Blog

Brand new to Microelectronics UK 2026 — a dedicated space for live technology demonstrations and hands-on workshops, running on Day 1, 29 September at Excel London. Here's everything you need to know.

If you've attended a technology conference before, you'll know the gap between what a company presents on stage and what their technology actually does. The Discovery Stage was built to close that gap. No slide decks. No polished marketing pitches. Just working technology, demonstrated live, by the engineers who built it — and you in the room asking questions.

It's one of the most significant new additions to Microelectronics UK 2026, and it's designed for everyone attending the event — whether you're a chip designer, embedded developer, verification engineer, or a technical leader looking to understand what's possible with today's tools.

What Is the Discovery Stage?

The Discovery Stage is a dedicated area on the show floor at Microelectronics UK 2026, running exclusively on Day 1 — 29 September 2026. It features two formats: live technology demonstrations and hands-on workshops.

Live demos are exactly what they sound like. Companies bring their actual hardware and software to the stage and run it live in front of you. You can ask questions, challenge assumptions, and see for yourself whether the technology holds up under scrutiny — the kind of engagement that simply isn't possible in a standard conference session.

Workshops go a step further. These are small-group, hands-on technical sessions where you work through real problems alongside the engineers who built the tools. You'll leave with practical techniques you can apply the following Monday morning — not just a vague sense that something interesting is happening in the industry.

Both formats are included with every Microelectronics UK ticket — no separate booking, no additional cost.

Confirmed Sessions for Day 1

The full programme for the Discovery Stage is still being confirmed, with a complete day of sessions being built out for 29 September. Here's what's already locked in:

More sessions are being confirmed and will be announced ahead of the event. The full day will span live demonstrations and workshops across RF systems, embedded design, formal verification, open source tooling, and more.

Why You Should Make Time for the Discovery Stage

The best conferences don't just update you on what's happening in your industry — they change how you work when you get back to your desk. The Discovery Stage is designed with that outcome in mind.

When Joey Jimenez from Forefront RF walks through RF design challenges with live hardware on the stage, he's not describing a problem — he's showing you one. When Doulos runs their Intro to Zephyr workshop, you're not watching a demonstration of what Zephyr can do, you're working through it yourself.

That's a fundamentally different kind of learning, and it's the kind that sticks.

There's also the access factor. The engineers and founders running these sessions are the people behind the tools. You can ask the questions that don't make it into documentation — the edge cases, the trade-offs, the "what would you actually do here?" moments that you'd normally only get from a colleague who's been in the trenches with the same technology.

Microelectronics UK 2026 at a Glance

The Discovery Stage is just one part of what makes Microelectronics UK the essential event for the UK electronics industry. Here's a quick overview of what you'll find across the two days:

Alongside the Discovery Stage, Microelectronics UK 2026 features four specialist conference stages — Semiconductors UK, Photonics UK, Embedded Systems UK, and the Startup Stage — covering everything from chip design and supply chain strategy to photonic integration and the next generation of embedded development.

How to Get Access

Registration for Microelectronics UK 2026 is free. Once you have your pass, all Discovery Stage sessions are included — no separate sign-up required. The event runs across 29–30 September 2026 at Excel London.

The full Discovery Stage programme will be updated as sessions are confirmed. Keep an eye on the Microelectronics UK website for announcements, or register now to be first to receive updates by email.