At the final event of the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult’s India UK Telecoms delegation, the Secretary of State for Wales, Rt Hon Simon Hart MP welcomed the delegation to Wales at a reception at Cardiff’s City Hall.
As part of a week-long trade delegation, funded by UKRI, the delegation visited key companies and UK innovation centres in London, Southampton, Oxford, and Cardiff, which represents a significant step forward in the Future Telecom Programme launched by the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult in 2021. This follows a successful visit to India by UK delegates in March and May.
The Catapult, which supports companies across the UK to commercialise compound semiconductor technologies, identified significant opportunities for collaboration and potential UK inward investment.
Representatives from the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, Infosys, Broadband India Forum, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, Satcom Industry Association of India, L&T Tech Services, Saankhya Labs and Tata Consulting Services took part in the UK delegation.
Secretary of State for Wales Rt Hon Simon Hart MP said:
“I am delighted to welcome the Indian delegation to Wales. This delegation represents a major part of the Future Telecom Programme launched by the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult in 2021.
We see significant opportunities for trade, partnership, and cultural exchange, building on the India-UK 2030 roadmap and the memorandum of understanding between the Indian Department of Telecoms and the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
Here in Wales, we have the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster of companies, developing the very chips that will revolutionize digital connectivity. We look forward to working with our colleagues from India, accelerating next generation, low-cost digital access.”
Dr Andy G Sellars, Strategic Development Director, CSA Catapult said:
“This delegation builds on a significant programme of work launched by the CSA Catapult in 2021 and supported by Innovate UK and UKRI.
We are delighted to welcome the delegates from India, who represent the very best of industry and academia working in telecoms. The CSA Catapult sees significant opportunities to work with these organisations to develop technologies for future telecom networks, starting with the rollout of 5G to longer-term opportunities in optical, quantum and satellite communications.
During the programme, we have demonstrated the unique strengths of the UK innovation ecosystem, from academic excellence at Southampton University and the National Physical Laboratory to the combined capability of the Catapult Network, including: the Digital Catapult; the Satellite Applications Catapult and the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult.
The CSA Catapult works with industry and academic partners to deliver transformational change in future telecom networks. Our role is to support businesses across the UK to transform great ideas into valuable products and services and is identifying new markets in the UK and abroad.
We are very grateful for the support from the Department for International Trade (DIT), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Innovate UK and UK Research and Innovation.”
