Interview
problem, they will have the knowledge and skills. We know where these groups are, the key people behind them and what they can do for businesses. Not only can we put them in touch with the right people but, if the project fits the bill, we will also provide funding to cover the cost of the academics’ time.”
Last month marked the two year anniversary of Reid’s appointment as CEO. During these two years, CENSIS has achieved a lot and Reid talks about some of its highlights so far, including the IoTUK Boost event and the Mirage project: “Our flagship R&D project would have to be up there. It stands out as a real potential game- changer in collaborative R&D – to have so many SMEs working together, without competing at any stage, is very rare.” With the sensor and imaging systems market in Scotland growing and the Scottish Government focusing on it, I asked Reid where he thinks the industry will be in five years’ time. “I would expect and hope to see more businesses working with universities to their mutual benefit – that will be one sign of our success,” he says. “On the back of these partnerships, I’d expect to see more sensor and imaging system products coming to the market, further R&D projects being undertaken and, ultimately, more growth for the businesses.”
One sector of the market that Reid thinks will benefit from the adoption of IoT is manufacturing. He believes there are a host of possibilities to improve processes, increase automation and enhance efficiency in manufacturing plants. “To a certain degree, we are already seeing that through some initiatives, such
Ian Reid and Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
as the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Germany,” stated Reid. “But as we discovered during the IoTUK Boost event, the best thing about the IoT is its potential to relate to any walk of like. It could be employed in agriculture to understand how livestock and crops are growing or, in households, to monitor the health of people with a variety of conditions. The possibilities are endless.” CENSIS has many exciting projects and events coming up in the next year, and
Reid also outlined what the long-term outlook is for CENSIS: “Along with the other Innovation Centres, we are involved in this year’s TEDx Glasgow in June, exploring the theme of a “disruptive world”. We also have our annual Tech Summit in October, which is well attended by some of the industry’s leading experts and academics. For the medium- to long- term, we are committed to developing and refining our offering to help our industrial constituency innovate and improve its
international competitiveness. With support from our key stakeholders, we are evaluating progress so far and looking at where we can add the most value, where we should focus and where collaboration with our partners in the innovation landscape can be optimised. “Whatever happens, there are exciting times ahead, for CENSIS and the wider SIS industry in Scotland.”
http://censis.org.uk/
www.cieonline.co.uk
Components in Electronics
June 2016 15
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