Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Civil service employees in science research say decline in government-funded science affects whole economy, according to a survey by the Prospect union.

The survey found that 81% of civil servants, three-quarters of those in other public bodies, and 45% of those in the private sector stated that “cuts in public funding have affected R&D across the economy over the last five years”.

All sectors have experienced significant staff reductions, according to the survey of union members working in science, engineering and technology.

Over half of respondents considered that the expertise within their own organisation had declined in the last five years – including 60% in the civil service (compared to 41% in 1999) and 49% employed in the private sector and other public bodies.

“Our research provides a stark illustration of the decline in publicly funded science,” said Sue Ferns, Prospect deputy general secretary.

The decline has accelerated with the spending cuts experienced in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Overall, respondents were pessimistic about career prospects in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with 47% believing they do not have further opportunities to progress.

Ferns said successive governments had paid lip service to the importance of investing in R&D to put the economy on a sustainable footing. “Our survey shows that they have so far failed to deliver.”

She added: “Twice as many civil servants are now telling us their work is commercially confidential compared to 15 years ago. The government must ensure that the rise of commercial contracts does not undermine the independent, quality advice that is the bedrock of good decision-making.”

More than 50% of civil service members employed in research and development say half or more of their work is now commercially confidential.

The survey also found that 14% of respondents reported that they had been asked to tailor research conclusions to suit a customer’s preferred outcome, including 19% from the civil service.

Download a PDF of the June 2015 survey results.

Richard Wilson

Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Survey highlights serious cuts in government-funded science R&D

Civil service employees in science research say decline in government-funded science affects whole economy, according to a survey by the Prospect union.

The survey found that 81% of civil servants, three-quarters of those in other public bodies, and 45% of those in the private sector stated that “cuts in public funding have affected R&D across the economy over the last five years”.

All sectors have experienced significant staff reductions, according to the survey of union members working in science, engineering and technology.

Over half of respondents considered that the expertise within their own organisation had declined in the last five years – including 60% in the civil service (compared to 41% in 1999) and 49% employed in the private sector and other public bodies.

“Our research provides a stark illustration of the decline in publicly funded science,” said Sue Ferns, Prospect deputy general secretary.

The decline has accelerated with the spending cuts experienced in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Overall, respondents were pessimistic about career prospects in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with 47% believing they do not have further opportunities to progress.

Ferns said successive governments had paid lip service to the importance of investing in R&D to put the economy on a sustainable footing. “Our survey shows that they have so far failed to deliver.”

She added: “Twice as many civil servants are now telling us their work is commercially confidential compared to 15 years ago. The government must ensure that the rise of commercial contracts does not undermine the independent, quality advice that is the bedrock of good decision-making.”

More than 50% of civil service members employed in research and development say half or more of their work is now commercially confidential.

The survey also found that 14% of respondents reported that they had been asked to tailor research conclusions to suit a customer’s preferred outcome, including 19% from the civil service.

Download a PDF of the June 2015 survey results.

Richard Wilson

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables for testing millimetre-wave systems for 5G research are available from China-based laboratory device company Nanjing Arance Electronics through its UK representative, Aspen Electronics.

The low-loss precision test cables are designed for good VSWR and phase/flexure stability up to 67GHz. They are suitable to be used in 5G research labs with high frequency microwave vector network analysers.

Research work in the UK and across Europe into the next generation mobile phone standard is now focusing on the use of millimetre wave radio transmission at very high 30-300GHz frequencies.

If implemented, this will represent the biggest technology change for a mobile generation since the switch from analogue to digital GSM technology more than a decade ago.

For researchers in the UK, France and Germany everything is up for grabs. The standards work for the radio access network (RAN) has yet to begin.

The first discussions on potential global standards will start next month at a 3GPP standards meeting in Arizona.

The 67GHz cables, according to the supplier, have been designed for test equipment applications where test ports will be continually mated and re-mated allowing a high number of mating cycles without any damage to the equipment device interface.

“The reinforced sheath test cables exhibit torque and crush resistance with the outer jacket having a multilayer armour and a compression resistance greater than 920kgf/cm,” said Aspen.

They are available as sets containing two cables with 60 cm standard length each and can be operated at 0℃ to +40℃.

Richard Wilson

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables designed for 5G research

Precision cables for testing millimetre-wave systems for 5G research are available from China-based laboratory device company Nanjing Arance Electronics through its UK representative, Aspen Electronics.

The low-loss precision test cables are designed for good VSWR and phase/flexure stability up to 67GHz. They are suitable to be used in 5G research labs with high frequency microwave vector network analysers.

Research work in the UK and across Europe into the next generation mobile phone standard is now focusing on the use of millimetre wave radio transmission at very high 30-300GHz frequencies.

If implemented, this will represent the biggest technology change for a mobile generation since the switch from analogue to digital GSM technology more than a decade ago.

For researchers in the UK, France and Germany everything is up for grabs. The standards work for the radio access network (RAN) has yet to begin.

The first discussions on potential global standards will start next month at a 3GPP standards meeting in Arizona.

The 67GHz cables, according to the supplier, have been designed for test equipment applications where test ports will be continually mated and re-mated allowing a high number of mating cycles without any damage to the equipment device interface.

“The reinforced sheath test cables exhibit torque and crush resistance with the outer jacket having a multilayer armour and a compression resistance greater than 920kgf/cm,” said Aspen.

They are available as sets containing two cables with 60 cm standard length each and can be operated at 0℃ to +40℃.

Richard Wilson

AVX moves into implantable capacitors

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

Delivering extremely tight capacitive tolerances, repeatable performance, low ESR and high Q at high frequencies – including VHF, UHF, and RF bands – AVX’s Accu-P MP Series capacitors are stable with respect to temperature, time, frequency, and voltage variation.

They are based on thin film technology and materials, and subjected to on-line process control procedures, in addition to accelerated life, damp, and heat testing and final quality inspections for capacitance, proof voltage, IR and breakdown voltage distribution, temperature coefficient, solderability, and dimensional, mechanical, and temperature stability.

The capacitors are for use in medical RF signal and power applications that require high accuracy, such as embedded medical systems and implantable medical devices.

Accu-P MP Series medical grade capacitors are currently available in three standard case sizes (0201, 0402, and 0603), five rated voltages (10V, 16V, 25V, 50V, and 100V), two dielectric temperature coefficients (0±30ppm/°C and 0±60ppm/°C), and with capacitive tolerances spanning ±0.01pF to ±5%.

Rated for use in operating temperatures spanning -55°C to +125°C, the series is also available with tin/lead (Sn/Pb) terminations or RoHS compliant and lead-free compatible 100% tin terminations.

Designed for soldering onto flexible or alumina circuit boards, Accu-P MP Series capacitors can withstand the time and temperature profiles used in both wave and reflow soldering methods. Shipped in bulk or on 7-inch or 13-inch reels, the components should be handled with plastic-tipped tweezers, vacuum pick-ups, and other pick-and-place machinery.

Lead time for the series is nine weeks for production quantities.

david manners

AVX moves into implantable capacitors

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

AVX has brought out thin film chip capacitors for implantable medical devices.

Delivering extremely tight capacitive tolerances, repeatable performance, low ESR and high Q at high frequencies – including VHF, UHF, and RF bands – AVX’s Accu-P MP Series capacitors are stable with respect to temperature, time, frequency, and voltage variation.

They are based on thin film technology and materials, and subjected to on-line process control procedures, in addition to accelerated life, damp, and heat testing and final quality inspections for capacitance, proof voltage, IR and breakdown voltage distribution, temperature coefficient, solderability, and dimensional, mechanical, and temperature stability.

The capacitors are for use in medical RF signal and power applications that require high accuracy, such as embedded medical systems and implantable medical devices.

Accu-P MP Series medical grade capacitors are currently available in three standard case sizes (0201, 0402, and 0603), five rated voltages (10V, 16V, 25V, 50V, and 100V), two dielectric temperature coefficients (0±30ppm/°C and 0±60ppm/°C), and with capacitive tolerances spanning ±0.01pF to ±5%.

Rated for use in operating temperatures spanning -55°C to +125°C, the series is also available with tin/lead (Sn/Pb) terminations or RoHS compliant and lead-free compatible 100% tin terminations.

Designed for soldering onto flexible or alumina circuit boards, Accu-P MP Series capacitors can withstand the time and temperature profiles used in both wave and reflow soldering methods. Shipped in bulk or on 7-inch or 13-inch reels, the components should be handled with plastic-tipped tweezers, vacuum pick-ups, and other pick-and-place machinery.

Lead time for the series is nine weeks for production quantities.

david manners

AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

Radeon R9 Nano - AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

Radeon R9 Nano – AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

AMD has announced a PC graphics card for 4K resolution displays which it has squeezed into the small Mini ITX card format.

It is a 6-inch air-cooled board which AMD expects to be used in a new type of small format gaming PCs.

The Radeon R9 Nano graphics card is based on the graphics chip codenamed “Fiji”.

This chip is already used in the Radeon R9 Fury and R9 Fury X graphics cards.

This is a 8.19 TFLOPS GPU fabbed on a 28nm process and running at 1GHz. It will process 64 gigapixels a second with a 512Gbyte/s memory bandwidth.

The $649 card will have power consumption of 175W.

“This graphics card is enabling 4K class gaming in your living room in an exceptionally quiet, ultra-small design built to excel in today’s games and on the latest APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan,” said Matt Skynner, general manager, computing and graphics business at AMD.

“Our Radeon graphics line-up is ushering in a new era of PC gaming delivering remarkable performance, unmatched GPU designs and groundbreaking technologies. Today is a revolutionary moment for PC gaming, and we are proud to add this distinct product to our well-rounded AMD Radeon R9 graphics lineup.”

The AMD Radeon R9 Nano graphics card will be priced at $649 and is planned to be available in stores the week of September 7, 2015, says AMD.

Richard Wilson

AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

Radeon R9 Nano - AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

Radeon R9 Nano – AMD puts 4K gaming graphics into 6-inch Mini ITX card

AMD has announced a PC graphics card for 4K resolution displays which it has squeezed into the small Mini ITX card format.

It is a 6-inch air-cooled board which AMD expects to be used in a new type of small format gaming PCs.

The Radeon R9 Nano graphics card is based on the graphics chip codenamed “Fiji”.

This chip is already used in the Radeon R9 Fury and R9 Fury X graphics cards.

This is a 8.19 TFLOPS GPU fabbed on a 28nm process and running at 1GHz. It will process 64 gigapixels a second with a 512Gbyte/s memory bandwidth.

The $649 card will have power consumption of 175W.

“This graphics card is enabling 4K class gaming in your living room in an exceptionally quiet, ultra-small design built to excel in today’s games and on the latest APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan,” said Matt Skynner, general manager, computing and graphics business at AMD.

“Our Radeon graphics line-up is ushering in a new era of PC gaming delivering remarkable performance, unmatched GPU designs and groundbreaking technologies. Today is a revolutionary moment for PC gaming, and we are proud to add this distinct product to our well-rounded AMD Radeon R9 graphics lineup.”

The AMD Radeon R9 Nano graphics card will be priced at $649 and is planned to be available in stores the week of September 7, 2015, says AMD.

Richard Wilson

Robust growth for server revenues

Google-Server-farm

Google server farm

Q2 server shipments grew 8% year-on-year, while revenue increased 7.2% from Q1 2014, says Gartner.

“X86 server shipments increased 8.3% in the second quarter of 2015 and revenue grew 9%,” says Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice-president at Gartner. “RISC/Itanium Unix server shipments declined 18.7% globally for the period, while RISC/Itanium revenue declined 9.7% compared with the same quarter last year. The ‘other’ CPU category, which is primarily mainframes, showed an increase of 7.8%.”

Regionally, the US grew most with a 14.8% increase. The region also posted the highest vendor revenue growth at 14.7% for the period.

HP maintained its No.1 ranking in the worldwide server market based on revenue with a 25.2% market share.

Lenovo had the largest increase in Q2 with 526.5% growth in revenue.

All of the top five global vendors had revenue increases for the second quarter of 2015 except IBM.

The top five Q2 2015 vendors in terms of revenue were with their % market share were:

  • HP 3,428,089,692 – 25.2%
  • Dell 2,361,553,746. – 17.4%
  • IBM. 1,869,261,145. – 13.7%
  • Lenovo. 949,775,89 – 7.0%
  • Cisco 866,700,000. – 6.4%
  • Others. 4,133,875,723. 30.4

The leaders in In terms of unit shipments with their market share were:

  • HP. 583,790. 21.7%
  • Dell. 485,745. 18.0%
  • Lenovo. 222,206. 8.3%
  • Huawei. 122,565. 4.6%
  • Cisco. 82,473. 3.1%
  • Others. 1,194,464. 44.4%
  • Total Market. 2,691,244

david manners

Robust growth for server revenues

Google-Server-farm

Google server farm

Q2 server shipments grew 8% year-on-year, while revenue increased 7.2% from Q1 2014, says Gartner.

“X86 server shipments increased 8.3% in the second quarter of 2015 and revenue grew 9%,” says Jeffrey Hewitt, research vice-president at Gartner. “RISC/Itanium Unix server shipments declined 18.7% globally for the period, while RISC/Itanium revenue declined 9.7% compared with the same quarter last year. The ‘other’ CPU category, which is primarily mainframes, showed an increase of 7.8%.”

Regionally, the US grew most with a 14.8% increase. The region also posted the highest vendor revenue growth at 14.7% for the period.

HP maintained its No.1 ranking in the worldwide server market based on revenue with a 25.2% market share.

Lenovo had the largest increase in Q2 with 526.5% growth in revenue.

All of the top five global vendors had revenue increases for the second quarter of 2015 except IBM.

The top five Q2 2015 vendors in terms of revenue were with their % market share were:

  • HP 3,428,089,692 – 25.2%
  • Dell 2,361,553,746. – 17.4%
  • IBM. 1,869,261,145. – 13.7%
  • Lenovo. 949,775,89 – 7.0%
  • Cisco 866,700,000. – 6.4%
  • Others. 4,133,875,723. 30.4

The leaders in In terms of unit shipments with their market share were:

  • HP. 583,790. 21.7%
  • Dell. 485,745. 18.0%
  • Lenovo. 222,206. 8.3%
  • Huawei. 122,565. 4.6%
  • Cisco. 82,473. 3.1%
  • Others. 1,194,464. 44.4%
  • Total Market. 2,691,244

david manners