The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) hosts its sixth Operating in the Future Electromagnetic Environment (OFEME) symposium from 18 to 20 November 2025 in Newport, Wales.
The event, supported by the Electromagnetic Environment (EME) Hub, is designed as an in-person event, but there will be options to join virtually if you are unable to join us in Wales.
Importance of the electromagnetic environment
The EME is crucial for many sectors including healthcare and mobility (moving people, goods and services), and for a connected society. In defence, spectrum dependent systems are present across land, maritime, air and space. Their uses include communications, sensing, weapons systems and more.
As demand grows, reliable access to the electromagnetic spectrum becomes more difficult, creating a challenge for UK information advantage and maintaining situational awareness.
From a defence perspective, adversaries will actively contest access, such as through electromagnetic warfare, to deliberately deny or degrade access. Maintaining freedom of action and delivering effects in and through the congested and contested electromagnetic environment is therefore an essential and growing challenge.
Symposium details
The symposium this year will continue to expand its scope included in the previous events.
The event will cover:
- shared challenges for operating within the future electromagnetic environment, emerging sensing and PNT technologies, both inside and outside of defence
- how research and development investment can be harnessed in future approaches
The event will feature:
- a range of keynote speakers
- technical presentations
- panel discussions
- poster sessions
- interactive workshops
- networking sessions
These activities will cover advances and implications of a variety of technical topics including:
- space
- metamaterials
- semiconductors
- electro-optics (to include photonics)
- quantum advantage (position, navigation and timing (PNT))
- filamentation
- filters
- artificial intelligence
- semantic communications
Who can attend
Academics, industry partners (including small and medium-sized enterprises and non-traditional defence suppliers), PhD students and colleagues from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across government are all invited to attend the symposium.
The event will provide space to network and discuss collaboration opportunities with Dstl scientists to shape future thinking on how to address sensing challenges.
Pre-register for this event
You must pre-register your interest online if you would like to attend this symposium, by Friday 3 October 2025.
You will then receive a link to complete the symposium delegate registration process.
Submit your poster
If you would like to create a poster abstract highlighting the themes of the symposium, please complete our online form with a PDF of your poster by 5pm on Friday 12 September 2025.
We will let you know the outcome of your submission by Friday 19 September 2025.
Posters will be presented across both of the 2 conference days. Some authors will also be invited to give lightning talks based on their poster abstracts.
We are also looking for sponsors to support this year’s symposium. Specifically funding towards a 90-minute reception at the end of day 2, which will help promote networking and knowledge sharing. Sponsorship would cover the costs of holding this reception.
Please let us know if you’re interested in sponsoring by emailing: OFEME_Symposium@dstl.gov.uk by 5pm on Friday 12 September 2025.
Any information that is to be presented by any party at this symposium and further that is detailed within this event will be deemed to be in the public domain and therefore will not require further approval for its use by the receiving parties not withstanding any rights of ownership of information set in law. We will ask for a PDF copy of your presentation to be sent to us.
Please email the EME Hub emehub@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk for any further information.
