Centres of excellence
iSLI (Institute for System Level Integration)
The iSLI provides postgraduate education, professional training and research in system-level integration and systemon-chip technologies. The institute exists to spur development of electronic systems design throughout the world, while encouraging pioneering research.
Several Scottish universities play a key role in Mobile VCE, which provides long-term, world-class research in mobile and personal communications, shaped and steered by its industrial members. Its innovative structure draws on the highest-quality academic skills and staff, ensuring that research is relevant to the industry, yielding valuable intellectual property.
Mobile VCE, which is supported by the UK Government, has a global vision and its research is internationally respected.
Specknet
The Speckled Computing Consortium brings together world-class expertise in computer science, electronic engineering and physics to advance theory and applications in speckled computing – a radical new concept in information technology which has the potential to revolutionise the way we communicate and exchange information. Speckled computing focuses on the interaction of ‘specks’ – autonomous semiconductor grains, each of which can gather data and compute, while communicating wirelessly with each other and feeding back data to a central source.
Funded by the Scottish Government, Wireless Innovation offers free business support to companies in the wireless sector. Its two incubator units nurture new wireless businesses by providing furnished accommodation, market intelligence and advice on product development.
Wireless Innovation brings budding businesses together with leading commercial players such as BT, Nokia and Microsoft.
And this unique initiative has proved such a success that countries across the globe are seeking to emulate its approach.
Scotland IS – the trade body for software, telecoms and IT in Scotland – represents members across all ICT fields, from small businesses to global corporations.
It works to raise the profile of wireless and other cutting-edge industries, lobbying policy-makers on key issues and helping its members to forge business links with customers, suppliers and partner companies.
Backed by a ten-year, $720 million investment by the Scottish Government, ITI Techmedia sponsors research in digital media and communications.
Aiming to put Scotland at the forefront of the global market, it is commercially focused and market driven – and dedicated to supporting the creation and marketing of successful new intellectual assets which will boost the Scottish economy.
One of the biggest clusters of its kind in Europe, DSP Scotland is an alliance of companies, research institutes and universities working in the field of digital signal processing. The continuing growth of this sector in Scotland – aided by inward investment and Scottish Government support – has given DSP Scotland a key role in integrating this success with related technology sectors.
The China-Scotland Signal Image Processing Research Academy provides a forum for world-renowned researchers and students from twelve Universities in China and Scotland to share expertise and information. By pooling this talent and data, SIPRA has attracted the attention of global companies interested in the competitive advantages offered by emerging technologies.
And, with its highly developed economic, scientific and regulatory environment, Scotland provides an excellent location in which such projects can be developed and commercialised.