The JOINER (Joint Open Infrastructure for Networks Research) Platform, led by the University of Bristol Smart Internet Lab, claimed the AI Award for High Tech & Telecom at the National AI Awards 2025 last Thursday, 16 October.
Following hot on the heels of Bristol being crowned ‘AI University of the Year’ in 2024, this achievement demonstrates the University’s leading position in pioneering artificial intelligence research and education, helping shape the future of technology and communication.
Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol, said: “To build the next generation of telecoms, we must harness AI. With JOINER, we’re proud to lead as the UK’s native-AI network experimentation platform, and we’re honoured to receive recognition in the form of a National AI Award.”
JOINER was among four finalists and gained recognition for providing the necessary scale and openness to accelerate AI-native network innovation. Its work, which supports first-of-its-kind demonstrations of interconnected AI infrastructure in real-world applications, provides a unique experimental platform for developing and testing AI solutions for future networks, as well as demonstrating their performance.
The judges praised JOINER’s mission: experimentation, collaboration, and innovation – all geared toward accelerating real-world impact of telecommunications technologies and solutions by making real-world testing more accessible than ever. Examples, include the agentic AI and Hypervisor as a Service (HaaS) solutions developed by industry partners Madevo and Weaver Labs.
JOINER is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by a consortium of universities, industry partners, and innovators. Led by the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab, the project demonstrates the value of collaboration between academia and industry in addressing complex challenges and developing solutions that will underpin the UK’s future digital infrastructure.
The AI Award for High Tech & Telecom, part of the National AI Awards AI in Business category, celebrates pioneers in the high tech and telecommunications industries harnessing artificial intelligence to drive innovation, optimise networks, enhance connectivity, and deliver cutting-edge products and services. Recipients demonstrate visionary leadership and impactful AI applications which will influence next-generation technology and communication.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: "We are thrilled that the Smart Internet Lab’s JOINER project has won the National AI Awards 2025 High Tech & Telecom category, reinforcing the University of Bristol’s position as a global leader in AI innovation. This marks our second consecutive year winning this prestigious award, following our REASON project’s triumph in the category last year. We take immense pride in our community’s academic excellence and pioneering research, which continue to deliver transformative solutions to some of the biggest global challenges."