CIE Components in Electronics
Electronics company plans further growth in 2018 following successful expansion into new markets
Kitronik, a Nottingham based electronics company which specialises in developing electronic projects kits for schools, is signalling further growth in 2018, largely due to increased exports both to established and new markets.
Over the 12 years since its launch, the Basford based company has established a strong reputation in UK schools and with makers and coders for its products, resources and support materials, all of which are designed to help young people become interested in coding and electronics.
Now, it is not just UK children who are benefitting from the firm’s expertise, but thousands of children across the world due to Kitronik’s successful expansion into overseas markets. This non-domestic growth is now out-performing domestic growth for the firm, with the majority of sales (51 per cent) in the final three months of 2017 resulting from overseas markets.
Whilst exchange rates are influencing the profitability of overseas sales, the expansion can also be attributed to active targeting by the company amongst global distributors. Exports to the USA, France and Scandinavia are particularly strong, with sales to emerging markets such as Croatia and Serbia also adding to growth.
Kitronik are also reaping the benefits of their considerable involvement with the BBC micro:bit project. Through the company’s development of a range of project kits to support the successful introduction and development of the device, its status within the industry has been further enhanced at home and abroad. The company worked alongside companies including Microsoft, Samsung and Barclays on the micro:bit project and now works with the micro:bit Educational Foundation to distribute the pocket-sized computer around the world.
As distribution partners for the micro:bit Educational Foundation, Kitronik is playing its role in building on the UK success of the micro:bit, by widening the availability of the device and support resources internationally. This involvement is enabling the company to further realise its own mission statement as the Foundation aims to make electronics accessible to all, encouraging creativity and invention with technology at schools, in clubs and at home.
Since its formation in 2005 by two electronics graduates, Kevin Spurr and Geoff Hampson, Kitronik has always held a strong ethos based on wanting to make the fun of electronics and related knowledge and skills accessible to young people and their involvement with the BBC micro:bit has proved a good vehicle for this. Through their commitment to providing support to teachers, students and makers via the creation of resources and project kits, Kitronik are realising their ambition to empower young people through digital creativity and improved digital literacy.
Kitronik co-founder and director Kevin Spurr comments: “As Kitronik grows, it is clear that our aspirations are shared with thousands of people across the world and fit perfectly with the global need to create more electronics engineers. Teachers and business leaders recognize that we all need to play a role in helping to create the next generation of electronics engineers and I am pleased that our products are being used to design fun and innovative electronics projects across the globe.”
“From our work with schools we can see the growth in interest shown by young people in building their own devices, and coding. With our products helping to develop this interest, we are hopeful that we are lowering barriers to technology invention for young people, makers and developers globally.”
