Electronic device reliability is discussed at the small enterprise seminar

Today, on December 11, small enterprise entrepreneurs gather at UT Tartu Observatory to gain advice about electronic device development from experts. On Thursday, December 13, the seminar takes place in Tallinn.

UT Tartu Observatory is the leader of the innovation support network TEST-4-SME in the Baltic Sea region. The aim of the network is to provide testing and consultation for electronics small and medium-sized enterprises during early product development. „In our daily work, we often encounter small enterprises who are looking for solutions for the problems that have come up in the development phase,“ said Tiia Lillemaa, project manager of Tartu Observatory. „We have noticed that many of those obstacles could have been avoided if advice about good engineering practices had been given and electronics development basics had been revised beforehand.“

At the seminar, experts share their knowledge and encourage entrepreneurs to turn to the TEST-4-SME test laboratories for help. In Estonia, the laboratories of Tartu Observatory are part of the network. Entrepreneurs can get consultations and test their product or parts of it. „At the seminar, examples from life are given about what could go wrong in electronics development and how to come out of those situations; how to check the reliability of the product with simple tools and where to get help when your own knowledge runs out,“ Lillemaa said.

The observatory organizes the seminar in co-operation with the electronics company Rohde & Schwarz. Rohde & Schwarz is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of test and measurement, communications and broadcasting equipment. The first seminar co-organized with Rohde & Schwarz took place a few years ago at the observatory. Back then, the topic of the event was electromagnetic compatibility. „Entrepreneurs were widely interested and so we are continuing the good practice with this year’s training day,“ said Lillemaa.

At the seminar, Rohde & Schwarz will be represented by Kenneth Rasmussen, an electronics engineer with great experience in the field. Rasmussen trains engineers among others in the telecommunication enterprise Ericsson. Also performing at the seminar is the Leading Engineer of UT Tartu Observatory Viljo Allik. He has been consulting Estonian researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs in electromagnetic compatibility and other electronics related issues for over ten years. Allik was also one of the supervisors of the ESTCube-1 team and is advising the current ESTCube students as well. The Quality Manager of the Estonian Accreditation Centre Viktor Krutob will give an overview of the conformity assessment as well as the sertification topic, both important to an entrepreneur.

See the programme for the seminar in Tõravere or the seminar in Tallinn.

TEST-4-SME is an Interreg Baltic Sea Region (BSR) project that aims to initiate an innovation support network in the BSR to provide testing and consultation for electronics small and medium-sized enterprises on how to demonstrate conformity with international standards during early product development phases.

In total, seven different TEST-4-SME network training days are held this year. The same type of seminars were held in Lithuania, Finland, Latvia and Germany. For example, solar panels and product development was discussed in Lithuania and laboratory services introduced in Finland.