A University of Essex company, UltraSoC Technologies Ltd, has been commended in the prestigious 2006 Research Councils' Business Plan Competition.

The company, which develops cutting-edge technology to combat software and hardware bugs, was one of seven finalists. It was up against stiff competition from companies set up by other UK universities, including Oxford, Warwick and Imperial College London but succeeded in securing a £10,000 runner-up prize.

Founded collaboratively in 2005 with the University of Kent, UltraSoC has developed patented technology that makes it easier to find and mend faults, or 'bugs' in embedded computer systems. The company's aim is to make it easier to see what is going on inside microchips, where faults can be hard to detect, enabling designers of embedded systems to speed up diagnosis and correction. Furthermore, with increased system visibility, designers can optimise their products to make them perform faster and safer.

The technology has important commercial benefits for developers and manufacturers, as well as increased end-customer satisfaction and potentially lower retail prices.

UltraSoC's Chief Technical Officer and Reader in the Department of Computer Science, Dr Klaus McDonald-Maier said: 'We believe our debug support strategy for next-generation system-on-chip technology will have enormous benefits in lowering manufacturing costs and improving safety in a wide range of computer and semiconductor applications. Being so highly placed in this extremely competitive event demonstrates that others share that vision.'

Dr James Callaghan of the Research and Business Development Office added: 'The fact that UltraSoC has scored so highly is testament to the strength not only of the world-leading research that underpins the company but also the depth and viability of the business. The University is working closely with the company to take it to the next level of commercial success.'