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The UK’s only electronics exhibition, National Electronics Week took place from June 17-19, 2008 at London’s Earls Court Two. The extremely successful exhibition, which hosted 350 exhibitors, succeeded in providing valuable information to all electronics professionals with style and organization.

The theme for the exhibition was “Learning and Discovery” and many useful workshops and seminars gave electronics professionals guidance and information that was useful and well presented. A workshop on Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network discussed the challenges the UK faces in their attempts to maintain an innovative electronics sector and discussed ways to successfully market innovative ideas.

One of the topics discussed in this informative workshop included how designers, business operators and technologists could succeed in getting their product to consumers. And the question was brought up that, considering that academic researchers have been successful in generating new scientific technology, why was there no significant return on those investments that the Research Councils made?

Other sessions taking place at National Electronics Week included seminars on how to increase creativity, design and innovation. There were also discussions on how to successfully work through the steps of having an invention, becoming an entrepreneur and making revenue. This discussion was given by many experienced inventors who gave clear and helpful guidelines.

Advanced Rework Technology gave an interesting seminar on “State of the ART” which discussed topics that included production, distribution and design of technology. Electronics Alliance was also on hand to discuss the promotion of innovative thinking in regards to electronics design.

The keynote speaker for National Electronics Week was Trevor Baylis, who gave a passionate speech titled, “Why Invest? Inventors, Inventions and How to Get Your Ideas to Market”. In his speech Baylis reflected on the frustrations inventors have faced over the centuries when it came to getting their ideas recognized, as well as their ability to become commercially successful.

Baylis, who was at one time a circus performer who performed underwater escape tricks, eventually invented the clockwork radio. He talked about Frank Whittle, who was Baylis’s hero. Whittle invented the jet engine, but was unable to get the Air Ministry to take him seriously. Baylis points out that the events of World War II would have been significantly different if people had listened to Frank Whittle.

National Electronics Week succeeded in informing and inspiring inventors.