23.4.2010
MILLENNIUM LAUREATES IN LONDON: LABORATORY SURPRISES KICK-START INDUSTRIES
Some of the world's greatest innovations are arrived at unexpectedly. This also goes for the breakthroughs for which two UK engineers have been selected as Laureates for the 2010 Millennium Technology Prize.
At a media roundtable discussion on Innovations that Kick-start Industries, held at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London on 19 April 2010, James Woudhuysen, Professor of Innovation at De Montfort University said many innovations were a surprise – even to those heading up the research.
For innovation to be encouraged – and to be capable of kick-starting new industries – a climate allowing for serendipitous, blue-sky research had to be fostered.
Professor Steve Furber, to be awarded with the Millennium Prize for his invention of the ARM RISC 32 bit microprocessor and its implementation on silicon chips, said he had not set out to design the microprocessor. “We just thought we’d learn something about why it was a bad idea to design your own microprocessor.” Today more than 18bn ARM RISC 32 bit microprocessors have been produced, and are found in around 98 % of all mobile phones.
Professor Sir Richard Friend, to be awarded for his contributions in the area of plastic electronics, went against the trend to explore the possibility of plastic semiconductors, while everyone else was working with silicon. His team created plastics based transistors and discovered by accident they could make polymer based light emitting diodes, LED’s. This technology is now being used in thin, flexible and unbreakable displays.
Watch video clips from the event:
Stephen Furber on computing speed
Sir Richard Friend on attracting top researchers
Stephen Furber on the importance of the interface to the usability of technology
Sir Richard Friend and Stephen Furber on the role of science for Britain’s economy
