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CITY ENGINEERS KEEP STEP WITH THE MARCH OF TECHNOLOGY [Bristol Evening Post (England)](Bristol Evening Post (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Engineering has been the backbone of Bristol's economy for many years. Rupert Janisch looks at how the sector is faring now and where the future lies. IT'S easy to succumb to the temptation of a good old cliche when talking about engineering in Bristol. Those classic images of Brunel standing next to giant iron chains or Concorde soaring over the Clifton Suspension Bridge are powerful indicators that Bristol is historically good at designing and making stuff, without telling us what we actually engineer here today. There's more to Bristol's engineering pedigree than just the old headline acts. And it's true, Bristol does justifiably maintain a reputation for innovation and feats of engineering excellence. Did you know, for example, that Bristol is a globally recognised centre of composite materials used in aerospace and many other types of engineering, as well as being a global leader in mobile communication technology? This might be engineering done under a microscope, rather than the giant feats of moulding iron which we associate of Brunel's era, but it's no less impressive for that. And the city continues to push frontiers in other areas, too, such as green technologies and nuclear engineering. Perhaps it's the sheer diversity of modern engineering which makes our prowess somewhat hard to shout about. After all, computer chips have little in common with the latest in self-repairing man- made materials, other than the fact that they're designed and made here. Vince Cable, pictured, the Government's Business Secretary, certainly recognises what Bristol has to offer in the diverse engineering industries. And the Government, in a bid to re-balance our economy away from the finance-dominated pre-2008 model, is now investing large sums of money in cities that have something else to offer. Like Bristol. According to Mr Cable: "For too long, the engine of Britain''s economy have been the bankers who led us into disaster. Some areas have been marginalised in obtaining finance for investment. Getting the country's finances in order still means that we simply can't do that anymore. "The march of technology means new opportunities for new and expanding businesses, including those in Bristol. "We are supporting 'eight great technologies' like new advanced material and robotics, where the UK could take a world lead. "Potentially, these mean we will be world leaders in technology that helps us do everything from stopping people rejecting donated organs to creating food replicators like on Star Trek." Someone who has a more overarching view than most of the various engineering hubs in this city and the South West is Professor Nishan Canagarajah, dean of engineering at the University of Bristol. We often hear of the relationship between our academic institutions and business, perhaps again without appreciating how important the link is. But with engineering, it's clear - a two-way relationship with funding coming in and cutting-edge research going out. For Professor Canagarajah, there are two main fields of excellence in which the University of Bristol is pioneering research. The first is mobile communication technology, working on high- performance wired and wireless systems that will provide the next generation of internet infrastruc-ture. The other is composites. The university runs the National Composites Centre at the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green, funded by Pounds 60 million of Government money, and where interested parties include a large number of major engineering companies, the very biggest of which include Agusta Westland, Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace. And there are other areas of engineering in which Bristol leads the way and in which the university assists with its rich pools of intellect - nuclear engineering, for example, is becoming more relevant given Government policy on energy provision. One area that Professor Canagarajah believes the city should develop more is in medical engineering. He cites precision measurement experts Renishaw, based in Wotton-under-Edge, as a sole beacon of regional excellence in this field, but says it is an area in which our city should concentrate more resources. So the present and the future for engineering in Bristol appear bright. What success depends on, partly, is a steady stream of young talent coming into the engineering sectors in our city. Professor Canagarajah says there is work to do here, too: "I spend a lot of my time working with companies in the region. "And increasingly we work with our students to find them opportunities with companies here because it's important that they don't leave Bristol and work elsewhere. "A few years ago, there was a concern that we weren't producing enough engineers and that it was getting hard to recruit. The position has changed a lot now and engineering is very buoyant. "Certainly in Bristol we are attracting large numbers of students who want to do engineering. "But the sad news is that even then we aren't going to produce enough engineers to meet the national need. EPB-"At the moment, we produce about 20,000 young engineers a year - graduates and qualified skilled workforce - and by 2020 we need to double that." E01-S3 Region's 'exceptional' talent behind rapid growth ? USING groundbreaking technology developed at the University of Bristol, XMOS makes high-performance silicon chips that are the 'brains' inside a wide range of familiar products, including consumer electronics, robots and the electronics inside your car. Software engineers can easily customise XMOS chips to talk to the other electronic circuits and devices needed to make an end product, and these unique capabilities are driving rapid growth in the company's business. Originally based in the Bristol SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre, XMOS now enjoys a Case Study: XMOS commanding view over the city from the top floor of Prudential Buildings in Wine Street. In addition to its Bristol HQ, the company has sales and engineering centres in Chennai in India, Shenzhen in China and in the USA. Despite the recent recession, XMOS has a fast-growing workforce of 60, including some of the most highly-skilled engineers in the UK electronics industry. The company's blue-chip customer base includes industry leaders such as Sony and Sennheiser. Nigel Toon, the CEO, said: "Bristol has a rich heritage in electronic engineering and innovation and we're proud to be a part of that. Certainly we couldn't have come this far without access to the exceptional pool of talent in the region. We have managed to attract some of the world's leading venture capital firms to back our business. "The recession has certainly tested the electronics industry - in hindsight, 2007 wasn't exactly the ideal year to kick-off a start- up! But actually in an environment like this, there are always opportunities for unique technologies." 'We're proud to be part of a strong tradition' Case Study: Stirling Dynamics ? STIRLING Dynamics was founded over 27 years ago by aerospace engineer and university lecturer Dr Robert Stirling, who saw an opportunity to provide specialist aerospace and marine research consultancy. With headquarters in Clifton and several offices around the UK and in the US, the company today employs more than 180 staff and turns over Pounds 10 million, delivering a range of specialist products and services to the aerospace, energy, marine and simulation industries. Since its inception, the company has gone from strength to strength, seeing tremendous growth and diversification. Its product portfolio now spans state-of-the-art pilot training equipment, advanced autopilots for a variety of underwater craft, and software that helps design aircraft of the future. It exports more than 50 per cent of its products and services to customers all over Europe, as well as Brazil, India, China, Japan, South Korea and the US. Managing director, Steve Judd, said: "We are very optimistic about our future growth plans. Stirling has weathered the recent economic storm by focusing on innovation, investing in research and development, and protecting our intellectual property. "We've expanded into new markets abroad and we've looked to new market sectors, where our core technologies can be transferred, such as the energy sector. "The UK, and Bristol in particular, has a strong engineering tradition which we are proud to be part of. Continued success on the worldwide stage depends on the agility, innovation and ability of UK engineering and technology companies to actively go out and seek new opportunities The UK needs more engineers! And more financial backing for the smaller, more agile, technology companies, like Stirling, to meet growth needs." Response to change helps business thrive Case Study: Space Engineering ? SPACE Engineering Services recently celebrated its 25th anniversary after being set up by a group of engineers in 1988. Starting out primarily as a refrigeration servicing contractor, it now manufactures, installs and commissions refrigeration plants, source cabinets and cold rooms. It also provides business solutions such as design, project management and facilities management. Last year, Space Engineering Services turned over Pounds 103 million, servicing clients from the commercial through to the industrial sectors, nationwide as well as abroad. Employing 585 staff, the company has a head office and national operations centre in Bristol, a manufacturing facility in Pucklechurch, six other UK offices, one in Hungary and one in Poland. Dale Nouch, joint managing director of Space Engineering Services, said: "The foundations of our company remain very much at the forefront of our business today, but we have grown significantly both in terms of our size and the services and products that we deliver. "We have embraced changes in Government regulations and social responsibility as well as the rise in demand for greener refrigeration and heating solutions by focusing on research and development to come up with new products. "The recession has also had an impact on us, and we have responded by delivering combined packages from design right through to commissioning and servicing, to provide real value and efficiencies to our customers. "Our business is strong and stable, but we are always aware of the need to grow and adapt to changes in our industry. We want to grow our business through understanding and innovation, while building and maintaining long-term partnerships with our partners." Expert eye Sean Gilday Page Hargrave Bristol Office sgilday@page hargrave.co.uk 0117 927 6634 Devising a strategy to protect designs THE engineering sector is one where creativity meets practicality. As such, there may be an abundance of 'intellectual property' created that may be protectable. Perhaps patents are most associated with engineering, and rightly so - patents offer protection for 'inventive' solutions to technical problems. It is important to recognise, though, that other forms of IP may also be relevant. Prototypes, models or design drawings may give rise to associated 'design rights', offering protection against copying. Certain designs may be protected by registration to give a stronger, monopoly right. With an array of potential rights available it is worth developing an effective filing strategy for achieving the strongest protection. . ? Patents: For all 'inventions' there is a process of development from conception to production, and patent applications should be filed in this window. A patent must have 'novelty', with no disclosure to the public prior to filing, so waiting to file until the product is on the shelves is too late. However, the filed description must also be 'sufficient', providing enough information for a skilled person to put the invention into practice. Filing before the solution is technically realised may therefore be jumping the gun. The optimal time to file is usually at the prototype stage. This ensures the invention can be put into practice in at least one form, and before the product is shown to the public. Non-disclosure agreements can be used to protect against loss of rights, allowing for confidential third-party testing, for example. ? Registered designs: In this case, public disclosure is less critical. While designs must still be new, a year''s grace period applies following disclosure, in which an application may be validly filed. This is useful, since registered designs are most appropriate for protecting finalised, or near-finalised, designs - for example, products to be sold. ? Design rights: These generally subsist automatically, so the main consideration is not when to apply, but more the keeping of adequate documentation to prove authorship and dates of creation and first marketing. Of course, individual circumstances require individual advice. Contact us for a free consultation. Vince Cable, Business Secretary "The march of technology means new opportunities for new and expanding businesses, including those in Bristol. Professor Nishan Canagarajah "The position has changed a lot now and engineering is very buoyant. Certainly in Bristol we are attracting large numbers of students who want to do engineering. 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