BOLTON Institute Microelectronics Centre - agents for the European Commission's FUSE programme in the North of England - has been asked to extend its activities into Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Richard Fairbank, director of the Bolton Centre, said: "It is a tremendous accolade for us.

"It shows that our success in spreading the FUSE message in our own areas has been recognised by the controllers of the FUSE project in Brussels."

FUSE - it stands for First USEr actions Programme - was initiated in January, 1996 to widen the use of microelectronics in European industry in order to ensure that it remains competitive with other parts of the world.

The programme provides 100 per cent funding to enable companies to improve the electronics content of their products.

As a result of vigorous promotion of the programme the Bolton centre now has 26 company projects either in the pipeline or completed.

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