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The need for a national body to serve the interests
of the scientists and engineers engaged in expan-
ding the field of vacuum science and technology
in the UK became apparent in 1959. Because of
the inter-disciplinary nature of the subject no single
Professional Institution could be expected to give
a complete service to all vacuum workers. Accor-
dingly discussions took place between represen­
tatives of nine Institutions culminating in a meeting in
June 1959 at which it was agreed not to recommend
the formation of a new autonomous vacuum
society but, instead, to set up a joint committee
composed of representatives of the participating
Institutions. It was further agreed that the Institute
of Physics would provide a permanent secretariat
for the Committee, which would be paid for
from a small annual subscription levied on each
participating Institution. The JBCVST held its
first meeting in October 1959 at which Dr. R. W.
Sillars (representative of the Institute of Physics)
was elected as the first Chairman with Dr. H. R.
Lang (Secretary of the Institute of Physics) being
appointed Secretary.
Further examination of the role of the JBCVST
after several years’ operation led to the conclusion
that it should continue but with the formulation of
a proper Constitution to regularise its existence.
As part of this reform the title was changed on
10 April 1969 to The British Vacuum Council.
On 18thNovember 1985, it was accepted by the
UK Charity Commissioners, giving the BVC
charitable status (Reg No: 292999).
Of the founding members of the BVC, only the
Institute of Physics remains. As membership
of the BVC is open to other UK societies and
associations having an interest in the field of
vacuum science and technology, groups such
as the RGA Users’ Group, Vacuum Symposium,
UKSAF and SSBII developed links with the Council
with UKSAF becoming a full member in 2012.
The aims and objects of the BVC are to promote
and advance the understanding and teaching of
vacuum science, technology and its applications
by:
• co-ordinating and promoting conferences,
seminars and courses and publications in
these fields,
• encouraging excellence amongst postgraduate
and other young research workers in these
fields, and representing the UK on the
International Union for Vacuum Science,
Technique and Applications.
The BVC is a founder member of IUVSTA and
has been actively involved with the IUVSTA since
its formation. The BVC hosted the 4thIUVSTA
IVC in Manchester in 1968, the 14thIVC in
Birmingham in 1998 and was a part of the
European Consortium that organised IVC19 in
Paris in 2013. BVC has also hosted 13 ECM’s.
Professor J. Yarwood helped draft the resolution
establishing the IOVST which later became
IUVSTA. He served as Councillor and was for
many years Recording Secretary of the IUVSTA
The British Vacuum Council (BVC), which came into existence in 1959 under its original name
Joint British Committee for Vacuum Science andTechnology (JBCVST), is the body which was
established by a number of professional, scientific and technological institutions (Institute
of Metals, Institution of Electrical Engineers, Institute of Physics, the Faraday Division of
the Royal Society of Chemistry) to co-ordinate meetings and similar activities of members
interested in vacuum in the several Institutions. It is moreover, the British national vacuum
body affiliated to the International Union for Vacuum Science,Technique and Applications and
the official channel through which vacuum workers in the United Kingdom can collaborate
with their colleagues overseas.
THE BRITISH VACUUM COUNCIL (BVC)
John S. Colligon
Updated: R.J. Reid, December 2011, D. E. Sykes December 2017