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Microelectronics UK 2026 Advisory board Announced
We are delighted to announce the Microelectronics UK 2026 Advisory Board. The Board comprises a group of experts and leaders across industry and technology who will help shape the direction and content of the London event, taking place this year on 29-30 September 2026.
Following on from the success of the inaugural Microelectronics UK event last September in bringing together an engaged and energised community across semiconductors, photonics and embedded systems, this year will look to push forward across themes from design and manufacture to strategy and legislation.
The Advisory Board will help ensure Microelectronics UK 2026 reflects the priorities of the sector and provides key insight across the landscape. Several of the Board were with us last year, while several others spoke at the London event.
Find out more about the Board members below:
Semiconductors
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Chair, UKTIN Semiconductor Expert Working Group
Rupert is a seasoned start-up semiconductor entrepreneur and executive. He has founded a number of technology companies and had three successful exits. He was CEO of UltraSoc (sold to Siemens July 2020), CMO of Codasip, and CEO of QPT.
He is Chair of RANsemi and Forefront RF, and NED at the Compound Semiconductor Catapult.
“It has been striking for many years that the UK has a really strong electronics industry with some amazing talent and industry leaders and yet paradoxically there has not been a dedicated trade show,” said Baines. “I went to Microelectronics UK last year and was blown away by what a good event it was – the quality of the speakers, the buzz, and meeting so many old friends and interesting colleagues.
“I am very much looking forward to the 2026 event, building and growing and tying in with the growing national recognition of how important microelectronics is to the UK.”
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Neil Dickins
Chairman, UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF)
As a co-founder of IC Resources, Neil started the business with the goal of helping individuals (candidates) and companies (clients) to achieve their long-term ambitions within a prosperous and exciting sector. Their hard work and industry commitment has enabled IC Resources to become the recognised recruitment partner to the global technology industry. Neil now has the opportunity to focus on his professional passions, including sponsoring and participating in high profile industry conferences and supporting UKESF.
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CEO, UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF)
Stewart Edmondson has been the CEO of the UK Electronics Skills Foundation since 2015. He has a degree in Electronics and a wide range of engineering and training management experience in both the public and private sectors. He has been a Chartered Engineer for over 20 years and is a Fellow of the IET. As a volunteer, he has chaired their Professional Development Advisory Committee. He is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor of Employability, Professionalism and Ethics at Aston University. He is a member of the UK Government’s Semiconductor Skills Working Group.
“After the success of the inaugural event last year, I’m excited for this year’s,” said Edmondson. “There is so much positivity and energy at the moment about the ‘deep tech’ sector in the UK, Microelectronics 26 will provide a brilliant opportunity to showcase.
“From the UKESF’s perspective, we can see that the focus and investment from HMG is beginning to make a difference tackling the skill challenge and building a future talent pipeline.”
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Russell Haggar
Managing Director, ChipStart UK, Silicon Catalyst
Russell Haggar serves as Managing Director - ChipStart UK at Silicon Catalyst UK. He also co-founded Xsilon and served as its Chief Executive Officer. He is also an Angel Investor. He was previously a Partner at Esprit Capital Partners and Prelude Ventures. Russell has been active in the high-tech commercial industry for well over 20 years, graduating from deep technical roles into commercial and operational leadership activities and including a productive six-year spell as a venture capital principal. Former companies include Element 14, Marconi, Madge Networks, 3Way Networks, Sagentia, XMOS, SiConnect, Prelude Ventures and DFJ Esprit.
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Hazel Hung
Business Development Manager, CSConnected
Hazel obtained her Master’s degree in physics from Imperial College, London and a PhD in non-linear laser optics from the Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton. She has over 15 years’ experience working across industry and academia in the photonics sector in R&D, sales and business development. She played an instrumental role in the growth of Covesion Ltd from start-up to key quantum technologies manufacturer.
Since moving to Wales in 2015, Hazel led business development for the Centre for Photonics Expertise facilitating industry-academic collaborations across South Wales. In 2022 she joined Cardiff University as the Programme Manager for the ‘CSconnected Strength in Places Fund’ project funded by UKRI, working with CS Cluster partners to build on regional strengths in advanced semiconductor materials and manufacturing, driving cluster development and expansion.
As Business Development Manager for CSconnected since July 2024, Hazel continues to support growth for the South Wales Compound Semiconductor Cluster, focusing on supply chain opportunities and harnessing regional, national and global connections.
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Martin McHugh
Chair, Novomorphic
Martin McHugh is a strategic technology leader known for strengthening UK national capability in advanced semiconductor applications. As CEO of the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, he led the organisation through a period of significant growth, expanding its national footprint and deepening its role within the UK’s innovation ecosystem. His leadership was defined by calm authority and a collaborative approach that aligns industry, academia, and government around shared objectives. McHugh's focus has been on whole market thinking, shaping long‑term strategy, and building partnerships that unlock investment and accelerate innovation. He brings a steady, credible presence to complex environments, balancing strategic ambition with operational discipline. His strengths lie in ecosystem building, stakeholder alignment, and guiding organisations through uncertainty, with a leadership style that emphasises clarity, trust, and sustainable impact.
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Andy Sellars
Director of Strategy, Cornerstone
Andy is Director of Strategy for CORNERSTONE, the photonics foundry at the University of Southampton. He leads the Canada-UK Semiconductor Network, he serves on the Government’s Semiconductor Advisory Panel, he chairs the Semiconductor Expert Working Group for UKTIN and he advises the OECD Semiconductor Network.
Andy was the Founder of the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, securing a £54m investment to create a world-leading research and technology organisation.
“Last year’s Microelectronics UK exceeded all expectations, showcasing the UK’s exceptional talent in photonics, semiconductors and embedded systems. The show brought together the entire ecosystem, creating new connections and business opportunities for CORNERSTONE," said Sellars. "I look forward to returning this year, building on last year’s momentum to strengthen partnerships and drive further innovation”.
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Charles Sturman
CEO, Techworks
As the CEO at TechWorks, Charles drives collaboration between industry, academia and government, promoting the Deep Tech sector and helping grow new technology business across the UK. Charles is also a mentor and advisor with several accelerators and incubators. Previously, he held executive roles in GM, product line, go-to-market, business development, corporate strategy, and new business venturing at HiSilicon, u-blox, ARM, Acorn Computers and Motorola and has been instrumental in two successful start-ups. With 30 years of experience in VLSI chip design, embedded systems, IoT, computing and wireless communications (2G, 3G, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) Charles is the author of more than ten papers and books and holds a master’s degree in electronics & information engineering from Southampton University.
Photonics
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Robert Atchison
NGUK Operations Manager, Northrop Grumman
Robert Atchison is the Northrop Grumman UK operations manager and support several high technology space and defence programmes.
A serving reservist in the British Army, Rob also supports planning and provides SME advice in the employment of UK Space Power.
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CEO, Photonics Leadership Group
John is Chief Executive of the UK Photonics Leadership Group supporting the alignment of policy, industry and research strategy in the £15.2bn UK photonics industry. John has over 30 years’ experience in the industry developing products, business and policy impacts. John has run his business development consultancy, Harlin Ltd, since 2006 helping SMEs, universities, VCs and governments to identify growth opportunities and technology impact at company, national and international level. He is SPIE’s Europe Strategy Director, sits on multiple advisory boards, is a non-executive director of Dialight PLC and entrepreneur coach for the European Innovation Council.
“Microelectronics UK uniquely brings together some of the most important enabling technologies of the 21st century," said Lincoln. "Without photonics, semiconductors and embedded systems progress in healthcare, communications, AI, defence indeed every area the economy would all but be impossible.”
“Photonics, semiconductors and embedded systems are all vital technologies driving economic growth, yet they are all interdependent on each other, making Microelectronics UK, which brings them all together under one roof, a vital event in the calendar.”
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Andrew Lord
Senior Manager, Optics & Quantum Research, BT
Andrew joined BT in 1985 after a BA in Physics from Oxford University. He has helped design a wide range of optical network systems and technologies, including long haul subsea and terrestrial DWDM networks He currently leads BT’s optical core and access research including optical access, high speed transmission, and Quantum Communications. He was Technical Program Chair for OFC 2015 and General Chair for OFC 2017; he was TPC Chair of ECOC 2023. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, is Visiting Professor at Es
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Alison McLeod
Director – Photonics Scotland, Technology Scotland
Alison is responsible for the Photonics Scotland network; connecting members with the support they need, fostering cross-collaboration, representing the interests of the network and sector to Government and other stakeholders, as well as planning and running specific events and activities for the Photonics Scotland network and beyond. Alison has over 20 years of experience working in academic, industrial and consultancy roles.
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Shaun Viola
Systems Engineer, MBDA
Dr. Shaun Viola is a systems engineer at MBDA with a history of research and system design in optical communications and imaging technology. He completed his PhD in 2018 at the University of Glasgow before working as a research assistant within the Structured Photonics Research Group in the School of Engineering. After leaving academia to continue his career in the defence industry Shaun has continued working within the disciplines of physics and engineering in the domain of optical technology. His experience and knowledge of simulating Kolmogorov turbulence effects on optical laser emissions has seen him deployed to develop laser directed energy weapon systems and free space optical communication systems with defence industry prime contractors MBDA and Leonardo.
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Hassan Zaidi
Head of Technology for Strategy and Integration, BAE Systems
Dr Hassan Zaidi is a nationally recognised technology leader with over 15 years of cross-sector experience spanning defence, healthcare, and advanced research. As Head of Technology for Strategy and Integration at BAE Systems, he leads innovation across key technologies, shaping future capabilities and advising on national digital priorities. He has served as AI Science Advisor to the UK Ministry of Defence, delivering mission-critical technologies and guiding strategy. His work blends deep technical expertise with high-impact delivery, supported by collaborations with national strategic universities and as a Visiting Researcher at King’s College London.
Embedded Systems
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Vibishna Balagopal
Head of Electronics, Thales UK
Vibishna Balagopal is Head of Electronics at Thales UK, leading a team of over 50 electronics engineers focused on developing cutting-edge optronics systems for defense applications across land, sea, and air domains. Since joining Thales in July 2024, she has introduced process and tools improvements, collaborated with extended teams, championed inclusive leadership practices, and created structured pathways for apprentices, interns, and graduates entering the electronics field.
Prior to Thales, Vibishna served as Vice President of Systems Integration and Hardware at LumiraDx, a global healthcare diagnostics company. During her tenure, she led the engineering function through rapid growth. Her leadership was critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she directed the development of point-of-care diagnostic devices capable of delivering lab-quality results in minutes. She also implemented a structured Hardware Development Lifecycle. Her work supported the company’s acquisition by Roche.
In addition to her engineering and leadership roles, Vibishna is an active advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. She chaired the Women’s Employee Resource Group at LumiraDx and continues her contribution in Thales. She also volunteers in the UK to teach Malayalam, her native language, supporting community engagement and cultural connection. In recognition of her contributions, Vibishna was recently shortlisted in four categories at the 2025 Women Leaders in Electronics Awards.
“I am looking forward to attending Microelectronics UK,” said Balagopal. “The 2025 event stands out as a vital forum for innovators, strategists, and engineers to share ideas that shape the future of microelectronics. With exciting new topics on the agenda, Microelectronics UK promises to be even more impactful this year.”
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Director Engineering EMEA, Eaton
In her more than 24 years of industrial experience, Vibhu has held diverse engineering leadership positions across international conglomerates like Eaton and Honeywell. Her engineering experience includes research & development of products spanning across market segments like aerospace and defence, industrial, data centres, residential and commercial buildings. Vibhu leads the research engineering team responsible for the research & development of new product and sustenance of existing products across the business divisions of electrical Group.
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Senior Director of Engineering, ARM
Krishnapriya C.R is a Senior Director of Engineering at Arm Ltd, UK where she leads the development of several hardware products for Arm, including the cutting-edge AI Systems development. She has a strong track record of establishing and growing new teams to deliver ground up innovative designs on time. Her multi-site 200+ organisation is spread across Manchester, Sheffield, Cambridge, Bristol, Budapest and Bangalore.
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Director, Value Chain Integration, Intel
Florian is the Director of Value Chain Integration at Intel in Munich. He has broad knowledge and experience in semiconductor industries, including design, test, product engineering, technology development, quality and supply chain management. From his time working in this role he has also gained experience in leading global teams and is currently focused on Supply Chain Digitalisation.
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Muarjith Muraleedharan
Director of Portfolio Management & Digitisation Strategy, Honeywell
Murajith is an established portfolio management and offering leader, with over 20 years of experience in the industrial automation and energy domain. He started his career as an engineer designing wheels and brakes for aircrafts, evolved into NPI Program Manager and now a Portfolio Strategy Leader responsible for introduction of innovative offerings in industrial IoT and sustainability space.
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Iain Thomas
Head of Electronics, Rolls-Royce
Iain Thomas currently leads the Electrical and Electronics organisation in Rolls-Royce and is the global skill owner for E&E. He has nearly 30 years’ experience in Rolls-Royce working in the aerospace, defence, marine and nuclear sectors, predominantly on control systems. This includes the design, development, certification and service support of complex systems. Iain is currently leading the organisation as it develops more electrical and hybrid systems, as well as new semiconductor technology in support of future power and computing safety critical requirements.
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Poonam Yadav
Professor and Director of SYSTRON Lab, University of York
Dr. Poonam Yadav is an Associate Professor at the University of York and Principal Investigator of the UKRI-funded REMOTE: Resilient and Secure Multi-Access Interoperable Communication Fabric for TinyEdge. She is also the co-lead of CHEDDAR: Communications Hub for Empowering Distributed Cloud Computing Applications and Research. She specialises in AI-driven network security, distributed systems, and IoT frameworks.