Introducing Dr Mike Short

Dr Mike Short has built a distinguished career at the intersection of innovation, telecommunications, and public policy. He currently holds a portfolio of advisory and academic roles, including Chair of the UK Telecoms Labs and the UK Telecoms Innovation Network Advisory Boards, and Visiting Professor at the Universities of Surrey and UCL.

From 2017 to 2023, Mike served as Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, where he led on technology strategy to support UK exports, digital health, and inward investment.

Earlier in his career, he spent over 30 years in mobile communications with Cellnet, O2 UK, and Telefónica Group, where he played a key role in launching 2G and 3G networks, advancing international research and standards (including 4G/5G) for Telefónica, and pioneering trials in Mobile TV, Smart Metering, Driverless Cars, and Digital Health.

Mike has also held leadership positions as President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Chairman of the GSM Association and UK Mobile Data Association, and Board Member of Innovate UK.

Reflecting on this long-standing collaboration and Mike’s new role, our Deputy Chair, Bleddyn Rees, shared his thoughts:

“Thirteen years ago, we hosted our first event at GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, and Mike has been a speaker, moderator, and panellist almost every year since. He has helped us understand the world of telecommunications and related technologies and has been an amazing friend to us. It is exciting to extend our relationship, and an honour for us to have his global expertise and experience join our group of Ambassadors.”

Below, Mike shares his insights on telecommunications, digital innovation, and his experience and expertise in driving global connectivity and health transformation.

Q&A

Q1. In your distinguished career in telecommunications, what are the stand out achievements you have seen in the industry? 

I forecasted 100 million digital GSM connections by the year 2000 as Chairman of the GSM Association in September 1995 at the ITU World Congress, before a skeptical audience in Geneva — we had 13 million globally at the time. We achieved 100 million in 1998, two years early! Today, we see over 8.5 billion digital mobile connections — the most successful and widely adopted technology on the planet. Digital health has to leverage this global investment more fully.

The shift from voice to data services only started in the early 1990s with GSM (or 2G mobile), but it led to messaging, ringtones, apps, mobile internet, camera phones, social media, video, and streaming. Helping to develop and promote these globally has been part of my long and enjoyable career. Much more needs to be done with AI and in key sectors such as health.

The most excitement I get is from innovation and growth, where new ideas meet new markets, and where real talent can collaborate to engineer a better world.

Q2. As Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) for the UK’s Department of International Trade, what did your role involve?

I was a CSA for just over five years, following 30 years in mobile communications. My primary responsibilities were to support exports, inward investment, and international collaboration, as well as the related public policies. Sometimes suppliers wanted to meet government or other customers, but often it was about deploying technology in new ways — and health was no exception. I was proud to launch the first Digital Playbook, which listed successful digital health companies used in the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. It later went on to be used globally to support collaboration and digital health systems around the world.

I was also active in international standards and regulation. These are often the foundations of trust and security — areas I continue to work on today.

Q3. How can telecommunications empower digital health and help improve access to, and the quality of, healthcare globally?

Many clinicians around the world are hampered by poor access to data and timely evidence — whether health, environmental, or personal data. Prevention of disease has to be the way forward, with better access to data across different international systems and with respect for the patient. This also needs to become more efficient for trend and predictive analysis, skills-based training, multidisciplinary and specialist data sharing, and more timely services.

AI and digital systems will all help, with a human in the loop. Trends to rebalance hospital- and home-based care also need attention to optimise patient-centred care and investment through inclusive digital health systems. We still have a long way to go from the small beginnings of digital health.

Q4. Which emerging technologies do you believe will transform healthcare in the next 5 to 10 years?

Forecasting for 2030 or 2035 is difficult when looking at the whole globe, but there are many extrapolations from today’s digital health systems.

I would expect capacity, capability, and clinical needs all to increase over this period, with many nations seeing rapid population growth and ageing populations. Prevention will need equal attention alongside treatment and cures for current and new diseases. Digital health will play a huge role in this area.

Security, privacy, and trust will all need to grow hand in hand with better and more dynamic clinical–patient data sharing and access. Wearables and apps will need to be treated as part of the digital health system, not purely as gadgets for the ‘worried well.’ Regulatory frameworks may need to adapt to such novel sources of information, without requiring all of them to be prescribed as medical devices.

Q5. What are you most looking forward to in your new role as a Global Health Connector Ambassador?

I am most looking forward to opening doors for global collaboration between countries and between specialists in largely separate health and technology communities.

Overall, as with my whole career, I want to bridge the digital divide — between technology and solutions, between those who have and those who do not have access to digital tools, and particularly in healthcare. This may involve sharing case studies, addressing international standards and regulation, or simply explaining the benefits of digital health to wider audiences.

My goal is to help deliver great science and technology to those who need it, with scale and practical solutions in mind.