Security by design was a £1.8 million project, part-funded by Innovate UK’s Digital Security by Design (DSbD) challenge. It explored cybersecurity in software-defined, connected vehicles to identify vulnerabilities and provide the automotive industry with advanced technologies that enable security integration from the outset—making systems more robust and resilient.
QFoundry aimed to deliver a national open-access quantum semiconductor device foundry. It created the foundations for robust, scalable component manufacture in the UK to enable the scaling of a quantum technology system industry.
Led by a collaborative team including Saab, Microchip, and CSA Catapult, COMPASS aimed to develop a scalable solution to meet the emerging needs of next-generation aircraft and satellite communications systems.
The Qudits project developed a demonstrator platform to showcase the feasibility of developing quantum communication systems using qudits (a multi-level quantum computational unit). This would have the potential to increase bandwidth, create faster access to networks, and transmit more data using less energy.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and new funding from Innovate UK, CSA Catapult brought together a small consortium to develop a cost effective, self-contained, safe, and compact LED module as a disinfectant tool that could easily be installed on exposed surfaces and doors.
With £7.7m of funding from the Quantum Technologies Challenge, led by UKRI, the AirQKD project undertook a world-first trial of end-to-end quantum-secured communications for 5G and connected cars. Emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, mesh networks and the Internet of Things (IoT), will require brand new forms of secure communications to protect against cyber-attacks. Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses the laws of quantum physics to create and distribute secure keys to prevent data from being decrypted and hacked.
ESCAPE, a £20m project from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), brought together 12 partners to establish a globally unique and cohesive end-to-end supply chain capability for innovative SiC power electronics. Compound semiconductors – and silicon carbide (SiC) more specifically – are ideal for enabling these new technologies as they are faster and more efficient compared to standard silicon technology.
The ORanGaN project brought together Inex Microtechnology, Custom Interconnect Ltd (CIL), Viper RF and CSA Catapult to develop a new sovereign supply chain for RF-GaN products and devices to be used in 5G communications. The project was funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology as part of the Future RAN Competition. Currently, there are no commercial RF-GaN devices fully developed and manufactured in the UK that can be used in 5G applications. Developing a UK supply chain will provide more security for UK manufacturers, more export opportunities for hardware manufacturers, and will enhance 5G infrastructure and resilience within the UK, helping to grow the UK economy.
Responsible Electronics and Circular Technologies Centre (REACT) is a £5.5m project funded by UKRI to establish the UK’s first sustainable electronics centre in Scotland. REACT will drive the transition to Net Zero electronics, addressing both the environmental and economic challenges faced by the industry. The centre aims to promote the adoption of green technologies—often neglected by the electronics industry—through collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers.
The Secure 5G project built a flexible platform that enabled companies to roll out and maintain their own quantum-safe private networks, with targeted applications for Industry 4.0, mobile edge computing (MEC), the Internet of Things (IoT) and highly secure environments such as defence. 5G Open-RAN (open radio access networks ) offer more open and accessible network architecture, which will improve the UK’s competitiveness, network flexibility and reduce costs.
