Welcome back to our second ever ‘Year in Review’. Last year we promised 2019 would be bigger and better, and we have certainly managed to exceed expectations with new products, more webinars, and attending a record number of events. Read on to see a run-down of the best activities from last year…

1. Shameless self-promotion

It wouldn’t be a very good blog recap if I didn’t mention that 2019 was the year that we kicked off our ongoing blog series. Starting in January we have produced exactly 30 blogs ranging from the helpful (such as Tips and Tricks), to the interesting including how to maximise your productivity and be confident in your EDS results, and even one that was out of this world. Did you read them all? If not, there’s no time like the present. Get your reading glasses on and discover all the fascinating microscopy science that you’ve been missing out on all year.

2. 60 years of innovation

Sir Martin Wood and Lady Aubrey Wood founded Oxford University’s first spin-out company in 1959 to manufacture superconducting magnets for research purposes. 60 years later, Oxford Instruments has become a global brand known for being at the cutting edge of scientific innovation with applications ranging from life sciences to additive manufacturing. We celebrated around the world with festivities big and small.

3. Award winning technology

Our Ultim® Extreme detector won the prestigious Queen’s award for Enterprise in Innovation 2019. The detector is the first EDS for SEM to detect Lithium. To present the award, Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher came to our High Wycombe (UK) office. Have a look at what we got up to during the ceremony.

4. Meeting at meetings

Attending and hosting events represents a unique opportunity to speak to you, our customers, and find out more about your research and pain points. Each year we try to ensure that we get to as many events as possible to meet you all, and this year was no exception with Oxford Instruments attending over 80 events worldwide. Have a look at our gallery below, can you find yourself at any of our events?

5. Symmetry everywhere

In 2017 we released the first of its kind. A CMOS-based EBSD detector; Symmetry. Unlike the older generation of CCD-EBSD detectors, Symmetry allows high speeds and sensitivity with no need to compromise. This November we installed our 200^th detector at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China.

Prof. Zhang Guohong (upper left),
Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Fan Lixia (top right)

6. Xplore your sample like never before

This December marked the release of our newest Xplore EDS detector. This detector brings live chemical imaging to the entry-level SEM world. Designed for regular use across a host of applications, this detector allows you to say goodbye to sequential, time consuming, and inconclusive sample investigation.

Learn more about how the Xplore detector is changing the game here.

2021 is too long to wait for your next Oxford Instruments update, join our mailing list now to stay up to date with all of our new releases, application advances and much much more.

Zoe Jackson

Event and Content Marketing Executive