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It’s 10 years since the Electronics Innovation and Growth Team published its report on the future of the UK’s electronics sector, concluding the industry was fragmented, lacking in confidence and essentially invisible.TRANSCRIPT
www.newelectronics.co.uk
28 July 2015
SPECIAL ISSUE:Ten years after the EIGT Report, we look at
UK electronics and where it’s headed
VIEWS OF THE FUTURE • INNOVATION • ONES TO WATCH • COMMERCIALISATION
So you thinkyou know
yourindustry?
COMMENT 5
Substantial increases
in employment and
contribution to GDP
over the last two years
suggest the electronic
systems sector is an
industry ‘on the up’
NEWS 7
ESCO’s latest market
statistics show
business is booming,
with more small
companies than ever
ams acquires NXP’s
CMOS sensor
business, expands its
environmental sensor
portfolio
The industry is
pushing processes:
IBM shows a 7nm
test chip, while
Globalfoundries takes
FD-SOI to 22nm.
How the team behind
the BBC Micro:bit
went about designing
and manufacturing the
board that might just
replicate the success
of the BBC Micro
COVER STORY 12
A bright future?
Is UK electronics ‘on the up’? We ask a selection of industry
figures for their views, including whether the Government should
provide more support and where the sector will be in 2025
INTERVIEW: EIGT 10 YEARS ON 16
Peak or bleak?
Ten years ago, the Electronics Innovation and Growth Team
presented the industry with some home truths. We ask EIGT chair
David Kynaston whether the messages had the desired effect
THE INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT 18
State of the nation
Is the UK struggling to compete on the global stage or is it a dynamic
centre of innovation? We find out what the state of play is when it
comes to UK plc
GROWING MARKETS 22
Selling to the world
The Government wants an increased focus on exports in order to
redress the balance of payments gap. What support mechanisms
exist to help small UK electronics companies to export?
INNOVATION LOCATIONS 24
Joining hands
Where is innovation taking place in the UK and how are university-
business collaborations driving the commercialisation of new
ideas?
COMMERCIALISATION 26
Monetising innovation
While the UK may be well positioned to maintain its global
position in the development of complex systems, it should not
rest on its laurels
ACADEMIC-INDUSTRIAL RELATIONSHIPS 29
Breaking down barriers
A report finds that business-university collaboration is an
important part of the innovation cycle, but adds universities need
to change their culture in order to better support this
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www.newelectronics.co.uk
28 July 2015
SPECIAL ISSUE:Ten years after the EIGT Report, we look at
UK electronics and where it’s headed
VIEWS OF THE FUTURE • INNOVATION • ONES TO WATCH • COMMERCIALISATION
So you thinkyou know
yourindustry?
14
CONTENTS VOL 48 NO 14
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015
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T H R E A D
It’s 10 years since the Electronics Innovation and Growth Team published
its report on the future of the UK’s electronics sector, concluding the
industry was fragmented, lacking in confidence and essentially invisible.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and the world is a
much different place. We have seen the establishment of the Electronics
Leadership Council and its demise, the establishment of the UK Electronics
Alliance and, more recently, its replacement by the Electronics Systems
Community, or ESCO.
ESCO was launched with a flourish two years ago, with a report – ‘A
Blueprint for Economic Growth’ – based on extensive research into a number of
areas. The report pointed out the value of electronics to the UK’s economy; not
just in numbers, but also in terms of its pervasiveness.
It set out targets to grow employment in the electronic systems sector by
150,000 to 1million by 2020. It also called for the sector’s annual contribution to
GDP to grow from £80billion to £120bn in the same period, the latter figure
representing 7.1% of the UK’s economy.
At the time, the targets looked challenging; two years on, it seems the UK’s
electronic systems sector has responded. A recent update to ESCO’s market
statistics shows the sector now employs more than 1m people and that its GDP
contribution is close to £100bn – figures that should be applauded.
While this special issue of New Electronics takes a short look back to the
EIGT Report, it endeavours to look forward, highlighting the innovation being
done in the UK and opportunities that companies might take advantage of. It
looks at support for companies looking to export and at relationships between
industry and academia.
What we see is an industry which is, in general, positive about the future.
Perhaps the best indication of this is the number of small companies identified
by ESCO. It says there are now more than 36,000 companies in the sector with
four or fewer employees – 60% more than two years ago. “It’s a sign of an
improving economy and the fact that companies are now more confident,” says
ESCO’s chief executive Peter Brooks.
What a difference a decade makes.
Graham Pitcher, Group Editor ([email protected])
An industry on the up
EMPLOYMENT IN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMSSECTOR AND ITS GDP CONTRIBUTIONHAVE BOOMED IN LAST TWO YEARS
UK ELECTRONICS A DECADE OF CHANGE
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk6
7
NEWS ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
COMMUNITY
ESCO, the Electronic Systems Community, is making good progress with its seven year plan to boost the
contribution of the electronics industry to the UK’s GDP.
According to Egures produced by the organisation, the number of people employed within the electronic
systems sector has exceeded 1million – 3.28% of the working population – while the contribution to GDP has
risen to almost £100billion. In its clarion call report, published in 2013, ESCO targeted 1m people being
employed in the sector and a GDP contribution of £120bn by 2020.
ESCO says one of the highlights of its research is the large increase in the number of companies in the
sector employing four people or fewer. Figures suggest there are now 36,063 such companies – an increase
of 60% in two years and representing 80% of all companies in the sector. The number of companies
employing between Eve and nine people also grew by 26%.
Peter Brooks, ESCO’s chief executive, said: “It’s a sign of an improving economy and the fact that
companies are now more conEdent. A lot of Government support has been rebuilt and we shouldn’t
underestimate the contribution of InnovateUK in its active assistance of business.”
ESCO accepts that, while there is modest growth across the board, the large growth in employment, the
signs that electronic systems enterprises are growing larger and the strong growth in the number of small
businesses – interpreted as start ups – suggest electronic systems is a ‘very healthy’ community.
Concluding, Brooks noted: “This health is reFected in the number of skilled vacancies. Companies want
more people because business is good and they need to expand.”
Business booming, says ESCOESCO’S MARKET UPDATE SHOWS THE SECTOR’S EMPLOYMENT AND GDP CONTRIBUTION IS RISING FASTER THAN EXPECTED. GRAHAM PITCHER REPORTS.
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015
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Editor Neil Tyler
Online Editorial Tom Austin-Morgan
Assistant [email protected]
Group Editor Graham Pitcher
Contributing David Boothroyd
Editors Chris Edwards
Louise Joselyn
John Walko
Art Editor Martin Cherry
Illustrator Phil Holmes
Sales Manager Marc Young
Publisher Peter Ring
Executive Ed Tranter
Director [email protected]
Production Nicki McKenna
Controller [email protected]
New Electronics, incorporating Electronic
Equipment News and Electronics News, is
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Copyright 2015 Findlay Media.
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Digi-Key distributes ‘Lab-in-a-Box’ package
Digi-Key has joined with ARM’s University Programme to
distribute a ‘Lab-in-a-Box’ (LiB) to higher educational
institutions around the globe. The package includes
development boards, software licenses and teaching
materials.
The first hardware kit available from Digi-Key is the Rapid
Embedded System Design and Programming LiB, which
includes STMicroelectronics’ NUCLEO-F401RE board.
ARM has strong Q2
ARM’s second quarter results
show revenue grew by 15% in
Dollars over the same period in
2014, and by 22% in Sterling.
Pete Hutton, president of ARM’s
product groups, said: “The results
are good. There’s a nice ‘uptick’ in
revenues and the 54 licences we
signed is a record for one quarter.”
Eight licences were signed for
Cortex-R class cores, including an
additional licence for ‘Kite’, the
ARMv8-R class processor designed
for safety related automotive and
industrial applications. “That
licence is one of the highlights of
the quarter,” Hutton concluded.
TSMC to use EUV at 5nm
TSMC is planning to introduce
EUV lithography at the 5nm node.
On a conference call, Mark Liu,
president and co-CEO, said: “We
are planning to exercise EUV at
7nm and are currently planning to
use EUV at 5nm.”
He said TSMC’s assessment
shows that EUV will reduce the
number of masking layers needed
at 5nm and provide better control.
Meanwhile, TSMC continues to
work closely with tools developer
ASML. “We have made very good
progress on source power,” Liu
continued, “as well as on
photoresists.”
Imagination joins 5GIC
Imagination Technologies has
joined the 5G Innovation Centre
(5GIC) at the University of Surrey
and says it will invest ‘signiEcant
resources’ over the next Eve years
to help 5GIC develop scalable and
widely deployable technologies.
Sir Hossein Yassaie,
Imagination’s CEO, said. “5G will
deliver more efEciency, lower
power and better robustness –
but also connect everything in
the world of IoT. We look forward
to working with 5GIC and
partners around the world to
help deliver this important global
technology.”
Austrian sensor and analogue specialist ams has acquired NXP’s CMOS sensor business. The
move expands ams’ environmental sensor portfolio with monolithic and integrated devices to
measure variables such as relative humidity, pressure and temperature.
“With this acquisition, we have expanded the capabilities and improved the offerings of our
sensors,” said Peter Gasteiner, general manager of ams’ sensors and sensor interfaces division.
“The move, especially the IP element, complements our road map.”
The enlarged portfolio is anticipated to bring opportunities in smartphones, wearables and
other mobile devices, as well as in smart buildings and the industrial, medical and automotive
markets. The smart sensor systems will combine intelligence, wired and wireless interfaces, and
advanced power management to reduce energy costs and provide additional safety and security.
Gasteiner noted the acquisition will help ams to achieve its target of integrating three or four
sensors into one package. “By combining temperature, humidity and pressure sensors onto one
chip you effectively have a whole weather centre which can be scaled down onto a mobile
phone,” he said. “The sensors could also be used to contribute to a more efPcient use of air
conditioning and ventilation systems in industrial applications.”
The sensors are said to feature reduced package size, complexity and cost while offering low
power consumption and high performance with a best-in-class analogue front end.
According to Gasteiner, the deal also sees ams acquire broader knowledge of how to make
sensors. “NXP’s devices need open cavity packages,” he said. “We have acquired expertise in
this area and will be able to apply it to our existing products.”
8
NEWS SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
M²Communication (M2COMM) has joined the
Weightless SIG to lead a Working Group
developing a high performance LPWAN
standard.
This latest standard, called Weightless-P,
will offer uplink and downlink capabilities that
enhance quality of service, important in the
industrial IoT sector.
Weightless-P is claimed to support all
major license exempt bands, providing two
way communication at data rates of up to
100kbit/s. The standard is also said to
enable higher capacity than existing LPWAN
and cellular technologies in uplink dominated
applications with small to medium payloads.
“Weightless-P will breathe new life into an
IoT market that is waiting on a reliable LPWAN
technology,” claimed Derrick Wei, M2COMM’s
CEO. “The slow adoption of wireless IoT
solutions highlights a huge technology void
that Weightless-P will address without
requiring custom hardware.”
M2COMM joinsWeightless SIG
The
Government
has launched
a £20million
competitive
fund for
collaborative
research and
development
into driverless vehicles, as well as a code of
practice for testing.
Proposals are being sought in areas such
as safety, reliability, how vehicles can
communicate with each other and their
environment. The Government is also looking
to explore how driverless vehicles can help
give an ageing population greater
independence.
The move is intended to put the UK at the
forefront of the intelligent mobility market,
expected to be worth £900billion by 2025.
Meanwhile, the code of practice is said to
provide industry with the framework needed to
trial cars safely in real-life scenarios and to
create more sophisticated versions of existing
models.
Driverless vehicle fund launched
Deal boosts sensor portfolioAMS ACQUIRES NXP’S ADVANCED CMOS SENSOR BUSINESS. TOM AUSTIN-MORGAN REPORTS.
Etch system brings Ôatomic level precisionÕApplied Materials has unveiled the Centris
Sym3 etch system, said to enable what the
company calls atomic level precision
manufacturing.
One of the key features of Sym3 is the
ability to control and remove etch byproducts,
which mitigates such problems as line edge
roughness, pattern loading and defects.
The company says it has created features
with an aspect ratio of 30:1 on advanced
processes. This is achieved by tight control
of gas flow, RF plasma and temperature.
Product manager Amulya Athayde said: “The
gas has to be distributed evenly and the
wafer temperature needs to be uniform. It’s a
big challenge getting these to work together.”
32bit A/Ds to boost PLC performance
Texas Instruments has introduced two 32bit delta-sigma A/D converters that combine high
resolution, low noise and integrated fault detection. With a maximum output of 38ksample/s,
the ADS1262 and ADS1263 have been developed to boost the performance of programmable
logic controllers, industrial automation equipment and sensor measurement applications.
Bryan Lizon, from TI’s precision data converter product marketing group, said: “High end
applications are moving beyond 24bit, so there is the need for more bits to give better accuracy.
Meanwhile, there is also the need for greater system reliability.”
Both parts enable accurate measurement of small signals, with a noise level of 7nVrms at
2.5sample/s suiting bridge applications with full scale signals of less than 10mV. The
ADS1262’s features include a PGA, a 2.5V reference, a level shifter and dual excitation current
sources. The ADS1263 adds an auxiliary 24bit delta-sigma A/D converter.
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
9
UltraSoC has added support for the Tensilica
Xtensa family to its UltraDebug package.
Rupert Baines, UltraSoC’s CEO, said:
“Today’s application processors are not
optimised to handle the vast range of tasks
required in today’s advanced consumer
products. Xtensa provides a solution to that
problem, offloading tasks from the host and
creating optimised multicore SoCs.SWe’re in
tune with this vision of the SoC and delighted
to be working with Cadence to make it
happen.”
Xtensa enables system architects to create
high performance processors and DSPs
customised to their application needs. This is
said to allow the creation of SoCs in which key
tasks are offloaded from the host processor
to multiple heterogeneous Xtensa processors.
Researchers from North Carolina State
University and Brown University have found
that zinc oxide and silicon nanowires have a
pronounced anelasticity and believe this could
enable the development of stretchable,
flexible wearable devices.
When bent, the nanowires would return
more than 80% of the way to their original
shape instantaneously, then return the rest of
the way slowly.
“All materials have some degree of
anelasticity, said NCSU associate professor
Yong Zhu, “but it is usually negligible at the
macroscopic scale. Because nanowires are so
small, the anelasticity is signiPcant and easily
observed – although it was a surprise when
we Prst discovered it in nanowires.”
According to the researchers, ZnO
nanowires exhibited anelastic behaviour that
is up to four orders of magnitude larger than
the largest anelasticity observed in bulk
materials, with a recovery in the order of
minutes.
The team now plans to explore whether
anelasticity is common across nanoscale
materials and structures and to evaluate how
this characteristic may affect other properties,
such as electrical conductivity and thermal
transport.
UltraSOC adds Tensilicadebug support
Stretchable nanowiresmay suit wearables
UK ELECTRONICS 7NM PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
While Intel and the leading foundries continue
to wrestle with the challenges of bringing
14/16nm FinFET based devices into
production, IBM has unveiled the Prst fruits
from its research into future silicon devices.
In the programme, announced in July
2014, IBM said it would invest $3billion over
the next Pve years in two
projects: one, aimed at the
7nm node and beyond,
addressing the physical
challenges facing scaling; the
other looking at ‘post silicon’
technologies.
In producing the 7nm test chip, IBM –
which collaborated with Globalfoundries and
Samsung at the State University of New York
Polytechnic (SUNY Poly) Institute’s Colleges of
Nanoscale Science and Engineering – has
made a number of developments, including
the use of silicon germanium channel
transistors and EUV lithography.
“Scaling to 7nm and beyond is essential,”
said Arvind Krishna, director of IBM Research.
“That’s why IBM has remained committed to
an aggressive basic research agenda that
continually pushes the limits of
semiconductor technology.”
Alongside SiGe and EUV, the 7nm test chip
also introduced process innovations that allow
transistors to be placed less than 30nm
apart. Taken together, the techniques are said
to bring at least a 50% improvement in
power/performance for next generation
devices. IBM’s particular interest is to use
7nm technology for processors that will power
its future mainframe and POWER systems.
“[This] announcement is just one example
of our collaboration with IBM, which furthers
New York State’s global leadership in
developing next generation technologies,”
said Dr Michael Liehr, SUNY Poly’s executive
vp of innovation and technology.
“Enabling the Prst 7nm node
transistors is a signiPcant milestone
for the semiconductor industry as we
continue to push beyond the limitations of
our current capabilities.”
• Meanwhile, Globalfoundries is investing
$250m at its Dresden fab for development
and initial capacity of a process technology
developed to meet the power requirements of
next generation connected devices.
The 22FDX platform – which will be
available in four ‘flavours’ – uses FD-SOI
technology to deliver ‘FinFET’ like performance
and energy efPciency, but at a cost comparable
to that of 28nm planar processes.
Operating from a supply as low as 0.4V, the
process reduces dynamic power consumption
and thermal impact. Die size is said to 20%
smaller than a device made on a 28nm
process and 22FDX is said to require 10%
fewer masks and half the immersion
lithography layers of foundry FinFET processes.
Pushing processesIBM SHOWS A 7NM TEST CHIP, WHILE GLOBALFOUNDRIES TAKES FD-SOI TO 22NM. GRAHAM PITCHER REPORTS.
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015
Engineers at the University of California have integrated electrical components into a 3D
printing process and created a wireless ‘smart cap’ that uses embedded sensors to determine
if milk in a carton is ‘off’.
The ‘smart cap’ was fitted with a capacitor and an inductor to form a resonant circuit. A flip
of the carton trapped a bit of milk in the capacitor gap and the carton was then left unopened
at room temperature for 36 hours. Using an RF probe to detect the changes in signals that
accompany increased levels of bacteria, the team found the peak vibration frequency of the
room-temperature milk dropped by 4.3% after 36 hours, while a carton of milk kept at 4°C
saw a 0.12% shift in frequency over the same period.
“This technology could make electronic circuits cheap enough to be added to packaging to
provide food safety alerts for consumers,” said Professor Liwei Lin.
3D printed ‘smart cap’ monitors condition of milk
Earlier this month, the BBC unveiled the Micro:bit computer. Part of the
Make It Digital initiative, the Corporation will distribute 1million
MicroBits free in October to Year Seven children across the UK.
ARM provided the technical design for the BBC micro:bit, Technology
Will Save U was responsible for the device’s appearance, Nordic
Semiconductor donated the main Cortex-M0 microprocessor, while
Freescale provided the accelerometer, magnetomer compass and
another Cortex-M0 MCU to manage the device’s micro USB connection.
Crucially, element14 helped organise the device’s
manufacture and the sourcing of parts.
“We became aware of the project back in February
and put forward a proposal to support with the design,
cost optimisation and manufacturing,” said Richard
Curtin, global director of strategic alliance,
element14. “We’ve managed other projects,
designing and manufacturing development kits
in our strategic alliance programme.”
According to Curtin, the project highlights
the work required to bring a new board to
market.
“When we joined, there were a number of unknowns and
element14 was invited to arbitrate between the needs of the working
group and the practicalities of manufacture,” he explained.
The initial design was amended signi:cantly, according to Gary
Atkinson, director of emerging technologies at ARM. “We wanted to
make the device mbed compatible and to improve its connectivity. I
think we came up with a more capable device as a result of the changes
we made to the initial prototype.”
“Our role was to take these prototypes and optimise them for mass
manufacturing,” Curtin noted.
Micro:bit’s success will depend on its life beyond the initial rollout,
so the partners worked to ensure that it was an affordable product,
capable of creating a niche for itself in the growing education market.
“Because of our V-score process, which helps to strengthen the
board and makes panel separation easier after assembly, we reduced
the cost of the board signi:cantly, without sacri:cing the quality of the
:nish,” said Curtin.
“The appearance of the board was also important. In most
development kits, that is secondary to functionality. But as this board is
aimed at children, it needed to be both functional and friendly and we
worked hard with our partners to realise the manufacturing realities
behind these design decisions,” Curtin he added.
Cost optimisation is crucial to all successful board designs.
“In this case, the BBC was aiming to reduce the
cost of the board to the point where it could be
provided at zero cost to every 11 and 12 year
old in the country. To assist in this, we
worked with supplier partners to leverage
economies of scale. While this is possible in
higher volume production runs, with smaller
projects it can be more dif:cult.”
Finally, the project had to be manufacturable at
scale. “We had to :nd someone who could
manufacture the board in the quantities required and
within the aggressive timelines of the project,” said
Curtin. “In this case, we are working with IO Note in China.
“As the design was being created in the UK, initial prototypes were
manufactured in the UK. This allowed the partners to test early
prototypes, write the key software components, debug quickly and
move onto the next stages of the design – quick turn manufacturing in
practice.”
Finally, mass production is set to start shortly and 1m boards will be
in schools by the autumn.
“There are many layers to designing and manufacturing a new
board,” Curtin concluded, “but we have been able to turn an idea into
reality in a matter of months.”
10
From design to productionNEIL TYLER LOOKS AT HOW THE TEAM BEHIND THE BBC MICRO:BIT PROJECT WENT ABOUT DESIGNINGAND MANUFACTURING THE BOARD THAT MIGHT JUST REPLICATE THE SUCCESS OF THE BBC MICRO.
NEWS ANALYSIS BBC MICRO:BIT
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
years ago, the Electronics
Innovation and Growth Team’s
report painted a picture of a
fairly invisible fragmented UK
electronics industry with a lack
of confidence. The decade has
seen significant change, but
change needs to be continuous.
A range of issues will affect how the industry develops,
including relations with Government, the ability to exploit
innovation and better cross sector collaboration.
So can the Government help to develop the industry?
Stephen Pattison, vp of public affairs with ARM, said:
“Unlike some other major sectors, UK electronics has been
slow to develop relations with Government. But that
changed two years ago, with the formation of the Electronic
Systems Council.
“Looking forward, we need to think carefully about what
we want the Government to do for the sector. The starting
point should be: ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ and this is a
view shared by the Government.
“STEM and apprenticeships are areas where we can
collaborate; another is to encourage public sector
investment in research and in funding significant pilot
programmes to test and showcase key new technologies.”
Steve Applegate, chairman of Stadium’s group
technology board believes Government and the electronics
industry are disconnected. “The UK electronics industry has
not seen key investment nor government support for
decades and is now struggling to compete with global
markets and lower cost offshore alternatives. Government
support is extremely important if the electronics industry is
to survive in the UK.”
Taking a different view, Derek Boyd, chief executive of
industry group NMI, claimed: “Until the recent election, the
industry’s representation and connection to Government
were as good as they have ever been; the ESCO report was
well received and the ESCO Council was established. There
were some significant breakthroughs: additional funding for
IoT; approval for a Graduate Trailblazer apprenticeship
scheme; and a bid through InnovateUK to increase
investment in ECSEL by an order of magnitude from today.”
Nigel Toon, CEO of XMOS, observed: “Governments
move at a very different pace from the speed required in a
small or medium sized company. It is hard for
governments to keep up with and track emerging trends.
Government should, therefore, create an attractive
environment for entrepreneurship and for innovation.”
Losing a trick?The UK is associated with innovation, but not
commercialisation. Have we lost a trick with graphene and
plastic electronics and what needs to happen for us to
better exploit opportunities?
Ken Ball, electronics programme manager with techUK,
believes the UK has huge potential to innovate and exploit
that innovation. “But it’s vital that small and micro-
businesses – often the most innovative – have equal
opportunity to compete for government funding.
“Plastic electronics will continue to grow, driven by the
need for Iexible or wearable electronics and enabled by a
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk12
A bright future?
“We need to
stop talking
and start
collaborating.”
Steve
Applegate
Is UK electronics ‘on the up’? Graham
Pitcher asks a selection of industry
figures for their views on the future.
mix of conventional and printed. True organic
semiconductors are some way off and will probably only be
developed for very low cost consumer items.
“Graphene has so far seen little direct application, but it
has led to the research and application of 2D materials,
which may well be incorporated into new semiconductors.”
Antony Rix, principal wireless consultant at TTP, notes
that many large UK companies and global companies
headquartered here have cut their R&D budgets
substantially. “This is a reIection of wider changes: they
increasingly expect their suppliers to innovate and buy in a
global market. Without this basic investment – whether
internally or with close partners – corporations will struggle
to grow and will Hnd themselves exposed to competition.”
Cross sector collaborationThe recently published ESCO Report called for cross sector
collaboration. Is it happening and what will help companies
to make better use of supply chains?
Boyd points out that electronic systems are already a
critical part of most industrial sectors, so industry
associations have a great opportunity. “For example, NMI
has established the Automotive Electronic Systems
Innovation Network; increased our membership in
aerospace and defence sectors; and are Hnding great merit
in chip-to-system collaboration.”
But he sees the issue of UK supply chains as tricky.
“We’re part of a global ecosystem and failure to recognise
that would be wrong.”
Applegate believes that, until the UK can develop and
provide its own ‘must have’ products and technologies –
often driven by multi industry collaboration and sharing
knowledge – it is difHcult to see how Government
intervention can have any real effect.
But Rix thinks the government could do more through
procurement to build a more diverse and resilient supply
chain in the UK in both electronics and ICT. “Available tools
should be used routinely to recognise the value of local
research and manufacturing,” he said. “Global competitor
countries like the US, France and Germany do this as a
matter of course.”
Andrew Holland, founder of RF Module and Optical
Design, observed: “The excellent ESCO report showed how
the UK electronic systems industry can lead product
offerings in the burgeoning IoT space. As a Cambridge start-
up, we need to collaborate with companies aligned either
side of our product offering. The good news is that the UK is
equipped across all sectors to bring such a compelling
product to bear.”
Lack of new blood?There’s a lack of engineering students, but what about
management talent? What might help UK companies
develop over the next decade? “ARM disproves your
assumption,” Pattison asserted. “It has a great record of
leadership and global expansion. It shows what can be
done, but there is a lingering tendency for some companies
to sell out early, rather than invest in long term growth. This
may be a cultural thing.”
techUK’s Ball believes there is no underlying reason why
UK based businesses cannot be global leaders. “To support
small, innovative companies to grow and scale, we must
take a holistic approach that includes platform catalysts
and skills development and supports the hunger and desire
of UK entrepreneurs.
“We have called on the government to implement the
recommendations in Sherry Coutu’s Scale Up Report to
ensure the UK remains a leading economy and innovator.”
In Toon’s opinion, new management teams need to build
their skills in high growth successful technology businesses
before they jump out and start on their one. “We need more
international successes to stimulate this virtuous circle.
“Silicon Valley works because successful entrepreneurs
either start new businesses or go into VC and support new
companies. Middle management from these successful
companies gain skills and experience that allows them to
lead the next wave of start-ups. Their old bosses will act as
mentors, seed investors or will be sitting in major VCs.”
TTP’s Rix believes the German ‘Mittelstand’ companies
are a good example for the UK. “These organisations
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 13
UK ELECTRONICS TEN YEARS TIME
“Available tools
should be used
routinely to
recognise the
value of local
research and
manufacturing.”
Antony Rix
“It’s not
impossible for
global
consumer
brands to
emerge from
the UK.”
Derek Boyd
“We have
numerous
activities to
promote STEM
in schools.”
Tony King-Smith
expect to invest for the long term, helped by stable
investment and taxation regimes, by benevolent (often
family) owners and by a focus on global markets,” he said.
“UK companies can learn from this.”
Tony King-Smith, executive vp of marketing with
Imagination Technologies, said he is extremely interested in
getting new blood into the industry. “We work closely with
universities to make sure that not only are people educated
in line with real industry requirements but they are also
interesting people pursuing novel ideas. We have numerous
activities to promote STEM in schools and beyond to really
enable universities to excel.”
So will a ‘new generation’ be taking the industry forward
in 2025 and will they be establishing global brands?
“We can see a new generation emerging already,” said
Pattison. “The digital revolution is enabling small start-ups to
go from ‘zero to hero’ in even less time than it took ARM.”
Holland says scale matters in manufacturing. “Just look
at the gigafabs in Taiwan. But the UK has a great track
record of pure innovation with small teams making a global
impact over a short period. A UK global consumer brand?
Yes, we can!”
Rather than establish global brands, Applegate thinks
the target should be for the UK to establish itself as a
centre of innovation excellence that attracts worldwide
interest. “This may come from a broad range of startups,
but Hnancial support from institutions and Government is
required to support research and product development at
source and to assist with taking products to market and
attracting the interest of global players.”
NMI’s Boyd suggests that PURE is already a global
brand – as is Dyson. “It’s not impossible for global
consumer brands to emerge from the UK and having such
a Iagship in the UK would provide a great boost. However,
this is a global industry and the amount of UK developed
technology inside some leading consumer brands
suggests the need for these brands to be located here is
not a ‘show stopper’.
Toon’s view is that small companies need to focus on
emerging markets, where they can deliver a big advantage.
“Being 30% or even 100% better is not enough; x3 or x10
needs to be the goal.”
Rix agrees that a genuinely innovative product or service,
managed and marketed conHdently, can be translated to a
global brand. “Dyson is a great example,” he notes. “Many
UK electronics companies, like TTP, have always operated
globally and are fostering a new generation of engineers and
entrepreneurs. The UK market is large enough for a product
to be launched, a good return on investment achieved and
used as a stepping stone to global markets.”
Where will we be in 2025?Pattison: “Ten years is a very long time in this sector, but my
hope is that the UK will be leading the way in some smart
technologies, with a much bigger ecosystem of electronics
companies in support!”
Applegate: “With the right government support, inward
investment and commitment from the industry, the UK
electronics industry has the potential to be great. However,
we won’t get there overnight, so we need to stop talking and
start collaborating.”
Holland: “The UK can lead new IoT product, software and
business models – we’re a nation of innovators and are
nimble enough to move quickly onto the next big thing.”
Boyd: “UK industry is well positioned to take advantage
of the permeation of electronic systems that will increase
over the next decade.”
Toon: “If we look back 15 or 20 years, there have been
some massive changes. I expect the same level of change
looking forward over the next 15 to 20 years. By 2025,
some of the most valuable companies listed on the London,
New York or Shanghai stock markets will be ones we have
never heard of – if just one of these new mega businesses
can emerge from the UK, that will be great.”
Rix: “There will continue to be a diverse ecosystem of
start-ups, design specialists, contract manufacturers and
global companies with R&D and manufacturing in the UK.
The decline of some global brands with signiHcant presence
in the UK will hit us and a signiHcant risk is that emerging
technology ‘unicorns’ will have no base here and will erode
some of our major export markets.”
King-Smith: “If we bring the electronics community
together to focus in key areas such as health, energy,
industrial and agriculture, then we can have a strong
industry that punches above its weight on the world
stage.”
UK ELECTRONICS TEN YEARS TIME
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk14
“If it ain’t
broke, don’t
fix it.”
Stephen
Pattison
“Government
should create an
attractive
environment for
entrepreneurship
and for
innovation.”
Nigel Toon
For the full answers from all participants, go to www.newelectronics.co.uk
The report of the Electronics Innovation and Growth
Team (EIGT), published in 2005, was intended to act
as a ‘wake up call’ for the UK’s electronics industry.
The report – Making a Visible Difference – reached a
number of conclusions, identiEed the challenges facing the
sector, some of the opportunities available and attempted
to provide a strategic way forward.
The EIGT’s work was directed by David Kynaston. At the
time, he said: “We have a stark choice; if we continue as
we are, the future for UK electronics will be as a bit player
on the world stage.”
To highlight the challenges and opportunities, the
report included a section called ‘peak and bleak
scenarios’ – looking forward 10 years to 2015 through a
crystal ball in an attempt to predict what might happen if
the recommendations were taken on board or not.
So, a decade later, have those scenarios come to pass?
Who better to ask than Kynaston?
How did he see the industry at the time? “Nobody
recognised electronics for what it was: a big piece of the
nation’s wellbeing. There was a severe lack of conEdence,”
he recalled. “Industry had just come out of the dot com
boom and bust and there was huge pressure on margins
and prices.
“It was a difEcult time; people didn’t know whether the
future was going to be design, development or R&D. There
was a lot of self doubt.”
Kynaston also noted the fragmentation of the industry.
“The big tier 1s, like Marconi, had gone and the tier 2s had
no reason to take on that coordination role. It was like
being in a mining village,” he said, “but on a bigger scale.”
Kynaston’s peaks and bleaks were categorised
under Eve headings: Government and industry;
market sectors and technology; innovation; supply
chain; and skills. Each contained a number of
predictions, extracts of which are shown below.
Government and industryPeak: ‘Government has a well informed
understanding of the electronics industry’.
Bleak: ‘The Government takes no notice of the
electronics industry’.
Kynaston is impressed with the way in which
Government now looks at the electronics industry.
“If you look at the Government today, while it has
squeezed resources available, it is still trying to
intervene or repair or facilitate things that is sees
as being important. When you compare that with
earlier times, when it was all about market forces,
things have changed for the better.”
He saw a signiEcant change in the
Government’s outlook taking place with the
arrival of Lord Sainsbury as minister for science
and innovation in 1998; a position he held until
2006. “Sainsbury left a huge legacy,” Kynaston
noted. “He raised the science agenda and that
hasn’t been challenged since.”
Kynaston believes that, since publication of
the EIGT’s report, the Government has been more focused.
“It’s been more prepared to intervene where necessary,” he
continued, “and hasn’t rubbished good policies.”
The EIGT report called for the establishment of the
Electronics Leadership Council (ELC), which foundered after
a couple of years. “There was never a clear relationship
between ELC, the UK Electronics Alliance and Government.
The need was obvious,” Kynaston reflected, “but the
execution was wanting. Now, with ESCO, there is a much
better relationship with Government. Time will tell whether
ESCO has a critical mass.”
InnovationPeak: ‘The UK is a centre of gravity for international activity
in new and emerging Eelds’.
Bleak: ‘There is a spiral downwards that is difEcult to pull
out of’.
When it comes to innovation, Kynaston appears to be
leaning towards the ‘peak’ prediction, rather than the
‘bleak’. “Have we grown big companies? We have seen
ARM grow over the last decade, but we’ve also established
that it’s possible for companies to be signiEcant on the
global stage without having a fab.
“This lack of semiconductor manufacturing capacity
hasn’t been an inhibitor when it comes to attracting major
designers of devices and applications. All of this has been
good for the UK.”
In the mid 1990s, industry was looking to production
overseas. “The pressure on margins and prices propelled
massive offshoring,” he pointed out. “This wasn’t just by
OEMs, it was also driven by customers insisting on it.
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk16
Peak orbleak?
Ten years ago, the EIGT Report presented the
electronics industry with some home truths.
Graham Pitcher asks EIGT chair David Kynaston
whether the messages have had the desired effect.
“We’re now seeing reshoring. Some of this is down to
the supply chain being full and to cost increases, but some
of it is also down to faulty decisions in the Erst place.”
He also sees the positive effect of the Technology
Strategy Board, now InnovateUK. “It has played a huge role
in the last 10 years; it gets lots of ‘ticks’ from me. It has a
good combined science agenda and has Elled large gaps in
the market. However, it can’t solve everything and the UK
does need a more effective manufacturing sector.”
Kynaston also gives credit to the Knowledge Transfer
Networks, KTNs. “These were recommended by the EIGT and
have been successful. They have since been amalgamated
into a larger organisation, which is correct, in my opinion.”
Supply chainPeak: ‘The UK maintains its position as a signiEcant EU
player in the global supply chain’.
Bleak: ‘Design follows manufacture abroad and the UK
simply becomes a sales base’.
One of the issues which Kynaston sees is that few
companies look at the design of their supply chain. “Do
they know how it works, what capital is needed, what the
lead times are and what the return path is? The big issue
for me is that few companies do landed cost analysis. It’s
a process still dominated by a purchasing mentality.”
But he points to the aerospace supply chain, involving
bodies such as the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain
Initiative (AMSCI) and the National Aerospace Technology
Programme. “By going to SMEs in the supply chain,” he
said, “many things are being handled by tier 3 companies.
“Bodies like AMSCI weren’t around 10 years ago and
have helped with things like access to Enance. Going
forward, I think we’ll have a revolution in sources of funding
for all companies.”
SkillsPeak: ‘The sector is seen as a good place to End a career’.
Bleak: ‘The UK electronics sector loses competitiveness
because it does not have the skills to innovate or compete’.
“Everyone recognised the signiEcance of skills,”
Kynaston said, “but there are still problems – for example,
involving women in technology. Skills, in general, are good,
as is training, but we need more apprenticeships.
“Silicon Valley’s success was all about talent moving to
the US and US government procurement. Our Government
recognises this, but is not solving the access problem.”
But the question of leadership quality lingers on. “What
more can be done?,” Kynaston wondered. “It’s a familiar
agenda and managers need as much help as they can get.
The owner/manager market is unlikely to see change, but
there’s no excuse for other companies.”
Concluding, Kynaston believes UK electronics ‘still
wants to get there’. “There has been an improvement in
self conEdence; now we need to take the next steps to
grow the industry and to improve access to markets.
“The industry remains fragmented,” he said, “but is that
a bad thing? It certainly does a better job than it did 10
years ago because companies are more hungry.”
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 17
INTERVIEW DAVID KYNASTON
10 YEARS AFTER THE EIGT REPORT
“There has been
an improvement in
self confidence;
now we need to
take the next steps
to grow the
industry.”
David Kynaston
Ph
oto
gra
ph
: C
ha
rle
s M
illi
ga
n
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk18
Struggling to compete on the global stage or a dynamic centre of innovation;
what is the state of play when it comes to UK plc? By Neil Tyler.
State of the nation
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 19
UK ELECTRONICS THE INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT
How can the UK pay its
way in the world? in the
late 1970s, the UK was
one of the most
research-intensive
economies in the world
but has been overtaken by the US,
Germany, Japan and France.
Today, manufacturing accounts for
just 10% of national income and many
critics argue that, over the past 30
years, Britain’s manufacturing base
has been dismantled, hollowed out,
sold off and is now largely managed
by other countries’ multinational Frms
with the result being that the ability of
the UK to innovate has been in
decline.
“There is a severe skills gap, while
the cost of developing and taking
innovative products to market is now
so high there is a real need for funding
technology research and development
support,” suggests Steve Applegate,
engineering director at Stadium Power.
But is this bleak picture accurate?
It’s probably the view that most people
tend to have of UK manufacturing, but
while we may not have the national
champions associated with Germany
or France, the UK remains a hub of
innovation in technologies ranging
from ‘big data’ to satellites, from life
sciences to advanced materials, and
from transport to regenerative
medicine.
“I would argue that the UK is still
an innovation economy,” says Kevin
Baughan, director of technology and
innovation at Innovate UK. “Innovation
is crucial in the environment in which
we compete as an economy, to raising
our productivity and in being able to
enter and exploit new markets. It is
crucial to the UK if we want to stay at
the forefront of the global economy.”
According to Henk Koopmans, chief
marketing ofFcer, Plextek Consulting:
“The UK has a highly entrepreneurial
culture and environment. Places like
Cambridge, London and Oxford – but
also elsewhere in the UK – are buzzing
with ideas from bright people and
these areas are among the most
exciting places in the world to work on
new technologies.”
Koopmans concedes this level of
creativity isn’t the same as the UK
being successful at innovation, where
innovation is the process of
commercialisation of a good idea.H
“While the UK’s highly
entrepreneurial culture means that
vast numbers of companies are set up
each year, their survival rate and
growth rate is poor.HThis is partly due
to the investment environment, which
has been tough especially in recent
years, but also down to a very poor
local supply chain in the various
industries, making it difFcult for small
companies to grow.
“Several reports (notably NESTA 6
Vital Growth report) have shown how
few start up (high growth) companies
grow into a sustainable business; only
3.5% of those companies have more
than 10 employees after 10 years in
business. Of course, there are plenty of
exciting exceptions hidden in this low
percentage.”
ARM tends to held up as an
example of a successful UK business,
with a history not dissimilar to some
of its Silicon Valley competitors.
“But ARM is not alone,” Koopmans
suggests. “There are several other
successful global companies that have
started in the UK. However, on a
macro-economic scale, it is very
difFcult to compete in a world where
countries like China, the US and
Germany have a massive home
market combined with a strong supply
chain.”
A major tactical shiftIn terms of research and development,
there seems to have been a major
tactical shift within the bigger
companies over recent years.
“They are now looking to work with
smaller, more agile, innovative
companies that are specialists in
particular Felds, as opposed to having
to do everything in house using their
own resources,” said Neill Rickett, CEO
of materials specialist Versarian.
“There are also a lot more
collaborations being done with
academic establishments to help fuel
this.
“Schemes like Patent Box are
proving useful, with companies
displaying true inventiveness getting
lower tax ratesHas a reward.HThe
Enterprise Investment Scheme is
helping small start-ups to attract
investors, while allowing them to
remain within a relatively low risk
environment.HThen there are the
government Local Enterprise
Partnerships that can support things
at a grass roots level.
“Small, innovative business has the
advice it needs and knows exactly
what assistance is available and how it
can be accessed.”
UK companies need to be more
aware of the level of investment they
are going to need to make and what
the return on that investment will be.
They also need to explore all their
options so they can identify which
option is likely to be the most cost-
effective way to do things.
While this may be true for all
companies it is especially so for
companies in the early phases of
development, since the funds available
to them will be limited.
InnovateUK, which looks to fund,
support and connect innovative
businesses and promote sustainable
economic growth, plays a pivotal role
within the UK in driving innovation and
promoting greater collaboration.
The organisation has prioritised
eight key areas where it will focus its
efforts (these range from big data and
energy harvesting to advanced
materials and nanotechnology). By
presenting companies with funding
opportunities and offering cross
department support, it can take
projects through the feasibility and
prototyping phases. UKTI can then step
in and take this further by helping
companies to promote and market
new products, as well as to help
accelerate potential export
opportunities.
“Innovate focuses on four key
questions when it looks at investing in
new opportunities,” explains Baughan.
“What is the size of the global market
associated with the opportunity; what
are the strengths which will allow the
“There seems to
be renewed
confidence, with
companies
embarking on
sizeable projects
once again and
start ups entering
the market.
George Acris
“Larger businesses
are now looking to
work with smaller,
more agile,
innovative
companies that are
specialists in
particular fields, as
opposed to having
to do everything in
house.”
Neill Rickett
UK ELECTRONICS THE INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
UK to lead in this market; why is the
timing right; and why does this
particular project require public
money?”
There are a number of global
markets, whether energy or enabling
technologies, healthcare or space, high
value manufacturing or agriculture and
food, that play to the UK’s traditional
strengths. According to Baughan,
these include: “A world class research
base; the ability to combine existing
strengths in new ways; and our
growing ability to reGect a shared
ambition spanning research, industry
and government, as with our
programmes on low impact buildings.”
“Innovation is out there,” says
Baughan, “and we are seeing it across
all sectors and affecting all vertical
markets. It’s vibrant and critical to the
future of the UK. At Innovate, we need
to ensure that investments made
through our programmes lead to
economic growth in the UK.”
Growing design activityBaughan is not alone in suggesting
that design activity currently being
seen in the UK involves a wide variety
of industry sectors.
“The IoT is proving itself to be more
than just a buzzword,” suggests George
Acris, marketing director of
Microlease. “The true potential of this
technology is starting to be realised,
with opportunities opening up in all
manner of different areas. RF
communication will be of great
importance here, but it will also have
value in the automotive sector – there
is currently huge investment by UK
companies into connected cars.”
Microlease supplies test equipment
to a broad cross section of different
industries and, according to Acris, ‘acts
as a fairly accurate barometer of the
current condition of the UK’s tech
economy’.
According to Acris: “There seems to
be renewed conFdence, with
companies embarking on sizeable
projects once again and start ups
entering the market. However,
companies need to be smarter in
terms of how they go about things;
Fnding new ways to maximise their
available funds and then ensuring that
those funds are used with greater
efFciency. Nobody can afford to throw
money at projects anymore; every
penny needs to be put to good use.”
Craig Wright, CEO of Wright
Industries, believes that innovation is
affecting a broad swathe of
technologies.
“Demand for RF is increasing
dramatically, as is demand for high
temperature applications,
optoelectronics and power
management. Everyone is looking at
mobility and that applies to most
sectors.
“Investment and innovation is
signiFcantly higher than was the case
Fve years ago, but if the UK wants to
be successful, we will need to see
greater collaboration between
successful businesses – and there are
a growing number of innovative
engineering led businesses, whether
small or micro businesses, out there
doing exactly that.”
According to Wright, the creation of
a more extensive ecosystem will
enable a greater level of technology
exchange than was previously the
case, and this will help to increase
high value manufacturing in the UK.
Whilst greater collaboration is seen
as an essential driver for innovation,
access to the correct skills is another
critical factor in successfully
commercialising an idea.
“In some cases, start-ups have a
really good idea, but they aren’t going
to succeed because of a lousy
management team or poorly executed
strategy,” argues Rickett.H“It’s all about
having the right people and the right
support.HLearning from others is
important too and this is deFnitely
something that UK industry needs to
recognise.”
Organisations like SetSquared have
been able to provide start-ups with
mentoring opportunities, enabling
them to call on the experience of
seasoned industry veterans so they are
better prepared to deal with the
challenges they face.
Dr Ebrahim Bushehri, CEO of Lime
Microsystems and based at Surrey
University in Guildford used
SetSquared when establishing his
company, now a leading supplier of
Feld programmable RF transceivers for
wireless broadband applications.
“In our Frst six months SetSquared
really helped us to get up and
running,” he explains. “They provided
us with facilities to work out of, put us
in touch with experts with experience
of establishing and running start-ups
and crucially they helped us prepare
for our Frst round of funding, running
question and answer sessions with us
before we met investors and secured
the long-term investment we needed.”
Creativity and innovationA successful business requires
creativity and innovation, but both
require different skills and attitudes.
“There is a huge difference
between creativity and innovation and
the two should be treated very
differently,” said Koopmans.H“To
stimulate creativity, you need to
encourage, stimulate and set
challenges, whilst getting rid of rules
and processes.HThe moment you are
trying to develop a ‘process for
creativity’, you’ve probably killed it.H
“We have a very individualistic
culture in the UK, so as a nation, we’re
very good at being creative, although it
isn’t always recognised in individual
companies.
“When it comes to innovation, I do
think we struggle a bit, partly because
of the transition from free spirit
thinking to more process orientated,
organisational behaviour; it is very
difFcult for a designer to ‘let go’ of
their design to a team whose focus is
purely on ‘taking it to market’.”H
The UK is home to a growing
number of forward thinking innovative
companies investing in new, disruptive
ideas and although the prospects for
mass volume production remain
challenging, the outlook in research
and development is far more positive.
No one can be complacent but the
foundations for a more robust, high
achieving tech industry are certainly in
place here in the UK.H
“As a nation,
we’re very good
at being creative,
although it isn’t
always
recognised in
individual
companies.”
Henk Koopmans
“We need to
ensure that
investments made
through our
programmes lead
to economic
growth in the UK.”
Kevin Baughan
20
Where design ideas
come together21 - 22 October 2015
Jaguar Exhibition Hall • Ricoh Arena • Coventry
www.electronicsdesignshow.co.uk www.embeddeddesignshow.co.uk
Headline sponsors
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk22
The UK has always had the
reputation of being a trading
nation, yet a quick look at the
balance of payments show that
imports continue to dominate exports;
in fact, it’s 30 years since the balance
of trade was positive. In May 2015,
the value of exports was £25.8billion,
while imports were worth £32.8bn – a
£7bn trade gap. The top Ive trading
partners were Germany, the US, China,
the Netherlands and France.
The Chancellor George Osborne
noted in his recent budget that the
UK’s trade balance as a share of GDP
has improved slightly, from -2.4% in
2010 to -2% in 2014. But he also
pointed out the OfIce for Budget
Responsibility’s forecast that, while
exports will grow by 3.8% in 2015 and
2016, they will be offset by a similar
growth in imports.
Taking advantage of opportunities?Will UK electronics companies beneIt
from the increased focus on exports?
There is suspicion that smaller
companies are having problems
getting access to overseas markets;
those responding to a recent New
Electronics survey cited access to
markets as one of the critical issues
facing either the industry or their
company.
So are smaller electronics
companies in the UK looking to export
or are they more focused on business
at home? Ken Ball, electronics
manufacturing and supply chain
programme manager with techUK, said
it was a mixed picture. “Some have a
keen export outlook, but identifying
export opportunities can be difIcult,”
he said.
And are those companies looking to
grow their international business
having problems accessing markets?
“Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP)
funding through UK Trade and
Investment (UKTI) is always very
helpful,” he noted, “but not all SMEs
realise that it is available. Companies
need to plan up to a year ahead for
major shows, such as electronica, but
UKTI funding is often not Inalised until
a few months before the show.”
Asked whether it is now easier for
companies to access international
The focus is on exports, but will smaller UK companies be able
to take advantage? By Graham Pitcher
Selling to the world
markets, Ball noted the UK electronics
design and manufacturing industry is
focused largely on high value, high
margin products that are world class
and, by implication, those companies’
services should be in demand.
“The problem is that, although UKTI
is very keen to help to open up new
markets through funded trade
missions, it doesn’t always take into
account the realities of exporting
electronics. Some of the products from
these companies are then caught by
export licensing restrictions. This can –
and has – led to companies winning
orders, only to Ind they can’t get the
necessary licenses to export the
products.”
If companies are looking to enter
the export market for the Irst time,
UKTI is looking to help. Lord Maude,
minister for Trade and Investment,
announced in May a programme of
expert advice and support targeted at
those companies looking to address
international markets for the Irst time.
The move was timed to mark the
beginning of the latest Export Week.
Another Export Week is planned for
November, with a series of events
planned to take place around the UK,
all aimed at those looking to start or
increase their international business.
According to UKTI, previous Export
Weeks have seen more than 27,000
UK companies attend the various
exporting focused events and it claims
that companies who work with it are
likely to add £100,000 to their sales
within 18 months.
The First Time Exporters (FTE)
initiative announced by Lord Maude is
a support package which includes
training and advice, as well as the
opportunity to take part in trade
missions to nearby markets to help
develop contacts. FTE also helps
those considering exporting for the
Irst time to take advantage of digital
opportunities, with dedicated digital
trade advisers and an online planning
tool.
“We hope the launch of First Time
Exporters will encourage more
companies to take their Irst steps on
the export journey and take advantage
of the demand for British goods and
services that exists overseas,” he said
“Last year, we saw 48,000
companies draw on UKTI support;
these businesses went on to create or
safeguard 220,440 additional jobs. I
would urge businesses of all sizes to
use this opportunity to Ind out more
about the services that are available
to them through UKTI, regardless of
their level of exporting experience.”
From techUK’s perspective, what is
the best way to go about entering the
export market? Should companies try
to ‘go it alone’, join a supply chain or
use local distributors?
Ball said: “If a supply chain exists,
then it is a lower risk option. However,
the UK supply chain is not well
understood nor mapped out by
government or by industry, so overseas
supply chains will be even more
difIcult to navigate.
“Distributors can work well, but you
do need personal knowledge and
recommendations of who to use in
order to make that successful.
“We have run brokerage sessions
at European trade shows that have
linked UK SMEs with those visiting.
Being part of an industry network is
probably the best approach to Inding
the right channel.”
These brokerage events have shown
that Tier 1 companies from the Far
East and Europe recognise and value
the innovation available from UK SMEs
and from micro companies – those with
less than 10 employees. “Companies
we have worked with over the last year
have been pleasantly surprised at the
talent available,” Ball continued.
But what could be done better?
That was the question asked by two
members of the last Shadow Cabinet.
Ed Balls, shadow chancellor, and
Chuka Umunna, shadow industry
secretary, commissioned Graham Cole,
chairman of AgustaWestland UK to Ind
out. The terms of reference were to
provide an independent report on how
government should support exporters
through skills, including in the area of
languages, Inance and access to
markets, as well as how government
export schemes can be simpliIed and
streamlined.
According to Cole, the report is ‘a
brief from business to the Government
that should inspire immediate action’.
“While some of our recommendations
will take time to implement, owing to
the nature of the reforms proposed,
delaying action on these items for fear
of complexity will ensure we remain in
the export slow lane.”
Cabinet level leadershipThe report recommends Ive action
areas: cabinet level leadership to drive
exports; reform to the relationship
between UK Export Finance (UKEF)
and UKTI; a ‘one stop shop’ for export
support; a public procurement strategy
that brings UK SMEs into the supply
chain; and getting trade and exports
on the education agenda.
If the Government is serious about
exports, the report contends, it needs
to commit resources and, most of all,
the highest possible political
leadership within Cabinet and across
Whitehall.
In its conclusion, the report says
‘an exports led recovery lies at the
heart of the new Government’s
economic policy. [This] Commission’s
role from the outset has been to
support that priority by examining and
reporting on what business wants
from the Government towards that
shared goal.
It notes ‘These proposals for
action are critical if we are to achieve
a step change in the UK’s export
performance. They emerge from
within business and are designed to
help UK companies seize the
extraordinary opportunities of the
global economy’.
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 23
UK ELECTRONICS GROWING MARKETS
“Delaying action
on these items …
will ensure we
remain in the
export slow lane.”
Graham Cole
“[UKTI] doesn’t
always take into
account the
realities of
exporting
electronics.”
Ken Ball
The launch of FirstTime Exporters willencourage more
companies to taketheir first steps on theexport journey and
take advantage of thedemand for Britishgoods and servicesthat exists overseas
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
Innovation plays an important role in
sustaining growth and
competitiveness and a significant
part in the success, or otherwise, of
an economy.
Recent research by the Enterprise
Research Centre found the UK has
what it described as a ‘clear arc of
innovation’ running from Cambridge
through the south east Midlands and
along the M4 corridor taking in
Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
The research was based on six key
factors, including the new products
being brought to market, levels of R&D
and collaboration activity. Although it
found that while, in general, there was
less innovation activity in more
northern and peripheral areas, there
were pockets of ‘above average’
innovation right across the UK.
According to the report’s lead
author Stephen Roper: “The findings
run counter to the dominant narrative
of a country dependent on London,
with innovation being much more
dispersed than was previously thought.
“Innovation is strongly linked to
growth, exports and productivity – all
areas in which the UK economy needs
to improve if we want to boost our
international competitiveness.”
Roper argues that policymakers
and researchers need to examine the
local factors that could be contributing
to regional variations so the UK could
better create the conditions for firms
to ‘become more innovative, creating
24
jobs and growth in every corner of
the UK’.
According to Kevin Baughan,
director of technology and innovation
at InnovateUK: “Innovation is taking
place right across the UK. From our
experiences, there is no so called
’golden triangle phenomenon’. We are
seeing strong innovation taking place
across areas like the North East and
South West and it is certainly not
centred around London and the South.
“Just as it is important that
research, innovation and
commercialisation is developed across
all parts of the economy, so is it
important to society that it is now
developed right across all parts of the
UK. InnovateUK’s role is to respond to
Joining hands
Where is innovation taking place in the UK and how are university-business collaborations
driving the commercialisation of new ideas? By Neil Tyler.
the innovation needs of businesses,
wherever they are located, as well as
developing the strengths of local areas
in pursuit of future global markets.”
In this month’s budget, the
Chancellor, George Osborne, spoke of
the importance of encouraging and
promoting innovation and will be
inviting universities, Local Enterprise
Partnerships (LEPs), businesses and
city councils to work with each other to
map regional strengths in science and
innovation, to identify ‘areas of
strategic focus for different regions’
through a series of science and
innovation audits.
The Government will look to invite
universities to develop proposals for
supporting local collaboration, building
on successful university collaborative
partnership models such as the N8,
M6 and GW4, which will then be
supported through funding streams
such as the Research Partnership
Investment Fund.
Craig Wright, CEO of Wright
Industries, a specialist technology,
business growth and acquisition
investment group believes the UK has
seen a marked surge in innovation and
greater corporate creativity.
“Research and development is
certainly recovering and, from the
evidence I see, there is more
investment in innovation, driven in no
small part by the huge investment
we’ve been seeing in universities,
which are fast becoming centres of
excellence, supporting businesses
across numerous sectors.”
Neill Rickett, CEO of Versarian, a
developer of advanced engineering
materials, agrees: “Generally, hives of
activity build up around universities, as
theGtech culture that exists
there is a powerful catalyst
for innovation, as well as
being a valuable pool for
recruiting engineering staff.
Key locations include
Cambridge, Southampton,
London, Oxford, Liverpool and
Manchester.
“We have worked very
closely with the Materials
Science Department at
University ofGLiverpool on the
development of our thermal
management solutions and the
University of Manchester (along with
the National Graphene Institute) has
proved an important partner for us in
relation to our graphene manufacturing
division 2-DTech. In both
cases, we have been able to
form mutually beneFcially
relationships – so that game
changing IP can be
commercialised.”
University research
collaborations have a key
role to play in taking
technical innovations and
turning them into viable
commercial propositions.
In Belfast the Centre for
Secure Information
Technology (CSIT) at Queen’s
University supports work being done to
enhance security in virtual
environments and connected devices,
tackle malware threats and detect and
prevent fraud.
This CSIT is one of seven
Innovation and Knowledge Centres
being funded by the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC). Supported by co-funding from
InnovateUK and the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC), these centres look to
commercialise emerging technologies
through creating early stage critical
mass is areas of disruptive technology.
“Queen’s focus on cyber security
has helped to create a cluster of
technology companies and is boosting
both innovation and facilitating the
commercialisation of cutting edge
technologies,” suggests Baughan.
“There are more than 250 companies
working around the university and more
than 900 new jobs have
been created as a result.”
“Over the last Fve
years, we have
successfully blended world
class research and
innovation to deliver
economic impact
nationally, internationally
and regionally,” explained
Professor John McCanny
from CSIT.
Looking to the future,
how can the UK accelerate
economic growth and productivity both
locally and regionally?
Innovate UK and the Research
Councils have a powerful role to play in
that process because, by looking at
previous investments, they
will be able to create a
geographic picture right
across the UK.
“If we can see where
businesses and
universities are investing,
we can see where our
economy is heading and
how we are thinking about
the future,” explains
Baughan. “This will help
provide everyone involved
in technology and
innovation with a very
different, evidence based discussion
about local and regional economic
growth and how it can be best
supported to get the biggest impact.”
The recently published Dowling
Review of Business-University
Research Collaborations made a
number of recommendations including
reducing complexity, fostering
relationships and introducing effective
brokerage, particularly for small
businesses.
Collaborations between business
and universities provide a ‘myriad of
beneFts to their participants’, says
the report (for more, see p29).
Investment in collaborative
research R&D delivers numerous
beneFts to the UK, helping to drive
growth and productivity improvements
for Frms and high quality research
outputs. The report, however, warned
that the UK was failing to fully reap the
beneFts provided by the opportunity to
connect innovative businesses with
the excellence in the UK’s academic
research base.
Despite that, the UK remains a
good place to set up and run a
business.
Rickett concluded: “Yes, it is tough
and there is a lot of competition, so
we can’t afford to be complacent. But
I’m a Frm believer that the
Government, working with universities
and business, is building a strong
foundation for a robust, high
achieving UK tech industry.”G
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 25
UK ELECTRONICS INNOVATION LOCATIONS
“Generally hives of
activity build up
around universities,
as the tech culture
that exists there is
a powerful catalyst
for innovation, as
well as being a
valuable pool for
recruiting
engineering staff.”
Neill Rickett
“Over the last five
years, we have
successfully
blended world
class research and
innovation to
deliver economic
impact nationally,
internationally and
regionally.”
Professor John
McCanny
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
Electronics continues to find
itself integrating deeper and
deeper into the lives of
consumers, and the ubiquity of
smartphones, electric cars,
entertainment systems, and energy-
efficient homes and lighting should be
creating a boom time for the industry.
Indeed, it is hard to find products
where the electronics is not now
firmly the glue that makes everything
work and come alive.
The UK, however, continues to slip
further behind in the fabrication and
manufacture of these products, with
a recent IBISWorld report showing a
nearly 3% annualised drop in
production over the last 10 years –
which is forecast to continue over the
next 10 years. The reasons for this
are generally economic in nature,
with manufacturers continually
moving production to lower cost
regions such as Eastern Europe,
China and the Far East.
Although there are some signs of a
slowdown in the rate of production
growth in China – due to the
introduction of minimum wages and
growing standards of living – the UK is
always likely to be a more expensive
geography to manufacture in.
Although the prospects for mass
volume production remain challenging,
the outlook in research and
development is looking healthier. To
understand why, it is necessary to take
a step back and look at the nature of
complex modern systems. For
example, within the medical electronics
sector, new diagnostic and powered
surgical systems appear largely as
software systems. Indeed, the
boundaries between software and
electronics continue to blur to the point
where many recent graduates in
electronic engineering, when
commencing work, do not know how to
solder proficiently. In fact many
companies now have informal lists of
universities where they can still expect
graduates to have plenty of hands-on
experience.
Should this trend worry UK plc? On
recent analysis, the answer is ‘yes’
and ‘no’ in equal measures,
depending on your viewpoint.
Electronic systems are moving
more and more to a model where a
defined set of highly complex
modules, often implemented in the
form of an ASIC or complex board, is
replicated in high volume at a low-
cost centre.
It is now economically unviable to
try to design the complex circuitry and
software for a small footprint, high
function device from scratch. Indeed, it
is highly unlikely that any company –
including large multinational consumer
companies – would design a Bluetooth
module and software stack, let alone
contemplate building a processor.
As these critical components gain
in power, the number of ancillary
components falls – leaving less for
the electronics engineer to add and
pushing more functionality
26
While the UK may be well positioned to maintain its global
position in the development of complex systems
monetised through the protection of IP licensing, it should
not rest on its laurels, according to Symon Cotton.
Monetisinginnovation
Electronic systems
are moving more
and more to a
model where a
defined set of
highly complex
modules is
replicated in high
volume at a low
cost centre
implementation on to software
engineers.
This is an area, however, where the
UK excels. Designing the core
functional blocks requires teams of
highly educated engineers whose input
is critically leveraged by manufacture
in high volumes, often outside the UK.
As the output is amplified by mass
production, the importance of absolute
wage levels and company overheads is
far less significant. Engineers hired
into such companies are gated by
technical performance, not, in general,
by salary caps.
In addition, the UK has a well-
proven and effective legal system
which allows the protection of designs
and, critically, their monetisation
through licensing. This infrastructure is
as essential as top-class engineers
turn brilliant design into profit.
Poster childARM is the ‘poster child’ of this
approach, generating highly complex
IC designs which licensed for others
to build. ARM is known to the public
as an electronics company but, if you
visit, you would be hard pushed to
know this – what you would actually
see are engineers working hard using
computers. To the untrained eye, they
could be doing anything – critically,
there are no soldering irons or
machines populating PCBs. This
model is replicated in ARM’s backyard,
with a similar story being played out
from companies such as CSR and the
large Cambridge contract research
and development companies, such as
Cambridge Consultants, where the
use of complex modelling and design
simulators is used to confirm designs.
Given this is the reality of the
modern electronics world, the UK
should embrace and leverage further
the advantages and critical mass it
has. The increasing blurring of
software and electronics should be
encouraged, rather than shied away
from. While it is true that most
electronic designs are controlled by
software, it is critical that this software
is written by engineers with a firm
understanding and feeling for the
realities of physical implementation.
To summarise, the UK electronics
industry is highly effective where
complex designs are replicated in
lower cost manufacturing centres, with
income being returned through the use
of IP licensing. The good news is that
many industry sectors are moving in a
direction where this business model is
particularly applicable.
Within medical electronics, for
example, a current theme is the
movement of diagnostic and patient
management closer to the patient and
away from secondary care centres.
With many patients having long-
term health issues, accurate
monitoring of known conditions – as
opposed to a wide range of diagnostic
tests – is leading to an increase in
patient independence and a lowering
in health costs.
In general, any system which can
reduce the time and frequency of
patient visits to hospital can show
significant cost savings. Such systems
have two major requirements – firstly,
to maintain diagnostic accuracy and,
secondly, to reduce the cost of
manufacture. This creates an
environment where a fundamental
knowledge of measurement principles,
coupled with an ability to condense
complex behaviour into a small
number of significant components,
creates a competitive advantage. This
falls firmly into the areas in which the
UK does well – complex design which
can be manufactured, with income
returning through IP agreements.
Transport is another area with
significant growth potential for the UK.
The growth of the electronic and hybrid
vehicle sector is leading to complex
and critical control systems that
require manufacture in high volume. In
addition to this, conditions similar to
the medical sector exist where the
enforcement of licensing is relatively
straightforward.
Wireless communication again
provides a fertile environment where
the UK’s strengths can be applied. The
combination of high volume and high-
complexity parts offering significant
functionality provides an ideal situation
to leverage engineers where technical
ability and a critical knowledge base of
staff can be used to deliver
performance and cost improvements
for end users.
Such analogies can be extended to
the development of smart cities and
the ubiquitous ‘Internet of Things’,
where complex, cost-sensitive parts
manufactured in high volume are
changing the technological landscape.
Although the UK is well positioned
to maintain its global position in the
development of such complex
systems monetised through the
protection of IP licensing, it should not
rest on its laurels. China is producing
20 times the number of skilled
graduates as the UK, India eight
times. The UK currently has the critical
mass and incumbent position, but
needs to concentrate on developing
and attracting key talent as well as the
legal frameworks necessary to ensure
it remains a safe place to develop
long-term critical components.
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 27
UK ELECTRONICS COMMERCIALISATION
Photo: Dean Smith, Camera Crew
Symon Cotton is
leader of the
electronics group in
the medical
technology division
of Cambridge
Consultants
Within medical
electronics, for
example, a
current theme is
the movement of
diagnostic and
patient
management
closer to the
patient and away
from secondary
care centres.
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Despite efforts to turn things
around, there remains the
feeling that work done in UK
universities isn’t finding its
way into the hands of UK companies
that might be able to exploit it.
One reason put forward in the past
is that academia and business operate
on different timescales; universities
may be talking 10 years to
commercialisation, whilst business
isn’t interested in something that
doesn’t bring them a quick return on an
investment. And this gap has become
known as the ‘valley of death’.
Yet there are partnerships between
universities and business which are
making headway, but not all are as
successful as they might be and a
recent report commissioned by the
Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills addressed the reasons why.
Chairing the report was Professor
Dame Ann Dowling, president of the
Royal Academy of Engineering. Her
report – compiled after regional
meetings, workshops and more than
210 written submissions from
academia and industry – found the
complexity of existing support
mechanisms creates frustration and
confusion and means the UK is not
reaping the full potential of its
opportunity to connect businesses
with the ‘excellent research’ being
done in UK universities.
“Business-university research
collaboration is an important part of
the innovation ecosystem,” said Prof
Dowling, “but innovation is a complex,
non linear activity. This has resulted in
a complex policy support mechanism
for innovation that presents a barrier
to business engagement, especially
for small businesses. Government
has a crucial role to play in creating
the right conditions for effective
collaboration between academia and
industry.”
She added: “We need a change of
culture in our universities to support
and encourage collaboration with
industry. In the UK, we can be a bit
dismissive about research that
actually has an application but, in
reality, such use-inspired research can
be truly excellent.
“Access to industry projects was
cited very positively by the
researchers we consulted – they want
to be working on these challenging
and interesting projects with
demonstrable impact and excellent
career prospects.”
One of the issues identi:ed by the
report – The Dowling Review of
Business-University Research
Collaborations – was the need for
effective brokerage. According to the
report, brokerage requires tools to
make it easier for companies to :nd
research which matches their
interests. ‘At present’, the report
notes, ‘no UK wide service exists that
adequately addresses this need’.
The report also highlights the fact
that the Catapult network is now an
integral part of UK innovation. But, for
the network to continue to ;ourish, it
needs to receive long term, sustained
support from Government. Prof
Dowling also believes the number of
Catapults should grow, but only with
additional funding, and that Catapult
performance should be measured, in
part, by the success of their
engagements with academia.
Prof Dowling also pointed out the
need for funding to kick start such
collaborations, acknowledging the role
played by InnovateUK and the
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Called ‘pump prime funding’ in the
report, this money would ‘stimulate
the development of high quality
research collaborations with critical
mass and sustainability’. It is
suggested that the money, which
www.newelectronics.co.uk 28 July 2015 29
UK ELECTRONICS DESIGN+
BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY
Breaking down barriersNew report looks at ways to improve the commercialisation of university research. By Graham Pitcher.
“Government has a
crucial role to play in
creating the right
conditions for
effective
collaboration
between academia
and industry.”
Prof Dowling
UK ELECTRONICS DESIGN+
BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY
28 July 2015 www.newelectronics.co.uk
would come from public and private
sources, be allocated as Awards in
Collaborative Excellence. These
Awards should cover employment
costs of researchers for at least :ve
years, with the industry partner
expected to commit to funding the
research carried out by the team.
Grants, the report continues, would
be awarded on the basis of the
strength of the proposed research, the
quality of the research team and the
level of commitment from the
partners. ‘Experience with existing
schemes suggests a very favourable
return on investment could be
achieved’, says the report.
Commenting, Prof Dowling said:
“Solutions to everyday problems could
be sitting in a lab right now but,
without the conversation with industry,
they could be missed.” But she also
recognises that academia has to ‘get
out into industry’ in order to inform its
research. “It is vital that research
students in appropriate disciplines
spend some time in industry in order
to get a new perspective on their own
research, expand knowledge and build
relationships. They should also
receive training, particularly around
entrepreneurship.”
Some of the report’s
recommendations are already in
place; the role of Technology Transfer
Of:ces is noted. But the report urges
these of:ces to take a longer term
view of commercialising research, not
to use it for short term revenue
generation. ‘Notwithstanding the
substantial work already undertaken
to improve approaches to establishing
contracts and IP agreements, this
area remains a major source of
frustration for both academics and
businesses’, the report :nds.
The Government also comes in for
some criticism, with a range of
recommendations. Included is the call
for the Government to use innovation
as the core component of policies
which are aimed at promoting
productivity and competitiveness, as
well as a recommendation that it
should prioritise an increased
investment in industrial sectors of
strategic importance.
‘InnovateUK should be tasked with
monitoring investment levels in R&D
across industrial strategy sectors and
managing the matched funding stream
from Government’, it notes.
The report also says that
collaborative research can help
companies to improve their business
performance through developing new
techniques or technologies, derisking
investment in research and extending
the capabilities and expertise available
to them. It also :nds that investment
in collaborative R&D delivers ‘real
bene:ts’ to the UK, driving growth and
productivity improvements for :rms
and high quality research outputs.
‘It is clear that the UK has played
host to many successful business-
university collaborations. Yet it is also
clear that the UK is not reaping the
full potential provided by the
opportunity to connect innovative
businesses – from the UK and
overseas – with the excellence in the
UK’s academic research base.
Government has a crucial role in
fostering the conditions under which
these collaborations can happen at
scale and deliver enduring impacts for
all parties involved’ it concludes.
30
The top 10 success factors
were:
• Strong, trusted personal
relationships
• Shared vision and
objectives
• Mutual understanding
• The ability for staff to work
across institutional
boundaries
• Collaboration brings
mutual benefits
• Funding is available
• Processes are in place for
contracts and IP
• Clear and effective
communication
• Organisational support,
with senior management
‘buy in’
• Willingness to devote time
and resources
The top five barriers for
business were:
• IP and contract
negotiations were difficult
• Difficult to identify
academic partners
• Different timescales
• Lack of funding
• Lack of alignment of
objectives
For academia, the top five
barriers were:
• Universities prioritise high
quality publications
• IP and contract
negotiations were difficult
• Time pressures
• Lack of funding
• Collaboration not valued
as part of career
progression
What works and what doesn’t
The report examined why collaborations work and, importantly, why they don’t.
Prof Dowling’s report
says it is clear the
UK is not reaping the
full potential
provided by the
opportunity to
connect innovative
businesses with the
excellence in the
UK’s academic
research base
Near Eye Display miniature OLED
ww
w.astute.co.uk
@: [email protected]✆: +44-1920-484838
Astute Electronics delivers Near Eye Displayminiature OLED displays from MICROOLED
Low power technology provides sharp images even in low light
Astute Electronics, the leading supplier of electronic components and valueadded services, today announced the signing of a worldwide franchiseagreement with MICROOLED of Grenoble, France, a pioneer in the field of small,high definition, low power OLED displays that target Near-Eye Display (NED)applications such as video glasses, head-mounted sports devices, camera viewfinders, medicalapplications and many other professional devices. MICROOLED’s low voltage device architecture featuresa unique sub-pixel arrangement resulting in highest pixel density and lowest power.
The design of MICROOLED’s displays provides ultra-high contrast, ensuring ‘black is black’ which isessential for high image quality. Unlike other displays, no ‘grid matrix’ is visible, further improvingresolution, and the manufacturing technology enables a wide viewing angle with no loss in contrast orchanges in colour.
FCI’s Minitek Pwr Hybrid connectors
ww
w.ttieurope.com
@: [email protected]✆: +49 8142 6680 – 0
FCI’s Minitek Pwr Hybridconnectors featuring an improvedand flexible modular design nowavailable through TTI, Inc.
TTI, Inc., a world leading specialist distributor of passive,connector, electromechanical and discretecomponents, now stocks a large range of positionsensors for harsh environments from Vishay - MCBSfernice in Europe. The components benefit from aeexcellent resistance to vibrations, shocks, and humidity, which increases the sensing performance andreliability in many different transportation applications.
PMA/PMC series sensors are ultra-thin (< 1mm), water-sealed, easy to assemble and have a highintegration capacity and a theoretical electrical travel of 10mm up to 250mm. Benefiting from a veryhigh durability they are ideally suited for seat position, wheel position, and steering control.
ZTE Chooses Lattice Semiconductor
ww
w.latticesem
i.com
@: [email protected]✆: 408-616-4017
ZTE Chooses Lattice Semiconductor forFeature Differentiation and Integrationon Star 2 Smartphone
Phone giant uses smart programmability of iCE40 LM FPGA toimplement key features in its latest flagship smartphone
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: LSCC), the leadingprovider of customizable smart connectivity solutions, todayannounced its iCE40 LM FPGA has been integrated in therecently released ZTE Star 2 flagship smartphone to perform IRremote control, and sensor hub functions.
From wearables to smartphones, the iCE40 LM family of devices offer exceptionally low powerconsumption and extremely small footprint – and have been specifically designed to enablemanufacturers of mobile consumer products to implement top of line features fast and efficiently,without sacrificing performance.
high-precision, miniature semiconductor pressure sensors
ww
w.eu.industrial.panasonic.com
@: [email protected]✆: +49 89 46159 373
Semiconductor sensors from Panasonic canhandle pressures from very low to very high
Versions available with built-in amplification and temperaturecompensation
Panasonic Automotive & Industrial Systems has introduced a broad range ofhigh-precision, miniature semiconductor pressure sensors that can handlepressure. They are available with built-in amplification and temperaturecompensation cicuitry (PS-A units). Precision sensors without amplifier andopen wheatstone measurement bridge are also available and in ultra-miniaturised sizes (PS). There arealso versions with chamfered pins for improved ease of DIP pin insertion into PCBs.
The PS-A units come in three types. The standard type with a glass base can handle pressures from±100kPa to -1000kPa with a total accuracy of ±1.25%. The economy type without a glass base is for40kPa pressures and ±4% accuracy and the low-pressure version is for 6kPa and ±2.5% accuracy.Footprint is 7.0 by 7.2mm (10.4 by 10.4mm for the low-pressure type).
GaN Systems power transistors are 50% smaller
ww
w.gansystem
s.com
@: [email protected]✆: +1 (613) 686-1996 ext. 149 (office)
GaN Systems power transistors are50% smaller
‘GaN power transistor market accelerating quickly’ saysCEO reconfirming lead position
GaN Systems, the leading developer of gallium nitride powerswitching semiconductors, today confirmed the world’ssmallest 650V, 15A gallium nitride transistor. With a footprintof just 5.0 x 6.5mm, the GS66504B – one of a family of 650Vdevices that spans 7A to 200A – is 50% smaller than competing devices.
Comments Jim Witham, CEO GaN Systems: “We were somewhat surprised to see announcements at lastweek’s PCIM power electronics exhibition and conference that trumpeted gallium nitride 600V, 15Adevices in 8x8mm dual-flat no-lead (DFN) packaging as the ‘industry’s smallest’ enhancement modedevices - our part is clearly much smaller. But I suppose this is just an indication of how quickly the GaNmarket is moving, and a positive indication that silicon has reached its limits.”
EZBoardWare
ww
w.harw
in.com
@: [email protected]✆: 603-952-3106
Harwin expands popularEZBoardWare Test Points rangewith two small size versions forPCBs where space is at apremium
Due to the industry’s ever increasing demand formore functionality in ever decreasing PCB space,e.g. in hand held devices, Harwin, the leading hi-relconnector and SMT board hardware manufacturer,has recently expanded its popular EZBoardWareportfolio with new, small size and low profileversions of surface mount Test Points. The two new Test Points are designed to match the 2012 and1608 metric (0805 and 0603 imperial) electronic package sizes, whilst providing secure connectionpoints and allowing test engineers to clip on industry standard micro test clips.
Mount any fibre optic diode in any housing
ww
w.om
c-uk.com
@: [email protected]✆: +44-1209-215424
OMC offers to mount any fibre optic diodein any housing
New ‘mix & match’ service from fibre optic component specialist
OMC, the pioneer in optoelectronics manufacturing, has announceda new service, enabling engineers to choose exactly the right fibreoptic diode for their application and have it mounted in theirpreferred package.
Although the company offers a wide standard range of packaged transmitters and receivers, OMCrecognises that sometimes designers have specific requirements which demand a custom approach.Comments OMC’s Commercial Director, William Heath: “We regularly get approached by people who haveidentified a diode which is a perfect match for their needs, but find that it is not available in a housing, orin the specific housing that they need. As the housing itself - as well as the way the diode is mounted inthe housing - can have serious implications for system performance, we decided to offer a ‘mix andmatch’ service – you specify housing and diode, we’ll look after the mounting process.”
ANSMANN’s Li-Ion Range
ww
w.ansm
ann.co.uk
@: [email protected]✆: +44 (0) 870 609 2233
Complete range of standard Lithium Ionbatteries and chargers from stock
With more devices using Li-Ion battery technology, one of Germany’slargest battery and charger manufacturers has introduced a range ofstandard battery packs and chargers.
> ‘Turnkey’ solution – battery and charger from one source
> ISO 9001 quality accredited factories in Germany and China
> Medically accredited EN ISO 13485 battery pack assembly line
> In-house design and modification to customer specification
> Transportation testing facility to UN 38.3
> UK Offices with professional quality, engineer and enquiries team
Call Marc Young on 01322 221144 Technology Update