Meet the experts: Claire Bate Technical Focus Person

Assessment Manager Claire Bate is UKAS’s Technical Focus Person for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). As we approach International Women’s Day in March, we find out more about Claire’s technical background, her passion for encouraging people into this exciting sector, and her involvement with the Women’s Engineering Society.

Claire joined the ECAP (Engineering, Construction and Physics) Section as an Assessment Manager 15 years ago after working in a UKAS-accredited laboratory specialising in EMC testing across a wide range of industries from automotive and aerospace to military radar systems and telecoms.

“It was interesting to move to the other side of accreditation after working in an EMC testing laboratory since leaving university, although I did miss some of the hands- on work. It’s been really insightful working with different and complex customers, seeing how they interpret the standards and how we assess this.

My work as an Assessment Manager also gives me an oversight of the EMC industry, which is moving at a rapid pace with new developments in wireless communication systems and the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to -machine communications.

I also try to follow developments in related areas such as broadcast, telecommunications and radio testing as these tend to follow the same advances in technology and are often covered by labs involved with EMC testing.”

As well as being as Assessment Manager, Claire is the Technical Focus Person (TFP) for EMC and works closely with ECAP colleagues involved in this area.

“I sit on the British Standards Institution (BSI) committee for EMC standards to keep up-to-date with regulations and the requirements of standards to ensure these provide suitable support for the requirements of accreditation to ISO 17025. I keep all colleagues and technical assessors updated on key developments and ensure that training for our Technical Competence Criteria (TCC) remains relevant.

I appreciate having colleagues at UKAS working in the same niche area as we are able to bounce ideas off each other and get a second opinion when needed. We also work with colleagues from the Corporate, Certification and Verification (CCV) team when technical assessments overlap with EMC.”

Claire is a big advocate for encouraging more young people, particularly females, to pursue a career in engineering and welcomes the introduction of engineering apprenticeships.

She says: “There is such a wide range of disciplines on offer within engineering – from household electronics, aerospace and IT through to the design of large-scale projects such as satellites, even amusement park rides – and we need to share the message that engineering is not just about oil and spanners and there is something for everyone.”

As a member of the Women’s Engineering Society, Claire regularly attends events and shares posts on social media to showcase the diversity of roles in engineering and the positive influence that females have in the engineering and design of essential items such as PPE (personal protective equipment).

Says Claire: “Engineering is still a male-dominated field, but I have always felt accepted; although in the early days of my career I did find it daunting to enter a room full of male colleagues.”

As a child Claire loved tinkering with gadgets and taking them apart; this has continued into adulthood as she and her husband, who has also worked in EMC and compliance engineering, have a large collection of HiFi equipment.

“I always enjoyed the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects at school and was lucky that I had female role models working in STEM growing up. Science and engineering is strong in my family and my mum was a scientist working in the field of security inks and printing.”

Claire went on to study Radio Frequency? and communications at King’s College London at the time when the mobile phone industry was really taking off.

Says Claire: “Many of my friends went on to work for mobile phone companies, but I was drawn to the study of how signals interface with, and can interfere with, electronics. This led me down the EMC road and I’ve never looked back.”

In her spare time Claire enjoys driving her classic Fiat 500, going to car shows when time allows, and looking after her two Maine Coon cats. She also has a passion for baking and volunteers for a charity in Reading that makes themed decorated birthday cakes for children who would not otherwise have one.