David Milne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alastair David Milne 1942 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Alma mater | Bristol University Heriot-Watt University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Microelectronics |
| Institutions | Wolfson Microelectronics University of Edinburgh |
Alastair David Milne is a Scottish technologist and founder and former CEO of the Wolfson Microelectronics company.
Milne was born in Edinburgh and attended George Watson's College. [1] He pursued higher education in physics, earning a Bachelors from Heriot-Watt University in 1966 and an MSc and then PhD from the University of Bristol in 1968. [1]
In 1970, Milne joined the newly created Wolfson Industrial Liaison Unit at the University of Edinburgh. [1] In 1973 he was promoted to director, renamed the unit as the Wolfson Microelectronics Institute and changed its focus to the design of semiconductor devices. In 1984, he co-founded the spinout company Wolfson Microelectronics which developed audio processing products for consumer electronics made by major manufacturers including Apple Inc and Samsung. The company became the first successful spin-out from a Scottish university and the second to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. [2] Milne served as chief executive officer of Wolfson Microelectronics until 2007 and as non-executive director until 2012.
Milne has been active in the promotion of science and technology. He served as chairman of the Edinburgh International Science Festival [3] between 2007 and 2022, and as trustee and chair of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation. [4]
In recognition of his contributions to technology and business he was awarded an OBE [5] in 1984, Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh [6] in 1991, Fellowship of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in 1992, and Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering [7] in 2002.
He was awarded the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Royal Medal [8] in 2012 and honorary degrees from the University of Bristol [1] and Heriot-Watt University [9] in 2007, and the University of Edinburgh [10] in 2008.
He has received several business awards including Scotland's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003. [11] He was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame in 2024. [2]