CWIC 2026 unveils agenda as leaders tackle AI, quantum and network transformation
The Cambridge Wireless International Conference 2026 has unveiled an agenda that puts artificial intelligence, quantum technology and network transformation at the heart of this year’s discussions. The event, scheduled for 30 April 2026 from 09:00 to 18:30 at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridge, will bring together 37 speakers and more than 500 delegates from telecoms, defence, manufacturing, and public sector innovation.
Now in its 17th year, the conference convenes the telecommunications and Advanced Communication Technologies ecosystem at a time of rapid change, with the programme structured around three defining themes. The opening keynote will be delivered by Peter Haigh, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at the National Cyber Security Centre, the UK’s national technical authority for cyber security.
He is expected to set the strategic context on resilience and security, and outline the implications of AI for national infrastructure. The agenda moves quickly to the industry’s central question: can telecoms operators move beyond connectivity to help power the AI economy, or risk being sidelined?
Senior voices from the National Physical Laboratory, Telekom Srbija Group and BT will examine that shift and what it would mean for business models and technical roadmaps. Security and defence will feature prominently in a session led by experts from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Ministry of Defence.
They will explore how AI-enabled connectivity is reshaping operational capability and exposing new vulnerabilities in contested environments. A session on industry transformation will see Professor Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, discuss the rise of autonomous production and so-called “dark factories” — a glimpse of manufacturing that is continuous, intelligent and fully connected.
Simon Fabri, Director of Product and Engineering at His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre, will chair a session on innovation and entrepreneurship featuring founders and technical leaders working on next‑generation technologies. The discussion will focus on how start-up innovation and technical ambition can turn emerging ideas into deployable solutions for a more connected world.
The programme will also examine the reality of a quantum internet, with representatives from IBM and IQM Quantum Computers assessing its implications for security, infrastructure and global competition — and whether it represents a genuine revolution or research hype chasing funding.
Closing the conference, a fireside chat with Daniel Doll‑Steinberg, co‑founder of Edenbase, will shift the focus from how networks converge to what systemic autonomy might mean in practice. The conversation will consider frameworks to ensure increasingly intelligent networks remain a tool for progress rather than a source of systemic fragility.
Alongside the main programme, CWIC 2026 will include a Start‑Up Zone showcasing 12 early‑stage companies and more than four hours of networking, finishing with an evening drinks reception.
“CWIC 2026 arrives at a moment when the role of connectivity is being fundamentally redefined: Connectivity is no longer just infrastructure, it is the foundation of intelligence upon which AI, automation and next‑generation technologies depend,” said Michaela Eschbach, CEO of Cambridge Wireless.