Electronics
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The electronics market place
Electronics is a major contributor to the economy through its design, manufacture, assembly, distribution and support, but also through its effective utilization. It enables every Labour saving device, drives the development of high-speed communications and information processing, is an essential enabler in transportation and aviation, and is transforming entertainment and business today. It plays a major role in addressing societal challenges on health, security, energy management and climate change.
The global electronics market has an estimated value of $2 trillion each year. Semiconductors account for $275bn revenue worldwide, with annual growth forecast of between 6% and 8%. In the UK, over 250,000 people are involved in the design, production and distribution of electronic products, working in 11,000 companies.
Regulation in this sector
One of the recommendations from the Electronics Innovation Growth Team was that we should set up a cross Government/industry group to ensure that the legitimate interests of this sector were taken into account in the development of relevant regulation. In response, we set up the “Electronics Regulatory Group” (ERG) which now meets on a quarterly basis.
The ERG has - and continues to - look at the following regulatory initiatives (but not exclusively):
- The Energy-Using Products (EuP) Directive, and the Market Transformation Programme (MTP)
- Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemical Regulation (REACH)
- The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
- The Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive
- Other International RoHS legislation (mainly China RoHS & Korea RoHS)
- The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive
- The EU Climate Change Package (EU Emission Trading Scheme and Carbon Reduction Commitment).
The photonics market place
Photonics is the transmission and manipulation of information and energy in the form of light (photons) rather than electricity. The application of photonic technologies can enhance the performance of a wide range of products across industries as diverse as transport, security communications, healthcare and energy.
The global market for systems dependent on photonics is already worth over £150 billion. It is difficult to determine the number and nature of photonics companies within the UK, but analysis (Photonics: A UK strategy for success) indicates that there are between 1,500 to 3,400 (mainly small) companies, with a combined annual turnover of over £20 billion.
The Photonics Strategy Group (PSG), made up of representatives from Government, academia & industry, was established to:
• Examine the UK photonics industry sector
• Identify opportunities and challenges for the UK over the next 5 to 10 years
• Develop an action plan for Government and industry to exploit the sector
Useful Documents
