Cambridge start up Pragmatic I.C has received over 5 million GBP in funding from Cambridge Innovation Capital, ARM plc & others to develop flexible micro-circuits which may be used to embed computing power in everyday objects and bring on the Internet Of Things revolution.
The firm, whose circuits are ‘thinner than a human hair’ is already making prototype devices in its Cambridge facility & reckons its processes are scalable for mass production.
The ability to embed complex circuits in everyday objects which are not flat like clothing, automotive trim, airplane bodies & household items offers tremendous potential for the development of intelligent ‘things’.
Flexible circuits, in themselves, are nothing new in the world of Microelectronics, I remember working on printed plastic circuits 30 years ago at General Hybrid Ltd in Jarrow before the company was unfortunately declared bankrupt.
Potential problems with flexible circuits tend to revolve around component stability & reliability; hopefully PragmaticIC have this covered & they will go on to have tremendous success, having the backing of ARM plc, the U.K’s most successful ‘modern’ electronics company is a terrific bonus & their Innovation is to be admired.
Mercedes Benz has joined the herd of Automotive companies who have followed Google’s lead in developing autonomous (driverless) vehicles for use on public roads.
But where is the demand coming from ? Who actually wants driverless cars ? It may surprise but, according to a recent Government survey, over 46% of us do!
Maybe its the thought of an extra hours sleep on the daily commute or the desire to squeeze another couple of hours work time in our already busy days; perhaps we imagine driving on our congested roads will be more pleasurable if the car takes the strain instead of us – whatever the reasons there is no doubt that some time soon autonomous vehicles will be a common sight on our roads and the investment decisions of the major motor manufacturers will begin to make sense.
Once again Google will be praised by some & cursed by others, but there will be no denying the Organisations prescience.
This year has been an extremely exciting & challenging one for me personally. In January 2014 I signed a 12 month contract with Tata Technologies as Lead Engineer in Exterior Trim developing & bringing to production Jaguar Land Rovers’s Freelander replacement the new ‘Discovery Sport’.
In January I was based in TTL’s Coventry office but spent a lot of time at JLR’s Browns Lane plant in the West Midlands, historical home of Jaguar Cars & now utilised as a Pilot Plant for small scale production.
Walking into Browns Lane was a great experience personally as I met many old friends from JLR having worked on the Range Rover Sport Programme. Although it is a large organization employing many thousands its amazing how many people you get to know working on a project for 18 months.
The pilot build is known as VP build & this stage of the process is very much a learning process. Some trim parts are still not ‘off tool’ & its all about capturing issues via the Automated Issues Management system. This AIMs system is used to track issues & ensure the proper fix is put in place before closure. It provides visibility to Senior Management & its administration is one of the Lead Engineer’s key tasks along with developing engineering solutions & working with key suppliers to ensure timely delivery of quality parts. Most issues require a PACN (to support financial justification) & a Engineering Release to implement the change. As most Engineers are responsible for numerous parts time is rapidly eroded before its time for the next build – Hard Tool Functional Build (HTFB)
This build took place at JLR’s Halewood plant where the Discovery Sport is to be mass produced & which was to be my base for the next 8 months.
Halewood is a large plant which covers several square miles & employs over 8,000 people. Most of the Product Coaches & Line Engineers were involved in the Browns Lane builds so there were many familiar faces at Halewood as well as plenty new ones. Halewood is one of JLR’s centres of excellence & the Engineering knowledge here is second to none.
Over the next 8 months we embarked on a number of builds increasing in numbers & complexity. This is a very stressful period for all & the nearer Volume Launch approaches the pressure piles on.
It was with a mixture of relief & a great sense of achievement when Volume Launch in December was achieved and cars began rolling off the production line at a rate of one every 40 seconds !!
It is important to recognise the economic importance of this model; Tata have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in this venture which has created several thousand jobs at Halewood & employed hundreds of thousands in the wider supply chain. With JLR’s commitment to source 60% of parts within a 40 mile radius the importance to the Regional Economy cannot be underestimated.
To play a small part in this great venture & to help take the Discovery Sport from initial concept to volume production brings a great sense of pride & achievement. chris@amberhill.biz
There are loads of books offering advice on Time Management, some useful & some trite like ‘we all have 24 hours in a day’ which is great if you also have a host of assistants to do the menial chores whilst you sit back & contemplate. Most of us don’t have that luxury with busy lives & demanding bosses, we often struggle to manage our own time effectively completing tasks quickly but not necessarily efficiently.
How often do you have to go back & correct something you did in a rush ? Thinking you were being efficient only to waste more future time putting it right. Very soon we can end up chasing our own tails like deranged dogs.
One way to improve our use of time is to think of it like money. The more effort put into completing a task ‘right first time’ is like putting savings in a high interest account. You expend a little more effort immediately but don’t have to return to it later to correct errors. This frees up more ‘future time’. The alternative is like spending on a credit card. You want it now & end up paying ‘through the nose’ later.
Get it ‘right first time’ consistently & over time you will spend more time contemplating & less chasing your tail.
Today is National Freelancer Day in the U.K (apparently) So what’s it like to be a ‘Freelancer’ in 2014 ? Speaking purely from personal experience I have been freelancing for over 5 years so here are my findings:-
Employment – Since leaving ‘permanent’ employment I have never been out of work & have moved fairly seamlessly from one contract to another. I am in Engineering so this may not be so easy in other professions. It also requires a degree of forward planning, I generally start ‘sniffing around’ 2 months from the end of my current contract. You also need to develop an extensive network of contacts & I have found ‘Linked In’ invaluable for this.
Earnings – This is what interests people the most about Contract work. In Engineering earnings are typically 20-30% higher than prermie’ earnings BUT it has to be remembered this doesn’t include holiday or sick pay, pension contributions, bonus etc etc. So if you are regularly sick & enjoy extensive holidays your probably better off as a ‘permie’
Tax – As a contractor you pay less tax. This is because you can set yourself up as a Limited Company & pay yourself minimum wage & the rest in Dividends which are taxable at the Corporation Tax rate which is lower that what you would pay as an individual. You can also deduct legitimate expenses from your taxable income. You can also take advantage of the Flat rate VAT scheme where you collect 20% & pay HMRC 13% of total earnings, keeping the difference. All of this is perfectly Legal & proper but do seek the advice of a qualified Accountant.
Be your own Boss – Sounds great but you always have to remember you also have a Client who is effectively paying your salary & you will have to report to someone.
All in all I have never looked back & intend remaining as a Contractor for the rest of my career. If you are considering this career option I wish you a Happy Freelancer Day & good luck.
If we want to develop an innovative society we need look no further than Silicon Valley which is the most successful example on earth.Silicon Valley has key attributes which are key to its success in generating billions of dollars in revenue & employing millions of talented Engineers who earn enviable salaries. These attributes are not immediately obvious:-
It may surprise many to learn that Silicon Valley has a strong military connection particularly with the U.S Navy, many early innovations were as a result of collaboration on Radio & communications systems leading to the Arpanet the direct forerunner of todays Internet. Some of todays smartest innovative individuals work in the Defence Industry.
The presence of an Internationally renowned eduction establishment – Princeton – has been key to the ‘Valleys’ success. Princeton has developed & encouraged technically educated entrepreneurs to start & grow numerous successful enterprises.The U.K has some of the world’s leading Institutes, unfortunately recent government policy seems to make it increasingly unviable to survive economically as a Student.
People may be surprised to learn that Silicon Valley is the home to numerous large Law firms who’s accessibility has allowed start ups to quickly resolve disputes & grow rapidly.
Over 30% of residents are immigrants. The ability to welcome International migrants who are highly skilled & educated creating a multinational society of entrepreneurs & Engineers is a key component to success. Perhaps this could provide a solution to the UK’s ‘boats’ problem which often transport enterprising individuals who could be put to good use in the Economy rather than housed in run down hotels at huge taxpayer expense.
There are many Venture Capital firms in the area which provide key access to funding to ensure prosperity & growth.
All of these key components are essential if an Innovative Society is to thrive & grow generating huge revenue & employment prospects.
Most commentators agree that in order to maintain a wealth generating society which grows & generates enough tax revenue to support our Western lifestyles with its social security & healthcare systems we cannot do so by producing things which are cheaper than everyone else. This is a race to the bottom. In order to thrive we need to Innovate by developing high value added products and services to be sold at a premium price in the market place. So how do we go about developing a society which thrives on Innovation.
It all begins in school – if we want an Innovative society it makes no sense to invest a disproportionate amount of resources educating a wealthy elite. Currently less than 10% of children in the UK are privately educated but end up as the majority of board members, judiciary, Upper Management, journalists etc etc This is foolish in the extreme & teaches those of greater aptitude but less wealth not to waste their efforts educating themselves to reach the heights of society. If we truly want an Innovative society we need more meritocracy which rewards effort rather than class.
We also need to radically overhaul the education system. Instead of teaching children how to pass exams we should teach them how to THINK.
Innovation never thrives in a rigidly structured organisation with lots & lots of layers. A flat structure of 5 layers maximum from shop floor to CEO works best. Just look around at successful innovative organisations – Apple, Dyson, Microsoft, Google – all have a flat structure.
Thursday 18th September 2014 will go down in history as a momentous one for The United Kingdom & Scotland regardless of the result.
The fact that so many Scots have been completely dissillusioned with Westminster politics that they are willing to smash the Union & embark on a new journey as an Independent nation without even knowing what currency will be used is a terrible vindictment of how people have been alienated by successive Tory & Labour governments.
Perhaps the Palace of Westminster has been insulated from the real world for far too long.
No matter whether the Scots win or lose they will gain more power either by gaining full independence or from the consolation prize of ‘Devo Max’ – this will cause inevitable resentment in England where there are already calls for Regional Devolution, particularly in the long neglected North.
The 18th September will herald a new dawn in Scottish & UK politics. chris@amberhill.biz
5 Northern cities have put forward a joint proposal to improve transport infrastructure in the North. Dignatries from Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester & Liverpool met the chancellor George Osborne who gave a very favourable response to the plan.
The plan which some are dubbing ‘HS3’ involves increasing road capacity, building a 125mph cross pennine rail link & improving local rail networks.
Extending the current Metro-link in Greater Manchester & including Liverpool Airport & City Centre will reduce road traffic on the dreaded M62 & reinforce links between these 2 great cities.
This is what ‘The North’ has been crying out for for the last 30 years.!
If it is done correctly by focusing on rail & metro links & by reducing road traffic rather than simply encouraging more cars onto already congested roads it will transform the North into a place where companies want to move & invest.
As someone who lives in Manchester but travels all over the country the gulf between North & South is gobsmacking. With the South vastly overpopulated & house buying out of the question for the young it is absolutely vital to invest in the North & build a prosperous & diversified economy.
It is essential to maintain the pressure on George Osborne to put his money where his mouth is.
Cambridge start up Pragmatic I.C has received over 5 million GBP in funding from Cambridge Innovation Capital, ARM plc & others to develop flexible micro-circuits which may be used to embed computing power in everyday objects and bring on the Internet Of Things revolution.
