Bristol Local Enterprise Partnership takes shape

April 16, 2026 by · Leave a Comment
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The Local Enterprise Partnership for Bristol and Bath is taking shape after a workshop. The LEP is taking over some functions of the SouthWestRDA when it closes in 2012.

Business – with a focus on entrepreneurship and

Creative Industries – the sector employs 2m people in the UK but needs collaboration, help with Intellectual Property issues, financing and better connections with universities and colleges.

Advanced Engineering – facilitated by Barry Warburton of the West of England Aerospace Forum, this points to the  need for more communication locally as well as promoting the sector and use it as a national lead in advanced manufacturing.

Microelectronics and silicon design – hosted by Prof Mark Beach of the University of Bristol and Phil Morris of ST Microelectronics, the focus was on supporting and publicising the sector, overcoming fragmentation and making the most of the enabling technology in other areas, creating a testbed for new product development in the region

April 15, 2026 by · Leave a Comment
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Research Assistant/Associate in Verification of Autonomous Systems – Full-time five year fixed-term contract (ref. 17211)

Based in the Faculty of Engineering hosted by the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, this is an exciting and challenging opportunity to join a multi-disciplinary research team working on a new project entitled “Robust Integrated Verification of Autonomous Systems (RIVERAS)” funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Led by Dr Kerstin Eder, who is an expert in Design Verification, RIVERAS aims to develop techniques and methodologies that can be used to design autonomous intelligent systems that are verifiably trustworthy. This enables engineers to ensure that the strict safety requirement necessary for such systems are met, allowing for a more rapid route to market while at the same time building customer confidence. Target application areas include safety critical systems such as robotic inspections of a nuclear power plant and space explorations e.g. on Mars by a rover or a robotic aircraft, but also the next generation of clever consumer products with embedded intelligence and adaptability e.g. toys, gadgets and household appliances.

Working in close collaboration with Dr Kerstin Eder and the RIVERAS team to address these objectives, you have a PhD in computer science or closely related field and have started to build up a strong publication record. You have a broad knowledge of design verification and experience with both formal and simulation-based verification methodologies as well as state-of-the-art verification tools. You have excellent written and spoken communication skills and an ability to explain and share deep concepts and techniques with colleagues. You will have excellent programming skills which enable you to quickly integrate software for robotic experiments.

A good understanding of logic, probability theory and numerical optimization and experience with real-time workshop / Simulink coder are useful but can also be picked up during the project. You will enjoy working in a multidisciplinary team and have a good degree of self-motivation.

Interviews are expected to be held on 11 and 12 July 2012.

Research Post in Verification Available at Bristol University

Delivering tailored solutions for hardware verification and software testing through onsite and offshore resources, managed services, Verification IP, Verification Management tools, specialist training, benchmarking and…

Dialog Semiconductor to buy power management specialist iWatt

April 15, 2026 by · Leave a Comment
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Swindon-based Dialog Semiconductor  has bought US power management specialist iWatt for approximately $310 million, with additional contingent consideration of up to $35 million.

Acquisition highlights:

Enhances Dialog’s leadership in power management for Tablets and Smartphones by adding iWatt’s complementary AC/DC digital power management technology

Diversifies Dialog’s product portfolio, adding two high growth product families; AC/DC charger adaptor ICs and a broad range of LED Solid State Lighting ICs

Adds new Tier-1 customers and expands Dialog’s business opportunities at existing Smartphone Tier-1 OEMs

Expands Dialog’s addressable market into the adjacent digital power management space, unlocking new growth opportunities and increasing TAM by a potential $1.8 billion to $5.9 billion by 2015

Adds a portfolio of more than 110 patents

via Dialog Semiconductor to Acquire iWatt, a Leading Provider of Digital Power Management ICs – Yahoo! Finance.