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A new UKRI-funded £29.92 million Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, due for completion in 2022 at Swansea University's Bay Innovation Campus.
The UK Government has announced the first wave of funding through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund in which a major £43.74M project with South Wales’ compound semiconductor cluster has been approved and will be supported by £25.44M funding from Strength in Places.
The project “CSConnected”, which includes Swansea University, is based around integrating research excellence with the unique regional supply chains in advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Compound semiconductors are critical components across a wide range of new technologies and the primary aim of the CSconnected project is to develop a competitive advantage in key enabling technologies which will allow the UK to increase trade globally in critical sectors such as communications, 5G, autonomous and electric vehicles, medical devices - all opportunities the UK must act on to secure our long-term future prosperity.
The project partners comprise:
- Cardiff University (lead partner)
- Swansea University
- Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC)
- Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult
- Cardiff Capital Region City Deal
- Welsh Government
- IQE Plc
- Newport Wafer Fab
- SPTS Technologies
- Rockley Photonics;
Activities will be coordinated by CSconnected Limited.
Dr Wyn Meredith, CSC and lead author of the SIPF application, commented:
“Today’s announcement is excellent news for Wales and the UK, providing a unique opportunity to harness the excellent research and innovation capabilities in a way that translates into world-class UK based manufacturing for new and emerging global technology markets“.
The SIPF project will be part of Swansea University’s expanding portfolio of activities supporting the regional semiconductor industry including the creation of a new UKRI funded £29.92M state-of-the-art facility called the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) due for completion in 2022 at its Bay Innovation Campus.
Professor Paul Meredith, SIPF and CISM project lead, said:
“It’s very important to Swansea University that it does everything it can to support the growth of the South Wales semiconductor industry which is emerging as a jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing.
“This new SIPF project sees us in close alliance with Cardiff University and the key industrial and government partners of the Cluster – connecting research, innovation and manufacturing to drive economic growth in our region. We look forward to playing our part.”