What’s in a name?

It's the latest in a series of 'realignments' that have taken place since the Electronics Innovation and Growth Team (EIGT) reported in 2005. At the time, EIGT pointed to fragmentation and a lack of unity, dismissing the 30 or so existing trade associations as 'talking shops'. It recommended the establishment of the UKEA as a single body to represent the industry. But even those close to the centre of the electronics industry might struggle to put their finger on quite what the UKEA has done in those eight years. Although the major electronics bodies are part of UKEA, they still appear to work independently and it's hard to see evidence of the unity called for by the EIGT. Having one body – at the moment, the ESCO Council – to act as the conduit between the industry and Government is fine, but the challenge for ESCO is to get 'grass roots' companies engaged, to ensure they are represented properly and to help them, one way or another, to grow. The ESCO Executive says, as you might expect, that it is already working with the ESCO Council to implement the recommendations in the ESCO Report. So back to the headline: What's in a name? This latest round of rebranding is a bit like the job function on a business card. While you might have an impressive title; it's what you do that's important. Hopefully, we'll see some evidence of the ESCO Executive having an impact.