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The LINK scheme for collaborative applied research comprises a number of individual programmes on priority topics. Each programme is jointly funded by industry, commerce and government, has a commitment phase of three to five years and aims to support a number of projects in its own prescribed area. Projects must be a collaboration between industry and the science base, the latter normally being universities. Product development is not eligible for support under LINK, but industrial relevance is essential and the supported research should enable a clear route forward to commercial exploitation. An element of risk is sought in LINK projects, part of the motivation being to encourage longer-term R&D in industrial companies. This paper describes the PEDDS programme (Power Electronic Devices and Derived Systems) which has four main areas of technological focus (discrete power semiconductor devices, electric drive systems, power conversion, conditioning and control, and UPS) and which supports 19 projects. The objectives, achievements and outcomes of each of the projects are briefly outlined.

Glycoproteins expressing the Lutheran blood group antigens were isolated from human erythrocyte membranes and from human fetal liver. Amino acid sequence analyses allowed the design of redundant oligonucleotides that were used to generate a 459-bp, sequence-specific probe by PCR. A cDNA clone of 2400 bp was isolated from a human placental lambda gt 11 library and sequenced, and the deduced amino acid sequence was studied. The predicted mature protein is a type I membrane protein of 597 amino acids with five potential N-glycosylation sites. There are five disulfide-bonded, extracellular, immunoglobulin superfamily domains (two variable-region set and three constant-region set), a single hydrophobic, membrane-spanning domain, and a cytoplasmic domain of 59 residues. The overall structure is similar to that of the human tumor marker MUC 18 and the chicken neural adhesion molecule SC1. The extracellular domains and cytoplasmic domain contain consensus motifs for the binding of integrin and Src homology 3 domains, respectively, suggesting possible receptor and signal-transduction function. Immunostaining of human tissues demonstrated a wide distribution and provided evidence that the glycoprotein is under developmental control in liver and may also be regulated during differentiation in other tissues.

The most prominent UK government support for power electronics research originates from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC). The importance of the power electronics sector in the UK was recognised in 1989 by the establishment of a dedicated LINK programme. This LINK programme is jointly funded by SERC and DTI and is entitled Power Electronic Devices and Derived Systems (PEDDS). A number of important projects have been supported under this programme, some of which are already completed, and further proposals are being considered. The author discusses the motor drives, power supplies, devices and process control applications which have been finded by the LINK PEDDS programme.

Editorial.