EMI Electronics Ltd was formed as a subsidiary to Electric and Musical Industries Ltd in 1955. It was formed to lead the expansion of business in commercial and industrial electronics.

In 1957, the company developed their first computer product, the EMI Electronic Business Machine, and in 1958 developed the first transistorised computer which won them a contract with NRDC.

In 1960, they delivered television cameras to the BBC, Associated-Rediffusion and ABC Television.

Despite some success in the early 1970s after an EMI scientist, Godfrey Hounsfield, developed the first CT scanner, EMI started to decline. Throughout the 1970s, various business activities were sold off to other companies and, in 1979, Thorn Industries took over EMI. Presumably, this subsidiary formed Thorn-EMI Electronics.