowthorn from System C, said:  "Attending CWIC 2025 was a great opportunity to tap into a sector I hadn’t previously explored in depth. The event was a perfect blend of top-tier speakers and engaging discussions, particularly around the role of digital twins in infrastructure resilience. I walked away with a deeper understanding of how our services can be directly applicable to this field and the exciting potential for future collaboration." 

Michaela Eschbach, CEO of Cambridge Wireless, reflected on the day: “From today’s conference, it's clear we need to ensure that we understand what we mean by resilience. It must be considered from the start. We’ve learned that resilience depends on cross-sector interconnectivity – and achieving it requires collaboration across academia, government and industry. It's not just about the technology. Resilience is also about the people, skills and stepping up to understand our own roles in national resilience.  

One powerful takeaway was the consideration that while AI is based on what we know, resilience is about dealing with the unexpected. We must use these systems carefully if we are to build truly resilient futures.” 

Finally, she added: “A massive thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors who helped make our 16th Cambridge Wireless International Conference such a success – as a not-for-profit organisation we couldn’t do it without them – Chronos Technology, Fujitsu Network Communications, Frazier & Deeter, VIAVI Solutions, Howden, SPRK Capital, UKTIN, ARU, CADFEM, PEM, Kiwa, Rohde & Schwarz, IoTAS, Alan Boswell Group, Intergence, Form the Future, The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre, Cambridgeshire Open RAN Ecosystem (CORE) Project, Conscious Communications, Broadfield Law, 42T, Sigma Connectivity, and iDash Solutions. 

CWIC is just one part of the year-round value Cambridge Wireless offers its community. Expand your tech knowledge, connect with peers, and explore future collaborations across the tech ecosystem. Many events are free or discounted for members.

CWTEC is now open for bookings – learn more.