NEW seminars focus on innovation

A National Electronics Week product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 13, 2008

Seminar programme looks at the issues facing the UK to maintain an innovative electronics sector, and how to be more successful at getting innovative ideas to market.

The Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network is aiming to tackle the issues at the heart of the UK's innovative capacity at National Electronics Week at London's Earls Court 2 from 17th to 19th June 2008.

The seminar programme is aimed at business leaders, designers and technologists who want to get their products to market, and looks at the issues facing the UK to maintain an innovative electronics sector, and how to be more successful at getting innovative ideas to market.

Discussing the philosophy behind the workshops, Electronics KTN Chief Executive, Ashley Evans, explains: "In the UK, we recognise the value that our academic research community bring to the table with their inventions in new science and technology, but do we really see a return on the investment that our research councils make?".

"Creative industries is a term that's in vogue at the moment, conjuring up a vision of value being plucked from artistic and creative minds; whether that be software games, media or art".

"This is of course a vital part of a balanced society, but let's not under-estimate the creativity that's also required to produce a new electronic device, whether that be an artificial eye enabling vision for the blind, or a noninvasive detection system that scans for terrorist threats".

"Putting these devices together requires imagination and creativity from the electronic engineers who design these products, combining, integrating and controlling new and different technologies".

"Bringing together new interfaces to enable sensing, control, and actuation at faster speeds, using less power and processing more data than ever before, electronics is a creative industry that innovates and improves that quality of all our lives".

"In the UK, we have this creative capacity, but do we have the skills to get our inventions to market?", says Evans.

The line-up of speakers features a wealth of experience from companies as diverse as picoChip, Plastic Logic, Dialight, Achievo, ANT, Splashpower, Pond Ventures, the Design Council and Marks and Clerk.