Toshiba’s Telecommunications Research Laboratory (TRL) in Bristol has been a pioneer in developing wireless technology since it was established as part of Toshiba’s global research and development network in 1998.  TRL celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. 

The lab is led by internationally renowned communications expert, Professor Joe McGeehan CBE FREng, its managing director, who is also Professor of Communications Engineering at Bristol University and Director of the University’s Centre for Communications Research. The TRL has 35 researchers of its own, and Toshiba collaborates on research projects with Bristol University as well as supporting 20 PhD students.

Since its inception in 1998, the TRL has been at the cutting edge of research into technologies for next generation cellular, wireless local and personal area networks and reconfigurable device architectures and is now recognised worldwide as a centre of excellence.

The laboratory currently consists of two groups: the Wireless Systems Group, researching communications technologies for high performance wireless and mobile networks, and the Reconfigurable Systems Group, which investigates the architectures, frameworks and systems to support such networks.

Professor McGeehan said: “For the past ten years we have made groundbreaking advances in emerging areas, ensuring Toshiba has the technologies to assert its position as one of the world's leading consumer electronics companies. At TRL, we are constantly reinventing the future.”