iNets Microelectronics

Making Sense of Sensors

November 2011

South West Start ups secure £32k from latest Microelectronics iNet Innovation Lab

Our latest Innovation Lab collaboration “Making Sense of Sensors” held in November 2011 at the UWE Exhibition and Conference Centre has generated four excellent proposals, attracting £32,000 of Microelectronics iNet funding and we are delighted with the continuing success of our programme of ‘engineered serendipity’.

The Microelectronics iNet’s “Making Sense of Sensors” innovation lab was a joint event with The Institute of Bio Sensing Technology (IBST) and supported by the Biomedical iNet.

Tackling sensors was a big ask, the industry covers everything from weapons detection and home security to marine observation, bio-medical applications and even gaming.

Undaunted, a group of academics, start up companies and industry leaders from across the range of sensor capability got together to share case studies, map the opportunities and brainstorm their ideas for innovative new products and services that could make our world healthier, safer and more fun to play in.

Innovation Labs are designed to expose start up companies to their markets. The “Making Sense of Sensors” lab was underpinned by an excellent commissioned report on the sensor market and technologies.

Speakers shared information about the challenges in their particular area and offered the delegates a ‘wish list’ to stimulate ideas for products and services that could find a market based on genuine needs. Dr Steve Nicklin, Senior Fellow at Dstl scoped the need for sensors in the security industry, Dr Giles Sanders (The Technology Partnership plc) covered sensors in Healthcare and Dr James Fishwick, Bio-optical Oceanographer, Western English Channel Observatory covered the fascinating applications and particular problems for sensors at sea.

“ … as a result of the day we may now know of a much better solution to the controlling of our buoy systems and are already in talks to investigate this further.”
Dr James Richard Fishwick, Bio-Optical Oceanographer Western English Channel Observatory

Innovation Labs are supported by a great piece of innovative technology from Crystal Interactive which captures and displays all the ideas as they are generated, allowing participants to see them on screen and bounce off each other immediately. The whole group can also sort and categorise their ideas electronically, quickly identifying the best in their area of interest. It’s fast, practical and fun.

In less than 10 minutes over 100 sparks of brilliance were generated and the fires were lit for a set of lively round table discussions based on the delegates’ interests and ideas.

The Innovation Labs are an opportunity to forge collaborations with colleagues in the sector to produce genuinely commercial ideas which can then be supported by the Microelectronics iNet. This time some of the delegates started writing up their rough proposals before they had left the Lab.

The Labs are a fun, fascinating and practical way to network and they also offer the chance to get your hands on exclusive, specific market intelligence through specially commissioned reports and selected speakers.

Our next Innovation Lab will be held in Bridgwater on 21 March and will explore ‘Innovative Technologies for Independent Living’