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Building the Community |
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Newsletter February 2006 |
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Network Meetings |
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Are you wearing yours yet? The NMI electronic badges for members websites are now available Click Here |
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Industry Survey—Design |
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Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) |
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European Projects |
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Funding |
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Opportunities |
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Welcome |
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R&D |
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Online Resources—Virtual Stockroom |
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Online Resources—General |
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Now that we’re truly into the New Year we felt it timely to update you with news and activities relevant to you and your company. To further support the growing NMI community, 2006 will see an expansion of our activities and services to support our sector in strategic areas of innovation, information provision, supply chain efficiency, benchmarking, lobbying and education. We’re working hard on your behalf to support a diverse and vibrant industry—there is always plenty going on, we present some highlights for you here. |
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Networking is a vital activity that keeps the life blood of the industry flowing. Last year we ran many technical and business network meetings spanning the design and supply-chain. This year we’re building on that success with more sessions covering popular subjects requested by our members. Since January this year we have run and supported events such as a Production Managers Meeting and 1st Stage Funding for IC Start-Ups. Other events on the immediate radar include: Design Verification - Bristol - Feb 15th Silicon Futures - London - Feb 20th Remember—NMI events are free to attend for members and many of our co-promoted events have negotiated discounts for members too. We’ll keep you updated from time-to-time on events we believe are relevant to you but why not check out our events page. |
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We’re currently undertaking a sector survey with design organisations to understand the scale and scope of UK based activity. Our aim is to understand this part of the industry in greater detail so that we can provide better services, inform national strategy at the government level and support a healthy design sector. Our researchers will be contacting many of your organisations over the coming weeks and we’d like to ask for your help and encourage participation. Typically taking 5 to 10 minutes to complete, the survey has been designed to be low overhead and presented as aggregated data only assuring anonymity. A summary report will be made available to members on completion. |
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Reducing costs, inventories and down time—we have created a virtual stockroom across semiconductor manufacturing companies to help improve uptime and save costs. The GlobalStockroom™ system allows engineers to locate parts available in other manufacturing locations and allows a “request for purchase” to be made by authorised personnel. It is ideal in Emergency Machine Down situations where the cost-clock ticks rapidly. The system has been developed in association with USED4semicon. |
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The NMI website provides a valuable source of information for members, non-members, industry professionals and the wider stakeholder community with more and more information now available to meet the growing numbers of visitors. Did you know, for instance, you can post your job vacancies free of any charges! Click here to post your vacancies. Or that we offer advertising space to those relevant to the sector. Visitors to the site occupy the entire supply chain thus providing advertisers an ideal opportunity to reach a targeted audience. Click here for information on advertising. If you have not already done so, register for access to the NMI members’ forum by going here. Registration is available for all employees of NMI members, so tell your colleagues too and get access to resources such as previous network presentations, attendee lists, discussion groups etc. |
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The NMI is partnering the broader electronics industry to bid for government funding to improve the competitiveness of UK based electronics companies. A primary aim of the KTN is to increase the volume and rate that electronics related technology is commercially exploited. This initiative will extend the work that we have been engaged in with the technical and business networks. |
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Are you an SME interested in European Projects? We can help—the EPISTEP project has been devised to help small and medium sized enterprises raise their profiles in Europe and engage with the Framework Programme. |
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Private and public funding is key to sustaining a competitive advantage. With so many public funding mechanisms it can be confusing and difficult to find the most appropriate vehicle for your project—why not take a look at our funding map to help de-mystify the landscape and contact us for specific support such as finding partners. |
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NMI members can now benefit from a FREE R&D Tax Credits Health Check - a ”no win, no fee” arrangement with tax experts KPMG—click here to find out how. Swindon, Feb 23rd: Want to learn how to gain access to low-cost, proprietary R&D for your company and find skilled staff? We’d like to tell you more about the EngD programme and government backing. Click here for details of this seminar. |
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Developing MEMs applications and need a UK partner? Looking at Japan for commercial opportunities or partners? Contact the NMI and tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll help connect you up. |
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