Despite having the well-deserved reputation for having the most desk-bound engineers in Europe, Energi-Tech has announced the launch of The Device Developers Conference. Three one-day conferences will take place in Cambridge, Bristol and Manchester in May 2013 and will target the needs of developers of intelligent systems and intelligent devices.

The organisers plant to go beyond hardware, software and development tools, and will also address enclosure design, PCB design and 3D CAD: this wider remit is aimed to create engagement with the entire development team. Whilst the event will be free to attend, there will be a small charge for workshop places.

The UK is a tough market for engineering events, but some companies – including Energi-Tech – have found that staying small and focussed is the key to success. Whilst it might be a challenge to create a small event that covers such a broad range of topics, I hope that the local approach will appeal to potential exhibitors as well as visitors, and look forward to attending The Device Developers Conference next year. In fact my only complaint is the missing apostrophe in the title of the event!