Charles Ward, CEO of trade body Intellect, which is co-ordinating a bid for a £3m Government-funded electronics Knowledge Transfer Network answers five important questions
Does the UK need to make itself more attractive as a location for electronics design in order to compete with emerging centres for design in China and India?
Yes, there is already a trend for design to migrate to these locations. Nonetheless there is a huge opportunity for the UK companies to capitalise on their innate world renowned expertise, we’re working hard to help enable this through groups such as the Electronics Design and Innovation Group, which seeks to nurture electroncs design and to encourage the exchange of ideas.
Can the proposed Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) in electronics make a significant contribution to the UK’s microelectronics design capability given the limited resources the Government has made available for the programme?
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Charles Ward
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Yes, provided the KTN’s resources are clearly targeted at areas where a real difference can be made and the KTN builds on existing capability. Whilst the resources may appear to be limited a fundamental challenge for the KTN will be to leverage additional resources and funding. In other words, create a multiplier effect. Central Government is not the only source of funding and resources.
Will the KTN under the proposed UK Electronics Alliance (UKEA) be seen primarily as a business initiative rather than supporting research in universities and other academic organisations?
It’s an industry initiative to create a network that enables businesses to better leverage and exploit research in universities .
Is the support of all the main industry representative bodies vital for the success of the KTN and if so are you confident that Intellect as lead organisation can rely on industry-wide support for the UKEA programme?
Yes. Though it’s important to point out Intellect is not the lead organisation of UKEA. Intellect provides the secretariat support for UKEA. The KTN will decide its own leadership. There is a difference between the UKEA, representing industry and offering to co-ordinate the creation of a proposal, and the actual management of the KTN itself.
If you were to name one milestone target for the UKEA in 2006, what would it be?
UKEA is in its infancy. However it’s extremely encouraging that participants have joined UKEA with such positive attitudes and willingness to work together. Whilst the KTN will be one of a number of priority projects for UKEA one objective will be that the KTN gets off to a flying start.
www.intellectuk.org