Luke Ibbetson
Group R&D Director at Vodafone
About
Luke Ibbetson leads the Vodafone Group Research and Development organisation, fostering the adoption of disruptive and emerging technologies for the benefit of customers, efficiency and growth. A telco industry professional with 30 years of experience, Luke is currently shaping Vodafone's thinking on Quantum technology, 6G, non-terrestrial networks, vehicle autonomy and advanced AI/ML. Luke is Chair of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Board Strategy Committee, Vice Chair of GSMA Post Quantum Telco Networks Task Force, and Chairman of the TechWorks Board and serves as main Board member for the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), AST Space Mobile, and several venture backed technology companies. Luke is a proud pioneer of low power wide area IoT and a passionate supporter of innovative thinking.
Experience
Group R&D Director
Oct 2026 – Present
Luke Ibbetson leads the Vodafone Group Research and Development organisation, fostering the adoption of disruptive and emerging technologies for the benefit of customers, efficiency and growth. A telco industry professional with 30 years of experience, Luke is currently shaping Vodafone's thinking on Quantum technology, 6G, non-terrestrial networks, vehicle autonomy and advanced AI/ML. Luke is Chair of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Board Strategy Committee, Vice Chair of GSMA Post Quantum Telco Networks Task Force, and Chairman of the TechWorks Board and serves as main Board member for the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), AST Space Mobile, and several venture backed technology companies. Luke is a proud pioneer of low power wide area IoT and a passionate supporter of innovative thinking.
Independent
Oct 2026 – Present
Luke Ibbetson leads the Vodafone Group Research and Development organisation, fostering the adoption of disruptive and emerging technologies for the benefit of customers, efficiency and growth. A telco industry professional with 30 years of experience, Luke is currently shaping Vodafone's thinking on Quantum technology, 6G, non-terrestrial networks, vehicle autonomy and advanced AI/ML. Luke is Chair of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Board Strategy Committee, Vice Chair of GSMA Post Quantum Telco Networks Task Force, and Chairman of the TechWorks Board and serves as main Board member for the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), AST Space Mobile, and several venture backed technology companies. Luke is a proud pioneer of low power wide area IoT and a passionate supporter of innovative thinking.
