The University of Strathclyde has opened a state-of-the-art engineering laboratory, with hopes that it will allow students to gain practical design, implementation and test experience of techniques required to create combined hardware and software engineering systems.

The NXP Technology Laboratory, part of the Faculty of Engineering and Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, is funded under a three-year collaboration with technology company NXP Semiconductors, a semiconductor manufacturer working across the automotive, industrial, IoT, and communications sectors.

In collaboration with Strathclyde’s third year microcontroller class, NXP will provide every student with their own microcontroller kit for the class and future projects.

Using the kits, students will learn the basics of microcontroller programming and will then undertake a project in areas such as instrumentation, control, consumer electronics, and AI.

Professor Stephen McArthur, associate principal and executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering, said: “At Strathclyde we are very proud of the strong links we have forged with industry and we are delighted to collaborate with NXP for the launch of this new laboratory.

“Strong integration with NXP, who are a global leader in this area, for provision of state-of-the-art hardware for every student, will maximise the learning experience of our engineering students. We believe that this collaboration will enhance the employability of our future graduates and enable them to create the technology of tomorrow.”

The university’s Electronic and Electrical Engineering department, ranked ninth in the UK and first in Scotland by the Times Good University Guide 2024, has previously collaborated with companies such as Rolls Royce, Thales, and AstraZeneca on microsystems work.

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Glasgow is fast becoming a hub for microfabrication and semiconductor development, with a £3 million grant awarded to the University of Glasgow in May to build advanced research facilities for silicon chip integration and packaging, followed by part of an £11.5 million investment by Innovate UK last month to improve and scale-up semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains.

NXP country manager Andy Birnie, said: “We have a long and proud history of employing Strathclyde graduates. This new laboratory will help us to further strengthen our relationship with Strathclyde, as well as foster a large local talent base of tomorrow’s engineers.”