Abstract :
The electronics industry has become the index of industrial power for major industrial nations, replacing the symbolic image previously held by steel and electric power. The output of electronics in the United Kingdom, which has risen by 85% since 1961, is likely to expand by a further 70% (over £450 million) to meet demands in the period up to 1970. The electronics industry in the UK is already more than 2¿ times the size of the shipbuilding industry, and only 20% smaller than the cotton industry. This may seem rather surprising, especially in view of the relative youth of the electronics industry, but it does emphasise the growing influence of electronic products on our way of life.
