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Host: DICE Network+ Experts (University of Exeter & Academic Partners) & Strategic Industry Partners
Duration: 1.5 Hours (Interactive Stakeholder Sprint). Starting at 10am 14th October 2026
Location: Executive Suite at Circular Tech Expo
Transitioning Advanced Connectivity Technologies to a Circular Ecosystem in the AI Age
Why Attend?
The exponential rise of AI and next-gen connectivity has created an infrastructure bottleneck. Traditional linear "take-make-dispose" models force rapid hardware replacements, exposing supply chains to critical mineral shortages, spiking embodied carbon, and accumulating e-waste.
This collaboration 90-minute workshop will explore:
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Mitigating Supply Chain & Geopolitical Risks: Discover how recovering critical raw materials (CRM) and adopting modular designs secures physical asset supply chains.
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Unlocking New Value Streams: Learn how pioneer organisations convert waste heat, legacy network hardware and secondary assets into resilient revenue streams.
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Shaping UK Policy & Procurement: Directly influence upcoming policy briefs submitted to UK government bodies (i.e., DBIST, DEFRA) and inform "Refurb by Default" public procurement frameworks.
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Cross-Sector Collaboration: Connect with leaders across telecommunications, space, and cloud compute to form strategic alliances.
While AI directs network traffic and ACT speeds up data flow, this workshop focuses specifically on the physical hardware; like radio frequency base stations, subsea cables, fibre networks, and satellites, that keeps everything connected.
Who Should Attend?
We invite leaders and specialists across the connectivity and digital infrastructure ecosystem:
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Telecom Network Operators: Managing physical network assets, base station refresh cycles, and fibre infrastructure.
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Satellite & Space System Manufacturers: Developing non-terrestrial network (NTN) payloads, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations, and ground equipment.
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Hardware OEMs & Semiconductor Leads: Designing radio frequency power amplifiers, optical switches, server chassis, and edge nodes.
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Data Centre & Edge Infrastructure Providers: Balancing high-density compute demands with grid limits and thermal dissipation.
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Policymakers, Regulators & Procurement Leads (DBIST, DEFRA, Ofcom, UKSA): Establishing standards, circular metrics, and sustainability mandates.
Your Opinion Matters
Solving infrastructure circularity requires industry-wide collaboration. Insights from those who design, build, operate, and regulate physical assets are critical to creating a practical, real-world framework.
Digital Innovation & Circular Economy (DICE) Network+
The DICE Network+ is a three-year UKRI EPSRC-funded programme that seeks to leverage the power of the digital revolution to drive a circular economy across sectors and value chains. Led by the University of Exeter, our expert academic team comprises eleven investigators from nine UK universities. Our work is focused on two key challenge areas, with specific research in AI and Advanced Connectivity Technologies:
EMBED: Embedding sustainability and circularity within the design and development of digital and communication technologies.
ENABLE: Realising the potential of the digital revolution to enable a circular economy across sectors.
We welcome engagement from commercial organisations, academics, policy makers and interested individuals from the wider community.
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