Bristol’s role as a centre for innovation in microchip design and the pioneering work of David May, the University of Bristol’s Professor of Computer Science, are recognised in the latest edition of The Economist.
The authoritative magazine looks at how the city has emerged as a hub for the industry since the arrival of the State-owned Inmos in the 1970s, creating a Silicon Valley for the UK – often dubbed Silicon Gorge.
It highlights the legacy of Inmos in paving the way for businesses such as Icera and Xmos, the business co-founded by Prof May which started in 2005 as a University of Bristol undergraduate computer science project and now employs 50 people, developing microchips that can be easily programmed by makers of niche goods such as audio equipment, musical instruments and fitness monitors.
