Workshops to consider UK electronics industry’s future

The workshops will form part of an initiative called ESCO, or Electronic Systems – Challenges and Opportunities. Input from the workshops will be used to create a 'state of the nation' report intended to provide a strategic blueprint for its future. The regional workshops will provide a brief introduction to ESCO and its progress to date, the opportunity to discuss the issues and potential solutions identified to date and to propose others, an overview of the next steps and the opportunity to get involved further in shaping the report. Five half day workshops are being held: in Bristol (14 June), London (20 June), Manchester (25 June), East Kilbride (26 June) and Cambridge (27 June). All are free to attend. According to the organisers, ESCO is a significant step forward in collaboration between leading electronics industry trade associations. It brings together the National Microelectronics Institute, GAMBICA, Intellect and the UK Electronics Alliance, along with the Institute for Engineering and Technology and skills group Semta. The report's objective is to make the UK's Electronic Systems Community more visible to Government and to identify and sponsor initiatives that will enable it to expand and prosper. The 'state of the nation' report will identify and quantify this community and provide a strategic blueprint for its future. Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, is said to be keen to understand the actions that Government could take to support the electronics industry. The report will provide the opportunity to undertake a strategic review of the sector and will reveal, say the organisers, a world class industry contributing significantly to the UK economy and employment, but which faces challenges regarding how to make a fit industry even fitter. Other issues will include how the community can benefit by being better connected, engaged and unified.