Alan Rae Named Director of Research by NEMI.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2004

Alan Rae, Cookson Electronics vice president of technology, has been named director of research by the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI), an industry-led consortium focused on strengthening the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Rae will head NEMI's newly organized Research Committee, which was created to stimulate research that will address gaps identified by NEMI's biannual roadmap.

Rae and the committee are responsible for organizing and publishing NEMI research priorities, presenting those priorities to research institutes and funding organizations, identifying funding opportunities, monitoring industry progress toward roadmap goals, and monitoring progress in nanotechnology research.

"Alan has been a valuable and energetic contributor to many of NEMI's activities, and is an excellent choice as our first director of research," said Jim McElroy, executive director and CEO of NEMI. "NEMI has always worked with academic research centers and government funding agencies to identify industry research needs, but we are formalizing, and increasing our focus on, these efforts. The appointment of Alan as director of research and the formation of the Research Committee are the first steps toward this goal. Innovation is becoming more critical than ever to the success of our industry, and NEMI's Board of Directors and Technical Committee recognize that more focus is needed to ensure that there is an ongoing source of research to feed future technology and product innovations. Alan's vision and drive will help us further these efforts."

"As an industry, electronics manufacturers want to avoid being blindsided by new technologies that may emerge," said Rae. "We need to effectively identify and prioritize R&D programs, and then work with the appropriate government agencies, universities and other consortia to ensure the work is properly funded and executed."

In addition to serving as research director, Rae is a member of the NEMI Technical Committee.

Other members of NEMI's Research Committee are Bill Ballard, 3M; D.H.R. Sarma, Delphi Electronics & Safety; Rao Tummala, Georgia Institute of Technology; Frank Robertson, Intel; Carol Handwerker, NIST; and Srinivas Rao, Solectron.

About NEMI

The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up more than 60 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. NEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about NEMI, visit www.nemi.org.

About Cookson Electronics

Cookson Electronics is a leading supplier of high-performance assembly materials, semiconductor packaging and specialty chemicals and coatings used in the electronics assembly and surface finishing industries. Cookson Electronics is a division of Cookson Group plc, a global leader in electronic materials and ceramics.

Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Cookson Group plc is a $3.2 billion multinational company that employs more than 18,000 people in over 35 countries, selling its products and services in over 100 countries. Through three strategic business divisions - Electronics, Ceramics and Precious Metals - Cookson companies provide specialized industrial materials and equipment for the electronics, precious metals and ceramics industries.