Christmas 24 Edition

Welcome to the Christmas edition of "Growth Rings", our newsletter to keep you up to date with the latest news, research and insight at the leading edge of growth in Sustainable Smart Innovation.   

In this edition we will cover:

• ICT Opportunities in the £1 Trillion Clean Energy Market

• 5G: The Sustainability Paradox

• Cambium’s 5G Activities in 2024

• Who do we Trust & Why

• Beyond ROI and Aligning Business Strategy with Clean Energy

• Deck the Halls (of Residence)

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The UK Government’s commitment to the clean energy superpower Mission by 2030 is not solely about addressing climate change through decarbonisation; it also represents a significant business and economic growth opportunity. A £1 trillion market for British businesses by 2030. (McKinsey)

Businesses equipped with the right tools and ideas can help lead this transformation while benefiting from the growth it will generate. However, some enterprises may not yet be fully aware of this emerging opportunity.

Opportunity Areas for digital technologies  

• Energy Infrastructure: With the move to more and more renewable energy - Integrating renewable energy sources, balancing supply & demand managing curtailment (minimising wasted energy) and storage management all emerging challenges where ICT has a role.

• Cross-Sector Transformation: Every sector will be effective and the interconnectivity within, and across sectors will be key.  Including Smart Buildings, Transport Systems, Water Management and Food & Agriculture

• Energy-Efficient ICT and Wireless Networks: Optimising computational processes to reduce the energy costs,  low-energy, advanced wireless networks (such as 5G) with minimal environmental impact. Designing more efficient data centres and storage systems to lower energy consumption and emissions.

As the transition towards the clean energy Mission and decarbonisation accelerates, market positioning will be crucial and 3 key questions emerge.Positioning for Success in the Clean Energy Market

1.   Which sectors align best with your expertise?

2.   How can partnerships and collaborations help you enter this market?

3.   What steps can you take to adapt your technology and improve your impact?

Stay tuned for further updates highlighting development and opportunities of the clean energy Mission and net zero delivery plan.

Read more: Click here

5G: The Sustainability Paradox:

5G's Overlooked Hurdle: Balancing Innovation and Sustainability

As we push the boundaries of 5G technology, a crucial challenge emerges: the growing energy appetite of our networks.

• Telecom energy costs are rising 50% faster than revenue growth
• This sector could account for up to 2% of global carbon emissions

However, with the right approach, well targeted innovations leveraging 5G technology could reduce energy costs by 15-30%. A significant opportunity for both financial performance and environmental impact.

Cambium LLP has recently published an article exploring this critical intersection of 5G innovation and sustainability. It delves into:

• The true costs of our energy consumption
• Why current optimisation efforts are falling short
• Potential solutions that could transform our industry

Leaders in telecom and application developers have a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change.


Read more: https://lnkd.in/dMTznqXH 

Building on our 15 years of experience in sustainable innovation, 2024 saw Cambium extend into the emerging field of sustainable networks and communications, addressing the growing environmental impact of telecommunications infrastructure.

With the aid of Innovate UK funding, Cambium has developed NetZeroNet (NZN) a solution that enables network designers and operators to model and optimise their networks' energy consumption and environmental impact. The project has successfully concluded, with more information to follow. To learn more about NZN, click here

Through this initiative, we have been privileged to engage with over a hundred organisations across the UK's 5G ecosystem, including market research interviews, collaborative workshops, and planning sessions with UKRI and Innovate UK. This work has spanned challenges in Agritech, Energy, Healthcare, ICT, Local Government and Manufacturing sectors. It’s clear to us that there are many opportunities for sustainable 5G deployment.

The  widely anticipated convergence of Information Technology and Telecommunications is set to accelerate in 2025, reshaping markets and creating opportunities for sustainable innovation in key UK policy areas, like the clean energy Mission. 

Look out for more insights on this trend in our 2025 blogs.

Read more: Click here

Who do we Trust and Why?

What do medieval monasteries and modern data centres have in common? More than you might think.

From the sacred scriptoriums of the 4th century to today's AI language models, he traces the threads of who controls knowledge, truth, and ultimately, power. Just as monks once held the monopoly on the written word, today's tech giants and their armies of data scientists shape how we think and interact.

But here's the kicker - we've been here before. As society grapples with AI's influence, Lanyon-Hogg reveals striking parallels with how the medieval world handled another revolutionary technology: writing.

Richard’s blog provides a compelling exploration of power, knowledge, and who gets to shape society's truth - from parchment to processors.

Read the full blog to discover:

· Why medieval scriptoriums were the AWS data centres of their day

· How today's data scientists mirror the role of medieval monks

· What history teaches us about cognitive manipulation and truth

· What these parallels tell us about AI's future impact

Read more: Click here

The recent UK Government announcement to transform Britain into a clean energy superpower by 2030 is creating a fundamental shift in business investment decisions.

For business leaders now need to look beyond traditional ROI metrics to thrive in this changing landscape.

Climate change has introduced complex, non-linear risks that are reshaping supply chains, business operations, and market dynamics.

To stay competitive, companies need to consider more strategically, factors such as resilience, market access, cost of capital, talent retention, and more if they want a long-term future.

Recent research on 23,000 companies from CDP data highlighted a significant restructuring supply chains based on environmental criteria and resilience. There will clearly be winners and losers from these changes.

Similarly, the British Business Bank reports that businesses with clear sustainability strategies often secure better financing terms.

Attracting and retaining top talent is key to the success of any organisation. With over 800,000 graduates joining the workforce each year it would be smart for any company to be able to demonstrate a credible track record in sustainability.  Research by Bright Network survey showed that 30% of graduates consider environmental credentials when choosing where to work. Can any company afford to miss out on a talent pool of almost quarter of a million people?

The cost of inaction is also a factor here. The Climate Change Committee points to missed market opportunities, escalating energy costs, and recruitment challenges.

Whether you are reading this as a leader looking to build a more sustainable business or a supplier looking to help your customers build a better case for their investments the bottom line is clear…

The question to ask isn’t just “Can we/you afford to make this investment?” Instead, it’s: “Can we afford not to?”

Read more: Click here

Deck the Halls (of Residence)

As further evidence in the shift in market priorities towards more sustainable products and practices, I did a quick Google search on ‘tips for a sustainable Christmas’ to see who was posting on this topic. Amongst the expected folk like WWF and the Wildlife Trust there was also more than a few links by Universities coming up in the search. With a small tweak to the search criteria, I got this list in the first 3 pages loaded by Google

The postings covered a wide range of practical and creative suggestions from travel considerations, minimising food waste to Christmas decorations and trees made from recycled materials. Of particular note was the number highlighting the managing building shutdowns to reduce carbon footprints over the Christmas break

Apologies to you if your ‘alma mater’ is not listed here but I am sure with a bit more digging, pretty much all will have something to say about Sustainability, even at this time of year.

That’s all for now, best wishes to you and yours for Christmas and 2025

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