UK Microsystems Network

Microsystems are a diverse range of miniaturised devices designed to interact with their surroundings, collect data or perform other tasks. The global microsystems market is estimated to be worth $31.6 billion, which does not include the added value that innovation in microsystems research has contributed to other markets that benefit from its success, such as robotics, healthcare monitoring, automotive safety and much more. However, microsystems research across the UK is in danger of decline. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the community is fragmented, with no central hub in the UK to bring academic and industrial players together. This limits the ability of industry to engage with academia, impeding knowledge transfer and impact, restricting academics from understanding industrial needs and hindering the ability of industry to identify researchers with the needed skills to solve a specific problem. This is exacerbated as microsystems research across the UK is disparate, with many microsystems researchers more likely to align themselves with specific application areas rather than the broader microsystems community. We intend to establish a network to sustain and grow microsystems research across UK industry and academia, whether fundamental or applied and create a focal point around which the community can coalesce and grow. This network will identify the diversity of microsystems research activity across the UK, mapping current UK strengths and weaknesses and highlighting future strategic priorities for microsystems research, which the UK is competitively placed to lead. Secondly, there are perceptions within the community that the complexity of fundamental microsystems research is not appreciated in its own right, with only applied microsystems research being of interest to funding bodies. Greater advocacy is needed for microsystems and how advances in fundamental research will benefit this and other fields. The lack of a unifying voice led by a central hub impedes advocacy and inspiring the next generation of microsystems researchers, both of which are necessary to grow this discipline. The network will also highlight the benefits of microsystems and disseminate microsystems research to the wider academic community, general public and other stakeholders through several activities, such as the website, seminars and workshops. Thirdly, the lack of a central hub has hindered the sharing of expertise and access to facilities. Much microsystems research relies on siloed experts and expensive cleanroom equipment. Failure of this equipment or environment can significantly disrupt research. A central hub through which access to equipment can be facilitated would help mitigate this while ensuring greater financial sustainability for cleanrooms by reducing under-utilisation and providing more effective usage of existing funder investment. Finally, the lack of a central hub has impacted the ability of the community to secure large microsystems research projects, which will support the health of the field and provide outcomes that will benefit other application areas. The network and the underpinning nature of microsystems will lead to new multidisciplinary research proposals contributing to the strength of a diverse range of portfolio areas. Furthermore, greater community cohesion due to the network will facilitate applications for large strategic bids vital to the health of the discipline, such as CDTs. This network will support the delivery of several priorities and cross-cutting themes described by the EPSRC Tomorrows Engineering Challenges report, such as "underpinning tools and techniques" and "strengthen mechanisms to facilitate and fund multidisciplinary research".