E2v
Encyclopedia
e2v is a leading global provider of technology solutions for high performance systems; delivering solutions, sub-systems and components to advanced systems companies, for specialist applications within medical & science, aerospace & defence and commercial & industrial markets. The company was previously known as EEV
or the English Electric Valve Company, and for a short time Marconi Applied technologies.
group, manufacturing magnetrons for defence radar systems. The company was first registered as a separate company in Chelmsford
, Essex
in 1947 under Serge Aisenstein. Its initial name was the Phoenix Dynamo Co Ltd, though it immediately changed its name to English Electric Valve Company Ltd.
The company quickly became global leaders in vacuum tube technology (electron devices), leading on to imaging and sensing technologies. Specific areas that were developed but either sold or closed as technologies developed include solar cells, sign boards, vacuum capacitors and LED displays. More recently e2v has added semiconductor products and solutions to its portfolio.
Keith Attwood, e2v's CEO joined in 1999. The company was renamed to e2v technologies in 2002 as part of a management buy out supported by 3i following the collapse of the Marconi group. Following further growth under 3i, in 2004 the company floated on the London Stock Exchange.
The company has received 13 Queen's Awards for Technology in its history, most recently in 2006 for low light imaging devices and in 2004 for thyratrons for cancer radiotherapy treatment. Hugh Menown, responsible for developing double-cathode and hollow anode thyratrons, was awarded the MBE in 1982.
Following the stock market flotation e2v made a series of company acquisitions:
In 2005, e2v purchased Gresham Scientific Instruments (now renamed e2v scientific instruments), the Grenoble, France facility from the Atmel Corporation in 2006 (now renamed e2v semiconductors) and MiCs Microchemical systems based in Corcelles Switzerland (now renamed e2v Microsystems) and in October 2008 e2v acquired QP semiconductor, a leading US-based designer and supplier of specialty semiconductor components used in military and aerospace applications, establishing e2v’s first US manufacturing base, which has recently become a part of e2v aerospace and defense inc.
In 2009 e2v’s CCD Imaging Sensors enabled NASA
’s Hubble Telescope to explore our universe with greater capability than ever before as part of an upgrade project. In 2010, The Company announced the establishment of the e2v microwave engineering centre in Lincoln, UK as part of a restructuring that saw the move of operational capabilities to the Chelmsford facility.
e2v’s annual sales are approximately £200 million and they are listed on the London Stock Exchange
and the FTSE
4Good Index. The company employs approximately 1500 people, of whom a third are engineers and scientists. e2v has sales in over 50 countries and operates in 13 Global locations, including 6 production facilities; 3 in England
, 1 in the US, 1 in France
and 1 in Switzerland
. e2v is globally recognised for more than 60 years of commitment and technological breakthroughs in the provision of high reliability solutions, sub-systems and components to the most demanding of professional markets.
e2v continues to be involved in many high-profile programmes, including;
, Lincoln and High Wycombe
), one in Grenoble
, France
, one in Corcelles
, Switzerland
and one in Santa Clara
, US. Over 30% of the staff are engineers or scientists. e2v also has sales, service and technical support offices in the UK, North America
, Germany
, France
, and Hong Kong
, as well as a global network of distributors and resellers:
English Electric Valve Company
The English Electric Valve Company or EEV, is a specialist component and sub-system designer, developer and manufacturer. As e2v it has 6 European and US manufacturing facilities and its HQ in Essex, England....
or the English Electric Valve Company, and for a short time Marconi Applied technologies.
Company Profile
The company began in the early 1940s as a part of the MarconiMarconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
group, manufacturing magnetrons for defence radar systems. The company was first registered as a separate company in Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in 1947 under Serge Aisenstein. Its initial name was the Phoenix Dynamo Co Ltd, though it immediately changed its name to English Electric Valve Company Ltd.
The company quickly became global leaders in vacuum tube technology (electron devices), leading on to imaging and sensing technologies. Specific areas that were developed but either sold or closed as technologies developed include solar cells, sign boards, vacuum capacitors and LED displays. More recently e2v has added semiconductor products and solutions to its portfolio.
Keith Attwood, e2v's CEO joined in 1999. The company was renamed to e2v technologies in 2002 as part of a management buy out supported by 3i following the collapse of the Marconi group. Following further growth under 3i, in 2004 the company floated on the London Stock Exchange.
The company has received 13 Queen's Awards for Technology in its history, most recently in 2006 for low light imaging devices and in 2004 for thyratrons for cancer radiotherapy treatment. Hugh Menown, responsible for developing double-cathode and hollow anode thyratrons, was awarded the MBE in 1982.
Following the stock market flotation e2v made a series of company acquisitions:
In 2005, e2v purchased Gresham Scientific Instruments (now renamed e2v scientific instruments), the Grenoble, France facility from the Atmel Corporation in 2006 (now renamed e2v semiconductors) and MiCs Microchemical systems based in Corcelles Switzerland (now renamed e2v Microsystems) and in October 2008 e2v acquired QP semiconductor, a leading US-based designer and supplier of specialty semiconductor components used in military and aerospace applications, establishing e2v’s first US manufacturing base, which has recently become a part of e2v aerospace and defense inc.
In 2009 e2v’s CCD Imaging Sensors enabled NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
’s Hubble Telescope to explore our universe with greater capability than ever before as part of an upgrade project. In 2010, The Company announced the establishment of the e2v microwave engineering centre in Lincoln, UK as part of a restructuring that saw the move of operational capabilities to the Chelmsford facility.
e2v’s annual sales are approximately £200 million and they are listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and the FTSE
FTSE
FTSE may refer to:* The FTSE Group* Stock market indices published by the FTSE Group, particularly the FTSE 100 Index on the London Stock Exchange* The Fundamental theorem of software engineering...
4Good Index. The company employs approximately 1500 people, of whom a third are engineers and scientists. e2v has sales in over 50 countries and operates in 13 Global locations, including 6 production facilities; 3 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 1 in the US, 1 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and 1 in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. e2v is globally recognised for more than 60 years of commitment and technological breakthroughs in the provision of high reliability solutions, sub-systems and components to the most demanding of professional markets.
e2v continues to be involved in many high-profile programmes, including;
- Airbus A380Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
- European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
Gaia mission to map our galaxy - US Patriot air and missile defence system
- Eurofighter TyphoonEurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
- Hubble space telescopeHubble Space TelescopeThe Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
upgrade project
Global Operations
With its HQ in Chelmsford, Essex, England, e2v has three UK based design, development and manufacturing facilities (ChelmsfordChelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Lincoln and High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
), one in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, one in Corcelles
Corcelles
-Switzerland:* Corcelles, Bern, in the canton of Bern* Corcelles-Cormondrèche, in the canton of Neuchâtel* Corcelles-le-Jorat, in the canton of Vaud* Corcelles-près-Concise, in the canton of Vaud* Corcelles-près-Payerne, in the canton of Vaud...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and one in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
, US. Over 30% of the staff are engineers or scientists. e2v also has sales, service and technical support offices in the UK, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, as well as a global network of distributors and resellers:
Santa Clara US
- Design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in aerospace and defence hi-rel semiconductor solutions
Lincoln UK
- Design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in microwave electronics
Chelmsford UK
(HQ for e2v)- Northern European regional sales office. The largest design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in RF power, high performance imaging and instrument based solutions
High Wycombe UK
- Design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in x-ray spectroscopy
Grenoble France
- Design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in hi-rel semiconductors and high performance imaging solutions
Corcelles Switzerland
- Design, development and manufacturing facility specialising in semiconductor gas sensing
RF power solutions for
- Defence electronic countermeasures
- Radiotherapy cancer treatment machines
- Radar systems
- Stellar satellite communications amplifiers
- Industrial heating & bulk materials processing
- Missile control safety and arming devices
- Digital television transmitters
High performance imaging solutions for programmes requiring CCD & CMOS sensors and cameras for
- Space and earth observation imaging
- Science and life science imaging
- Machine vision
- Ophthalmology
- Dental x-ray systems
Hi-rel semiconductor solutions for aerospace & defence and hi-rel industrial programmes requiring
- Lifecycle management
- Hi-rel microprocessors
- High speed data converters
- High reliability ICs with lifetime continuity of supply (QP Semi product line)
- Assembly & test services
- MRAMs
A range of instrumentation solutions for applications including
- Environmental safety and process control instrumentation incorporating high performance gas sensors
- X-ray spectroscopy
- Fire, rescue and security thermal imaging
Quality
e2v’s operational centres are certified to:- ISO9001:2008
- ISO/TS 16949:2002 (Lincoln and Corcelles automotive products)
- AS9100 (Grenoble aerospace semiconductor products)
- Environmental Management System (EMS)ISO14001:2004 (UK)
- BITC environmental index: Gold rating
- MIL-PRF-38535 custom microcircuit certification (Santa Clara)
- ESCC (European Space Components Coordination) specification standards for European Space Agency (ESA) projects
Timeline
- 1944 – Origins of the company in developing radio frequency sources (magnetrons) for air and land defences.
- 1947 – Trading name of company changes from Phoenix Dynamo Company Ltd to English Electric Valve Company Ltd (EEV)
- 1948 – First Glass Thyratrons developed by EEV
- 1953 – EEV supplies Image Orthicons used in TV broadcast cameras for the coverage of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
- 1960 – First Ceramic Hydrogen Thyratrons introduced for heat-efficient high-voltage switching used in high energy physics.
- 1961 – EEV wins an EMMY awardTechnology & Engineering Emmy AwardA Technology and Engineering Emmy Award is given by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievement in technical or engineering development...
for outstanding contribution to the Broadcast Industry for its Image Orthicons.
- - Launch of Pellistors, First Gas Sensing products for Environmental Safety
- 1962 – EEV recognises the importance of the US market and opens its first office in Buffalo, NY
- 1964 – EEV takes over AEI Valve business in Lincoln
- - EEV and MOV combined when GEC acquired English Electric, birth of the Image Intensifier Group
- - First Queen’s award received for Technological Achievement – Image Isocon (Early low light level TV camera tube)
- 1972 – French Office established in Paris
- - First CCD (Imaging Source) is developed by GEC Hirst Research
- 1973 – First major contract on Panavia TornadoPanavia TornadoThe Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
- 1977 – EEV continues its commitment to the US market, opening an office in Elmsford, NY
- 1981 – 2000 Portable Imaging Camera sold to the US Navy
- 1983 – Full colour large-screen TV (starvision) for outside events
- 1987 – TWT’s (Travelling Wave Tube) and Lincoln Components supplied into the Rapier FSC project
- 1988 – English Electric Valve Co. Ltd formally changes its name to EEV Ltd
- 1991 – First Dental CCD sensors delivered to customers reducing the X-ray dose required by 80%
- - EEV Solar panels launched into space on the STRV 1b mission which tested various spacecraft systems and technologies in harsh radiation environments
- - First EEV IOT powered TV transmitters go on air in the US
- 1992 – EEV supplies CCD into the XMM Newton Space Mission – one of the first cornerstone missions by the European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
- 1994 – Launch of Stellar Satellite Communication Amplifier and next generation Thermal Imaging Camera, ArgusTM for firefighting
- - Company first certified to ISO 9001:1987
- 1997 – Introduction of revolutionary high sensitivity CCD Image Sensor Technology (L3 VisionTM)
- - EEV becomes one of the first companies in the UK to gain ISO14001:1996 certification
- 1998 – Keith Attwood is appointed CEO
- 1999 – EEV becomes a major contributor into the Eurofighter TyphoonEurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
programme
- - EEV changes its name to Marconi Applied Technologies as part of the rebranding of GEC to Marconi
- 2002 – Management buyout led by Keith Attwood, including name change to e2v technologies
- 2003 – e2v expands its sales channels by opening a German Office in Munich
- - e2v acquires automotive security business from Dynex Semiconductors Ltd
- - Two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade for Dental x-ray Sensor and Linac Magnetron
- 2004 – e2v floats on the London stock exchange and becomes a Plc
- - e2v wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its Fast Tune Magnetron
- - Introduction of generation 4 Marine Radar Magnetrons
- 2005 – e2v acquires Gresham Scientific Instruments, renamed e2v scientific instruments, a manufacturer of high-resolution – solid state x-ray detectors and pulse processors
- - e2v initiates presence in China working with the China British Business Council
- - e2v strengthens its links with academia by opening the e2v centre for electronic imaging at Brunel universityBrunel UniversityBrunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
- 2006 – 12th Queen’s award for Enterprise, innovation category for L3 VisionTM CCD sensor Technology
- - e2v semiconductor SAS a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of specialised electronic components and sub-systems in Grenoble, France acquired from Atmel Corporation
- 2007 – e2v celebrates 60 years of bright ideas
- - New Asia Pacific sales and support office in Hong Kong
- 2008 – e2v acquires QP Semiconductor Inc, a leading designer and supplier of specialist semiconductors based in California, US
- 2009 – e2v CCD Imaging Sensors enable NASA’s Hubble Telescope to explore our universe with greater capability than ever before
- 2010 – e2v announces the establishment of e2v microwave engineering centre in Lincoln, UK
- - establishes e2v aerospace and defense inc. to address the US aerospace and defence markets
Major Customers and Partners
- AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
- The University of Nottingham
- SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
- ESA
- Carestream HealthCarestream HealthCarestream Health, formerly Eastman Kodak Company's Health Group, is an independent subsidiary of Onex Corporation, Toronto, Canada. Onex is one of Canada's largest corporations....
- Rockwell CollinsRockwell CollinsRockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
- RaytheonRaytheonRaytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
- TomotherapyTomoTherapyTomotherapy is a type of radiation therapy in which the radiation is delivered slice-by-slice...
- Jaxa
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- Andor TechnologyAndor TechnologyAndor Technology PLC is a developer and manufacturer of high performance light measuring solutions .Andor Technology was set up by its founders, Dr. Hugh Cormican, Dr. Donal Denvir and Mr. Mike Pringle in the mid 1980s...