JANUARY 14, 2009--The Open University (Milton Keynes, UK; www3.open.ac.uk) and e2v (Chelmsford, UK; www.e2v.com), a developer and manufacturer of specialized components and subsystems, have announced a collaboration to open the e2v Centre for Electronic Imaging (CEI) at The Open University's Milton Keynes campus.
The center will be dedicated to the research and development of advanced technologies for electronic image sensing and stimulate knowledge exchange between the UK technology industry and the academic world.
The Open University and e2v are expected to invest GBP3 million over five years in new research activity through the e2v CEI.
e2v designs and supplies image sensors to organizations such as NASA (e.g., for the 2009 upgrade of the Hubble Space Telescope); The Open University's Planetary and Space Science Department (PSSRI) develops instrumentation for space science (e.g., led the Beagle-2 lander and led group for the Surface Science package on ESA's Huygens probe). CEI will focus on the development of technology opportunities in space and terrestrial imaging, with plans to extend to the scope to health and environmental applications.
Andrew Holland, professor of electro-optics with The Open University, says the collaboration will provide long-term benefits to science, training, and the creation of intellectual property. "Both academic research and the development of industrial technology require highly skilled researchers with a thorough understanding of the needs of industry. The e2v Centre for Electronic Imaging will provide an avenue for doctoral students and research staff to explore routes to industrial advancements for business sustainability, and technological breakthroughs in science and medicine," Holland says.
Trevor Cross, CTO at e2v, says, "We are very excited about this collaboration with The Open University. This new phase in the development of the e2v CEI, originally located at Brunel University, will see it take a significant step forward in supporting research to benefit knowledge exchange and industry advancement."
