CYRIL SILVER

Cyril Silver studied physics at Cardiff University during World War II and then spent many years in defence research and in the administration of research mostly in the field of the application of electronic systems in military applications.

In 1966 he was appointed to a diplomatic post with the UK Delegation to NATO where he specialised in International, especially European, co-operation in military R&D.

On return to the UK, he was appointed to head the European desk of the UK Ministry of Technology. In this post, he continued to work in the field of European co-operation in research and provided support at the technical level for the team negotiating the entry of the UK into the European Community. He represented the UK on many international committees, including those in Brussels concerned with the beginnings of, and then the implementation of, the first Common Policy on Science and Technology. As UK representative on OECD's Science and Technology Committee, he was the chairman of an important high level group on R&D statistics.

He then joined the services of the European Commission where his particular task was to initiate new research programmes which would have an industrial impact. He was therefore involved heavily in the early days of the ESPRIT programme and developed and later managed the original BRITE (Basic Research in Industrial Technologies) programme.

On retiring from the Commission, he set up a consultancy service which, over the years, has advised many companies and research organisations on their proposals to the Commission for grants for R&D projects.

In appreciation for his services, he was honoured by the then President of the Commission, President Delors, with the title of Honorary Director at the European Commission.