Objectives
Activities

Technology and Innovation activities

Our activities at a glance

  • Provide support for the initiatives identified that can help us fulfil our objectives.
  • Publicise the role of electronics in our society and educate people about the opportunities that exist for careers, co-operative ventures and funding support.
  • Hold investigatory workshops with the electronics community.
  • Work with Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to encourage the formation of clusters, and support local initiatives.
  • Facilitate the formation of the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network.   Initiate new projects based on emerging technologies.

Our activities – in context

Though high in motivation, the Technology and Innovation Workstream is few in number, so we will also be both strategic and opportunistic! We plan to identify and support a few fundamental initiatives that promise to deliver real value for the UK electronics sector. At the same time, we will look to support broader initiatives aligned to our goal.

To this end, we plan to get a better understanding of the UK electronics industry and a better handle on the uncertainties identified in the EIGT report. We plan to publicise the role of electronics in our society and to educate businesses, investors, students and the public about the opportunities that exist within the electronics sector for careers, co-operative ventures and funding support. We plan to help government to understand the industry and its needs, and at the same time help industry to understand how it can best work with and make use of government and research support.

We will hold investigatory workshops with the electronics community, work with RDAs to encourage the formation of clusters, and support local initiatives. And of course we will report on what we find and how our strategies have started to pay off.

But already we are taking the opportunities we encounter.

Today, the Technology and Innovation Workstream is facilitating the formation of the electronics Knowledge Transfer Network. DTI is providing funding of around £3 million to help the electronics industry improve its performance through information networking. The idea is to lubricate the interactions, which will enable the more efficient deployment of this UK electronic resource. Through its representational bodies, the industry is currently co-ordinating its requirements.

The Technology and Innovation Workstream is also behind the UK's increased participation in the European Technology Platform (ETP) initiatives, such as Artemis (embedded systems), Eniac (nano-electronics), eMobility (mobile and wireless communications) and Photonics21 (mobile and wireless communications). In particular, this involves the development of strategic research agendas in these areas, which will have an impact on the European scientific funding policy. This involves DTI, Research Council and industrial co-operation.

We want results tomorrow, but we can't have them. We have a very long and slow lever ... but we also have a fulcrum; and we are only trying to move the path of the UK electronics industry, not the whole world.

Arcticles of interest

The following  material has been presented recently by Ian Phillips at a number of events.

  • "Moore of the Same?" - Should UK Silicon research focus on More-than-Moore and does it represent the best opportunity for UK exploitation (UK Silicon Day, London, Feb 06)
  • "Europe wants to help you" - Addresses the need for and purpose of research as part of a company's future; looks at funded programmes as a way of reducing cost (Editorial piece for Embedded Systems Engineering, Mar 06)
  • "Commercialising Knowledge"  - Industry's need for research and researchers need for industry, including background to the ELC (IMAPS Conference, Cambridge, Mar 06)
  • "Research.....Enabling the UK Electronics Industry" - Looks at the ELC; industry's understanding of research and what the research community should do to provide timely research output (UKDF-1, Manchester, Apr 06)
  • "The European Technology Platforms" - An overview of ETP's - with specific attention to Artemis and Eniac - emphasising the need for UK involvement (UKDF-2, Manchester, Apr 06)