Research projects into the superconducting material niobium carbonitride, thermoelectric temperature sensors and the use of Porphyrin-DNA, have been finalised as the winners of this year’s Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Awards for Young Scientists.

The National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) has presented its 2009 Contribution to Industry Award to Indro Mukerjee, CEO of C-MAC MicroTechnology and Chair of the Semta Electronics Sector Strategy Group.

Almost every country in the world is facing a crisis over supplying its armed services with the equipment and technology they need but at a price they can afford. There is nothing new in this, of course. Almost for as long as armies have existed they have wanted to spend more than was available and the last century saw military spending spiral upwards like never before.

According to research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) worldwide military expenditure in 2008 increased by 4 per cent to an estimated $1464 billion. That is an increase of 45 per cent since 1999. Golden times indeed!

While the USA accounted for the majority (58%) of the global increase between 1999 and 2008, it was far from the only country to pursue such a course. China, Russia and other regional Powers, such as India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Algeria and the UK also contributed significantly.

Today, video distribution in aerospace and defense applications involves physically connected or wireless analogue video signals, but his is less than ideal because of  the quality loss, high bandwidth demands and costly switching infrastructure tend to limit flexibility. A far better approach is to distribute video digitally.

There has been a remarkable increase in the number of systems that require safety certification of device software to one standard or another. This used to be the domain of specialised original equipment manufacturers in the aerospace arena but is increasingly found in military, transportation medical and industrial markets. Whether this increase is driven by the growth in device software controlling our lives, the more visible aspects of software failures, or the more rigorous application of safety critical software standards by government, the concern is the lack of a safety culture within these OEMs; that is, a deep understanding of what it takes to produce "safe" systems.

UK connector product specialists, Lane Electronics, has announced a new series of circular fibre optic connectors from Souriau Connection Technology. They can be supplied with an aluminium, stainless steel, nickel aluminium bronze or composite shell.

The ELIO fibre optic connector range has been designed for use where severe vibration is encountered or mechanical resistance required. It is housed within the MIL-DTL-38999 connector platform and benefits from the inherent qualities of a field proven high specification military connector.

With its track record for delivering connectors for defence projects and ability to innovate to meet military specifications it's no surprise that Hypertac has become synonymous with the DSEi military trade show.

Its connectors can be found almost universally within the military sector and the company lists its technology being used in applications ranging from radar installations to fighter aircraft to future combat systems.

PEI-Genesis will be displaying a wide variety of multi-pin military connectors from leading manufacturers at this year's DSEi exhibition - all of which are available with PEI's 48-hour assembly service. On display will be Amphenol's complete line of MIL-DTL-38999 circular connectors, which come in an extensive range of shell sizes, insert arrangements, contact types and plating finishes. As PEI-Genesis holds its stock at piece-part level, it is able to assemble any variant that may be required.

Neil Tyler talks to Ian Blackman and Tim Elliot about how the problem of obsolescence is evolving and what the key issues at this year's conference are going to be

Those companies who have been using pro-active obsolescence techniques and innovative mitigation solutions to keep their legacy products in production or in a state where they are at least supportable will have a far better chance of weathering the recession. Why?

Because the problems faced in providing cost effective solutions to the increased unavailability of components, resources and knowledge is very similar to those faced by companies who wish to continue developing in this harsh economic time.

The Oil and Gas industry has, for many years, realised the need to manage obsolescence throughout the equipment used in the industry. However, their approach to obsolescence management has been less pro-active than sectors such as military and defence, which already have well-established processes for managing obsolescence. With the advent of new contracts for availability and logistic support, and the introduction of MoD initiatives, obsolescence is under review again and the Oil and Gas industry has been asking itself: what exactly is best practice?

Day One

Session One

David Lynch- Selex-Galileo

How to define an appropriate obsolescence strategy given differentiation between project risks, resources, culture and performance expectations- this will be illustrated by reference to current military support platforms.