Professor Brian Cox OBE and Andrew Miller MP Join NIDays 2010 Industry Experts Panel

NIDays, hosted by NI, in association with The IET and media partners Electronic Product Design, Electronics Weekly, Electronics Manufacture & Test, The Engineer, Eureka, New Electronics and Professional Engineering, is the annual professional development conference and exhibition for engineers, scientists and educators involved in test, control and design. The panel discussion, entitled The Need for Innovation and Exploration, will task these industry experts with debating the topics of engineering innovation and scientific exploration and discovery, and their role in supporting and driving a thriving economy, as well as giving NIDays delegates the opportunity to pose questions directly to the panel.

Brian Cox OBE, the ‘Rock Star Physicist’, is Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester and one of the leaders on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. He has become a hugely popular TV presenter, author and media advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). Professor Cox will also deliver the keynote address at NIDays 2010, Why We Need Explorers, explaining how curiosity-driven science pays for itself, powering innovation, fostering a profound appreciation of our existence and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.


##IMAGE_6_R##As Member of Parliament for Ellesmere Port and Neston, Andrew Miller represents about 70,000 electors. He is also Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee; Chair of the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee; Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee and a Member of the Liaison Committee. Miller’s particular political interests include Communications and Information Technology; Regional Economy; Science and Technology; the Environment and Industry.


Chris Kirby founded NDT Solutions Ltd in 1997, a high technology spin-out company from Keele University. As Managing Director, he grew NDT into a world leader in portable scanning systems. In 2005, he took a position as a Business Manager at the University of Sheffield, where he was involved in establishing four companies, including the high technology company, Magnomatics. He is currently Managing Director of Magnomatics and is the driving force behind its entry into a number of clean technology and traditional market sectors.


##IMAGE_7_R##John Pullin is an experienced writer and editor with 25 years at the head of market-leading news-driven publications serving engineering, technology and construction markets, including Professional Engineering, Automotive Engineer and The Engineer. His areas of expertise include manufacturing and design technology, computer-based systems, manufacturing management issues, training and education of engineers, energy issues and industrial economics.



As General Manager NI UK, Ireland, France and Portugal, Ajit Gokhale works with regional management teams to drive long-term customer success, revenue growth and profitability through adoption of NI test, measurement and automation platforms. After beginning his NI career as an Applications Engineer in Austin, Texas in 1990, Gokhale’s roles within the company have included Field Engineer, Research & Development, Product Strategy, Director of Product Marketing and NI UK & Ireland Managing Director.