Nordic Semiconductor celebrates 10 years of its ultra-low-power wireless technology at the heart of the BBC micro:bit, the pocket-sized educational development board that has helped an estimated 73.5 million young people in more than 85 countries learn coding and digital creativity, according to the Micro:bit Educational Foundation.
The milestone follows the Foundation’s call for industry and education to work together so that children can understand, question, and create with technology. When launched back in in 2016, up to one million micro:bit boards powered by Nordic wireless technology were distributed to school children across the UK through the BBC Make it Digital campaign. Today, it has become one of the world’s most widely used tools for introducing young people to programming, electronics, and digital creativity. The Foundation aims to reach 100 million young people by 2028.
“Nordic Semiconductor has been with us from the very beginning. In 2016, they supplied a million components for the original BBC micro:bit, which was given to every Year 7 student across the UK,” says Gareth Stockdale, CEO of Micro:bit Educational Foundation. “That was an extraordinary commitment to a new idea, and it helped put a real computer into the hands of a whole generation of young people.”
The original board was built around the Nordic nRF51822 Bluetooth Low Energy SoC, while the current micro:bit v2 uses the nRF52833 multiprotocol SoC, providing Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity and ultra-low-power Edge AI capabilities. This means students are learning on proven low-power wireless technology from the same family used by professional engineers in connected products across consumer, industrial, and healthcare applications. For many developers, the micro:bit is the first step on a path from the classroom to professional wireless development.
“Nordic has remained one of our longest-standing and most active partners, with their technology at the heart of every micro:bit,” continues Stockdale. “We’re very grateful for their generosity and their belief in what we do. As we look to the next decade, we’re excited to keep working together to help even more children discover what they can create with technology.”
“The micro:bit has shown what happens when technology is made accessible, practical, and fun. Interest in technology is often decided early, long before anyone chooses a subject or a career,” said Vegard Wollan, CEO of Nordic Semiconductor. “We want children to discover what they can build, and to see technology and electronics as a real option for their education. Many of tomorrow’s developers will first encounter wireless technology in the classroom with the micro:bit. We will keep supporting that, through our technology and through collaboration with the schools and communities closest to us.”
Nordic’s commitment to educating young minds continues this month, closer to home. On 15th October, Nordic will join Electronic Coast at the Horten Tech Festival in Norway, where local school pupils and university students can meet Nordic’s technology experts and pitch ideas for what they would like to build with micro:bit. Nordic will demonstrate BBC micro:bits alongside a selection of its wider wireless IoT technologies. The aim is to make Nordic visible and accessible to young people, including those considering careers in engineering and technology, while strengthening the company’s presence in one of Norway’s important electronics communities.
By combining classroom-friendly hardware with industrial-grade wireless technology, the micro:bit has helped close the gap between education and engineering practice. For Nordic, the program is a natural extension of its broader mission: to provide the complete wireless solution for designing, deploying, and maintaining the world’s IoT devices securely, reliably, and sustainably.
