Sophie Wilson

Birthplace: Leeds, United Kingdom 
Research Fellow, Broadcom 

“The latest inventions and innovations in digital technologies are crucial as they revolutionise the way we live, work and interact. They create new opportunities, enhance efficiency and improve the quality of life for individuals and societies.” [Created by ChatGPT, proof of one of the latest digital developments]. 

Sophie Wilson has designed liquid counting systems, cow-feeders and the Acorn System 1, including its operating system, assembler, MOS and BASIC. She co-designed the BBC Microcomputer with Steve Furber, with whom she later co-designed the ARM processor, which has sold over 200 billion chips to date. She founded Element 14 to develop the Firepath SIMD LIW processor for ADSL, leading its design and SoC designs. Broadcom bought Element 14, and Sophie continues to develop the Firepath processor. She is a Broadcom Fellow and Distinguished Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Society and multiple engineering societies and has received various honorary fellowships. She also has an honorary Doctorate of Science from Cambridge University.