Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK visited the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult this week to see first-hand how the Catapult is helping the UK become a global leader in compound semiconductor technology.
Indro was given a tour of CSA Catapult’s office space and laboratories and shown some of the innovative and cutting-edge projects that CSA Catapult is currently working on with UK industry.
Indro was shown CSA Catapult’s four specialist labs, covering power electronics, photonics, RF and microwave and advance packaging, where engineers are working on collaborative projects across a number of industries, from electric vehicles and space to telecoms and medical sensing.
Indro was also given a tour of the new lab that forms part of the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre (DER-IC) for South West and Wales.
The lab is home to state-of-the-art 3D printing equipment, unique to the UK, that is helping industry to solve the complex problems they encounter when packaging compound semiconductor chips.
Indro took time out to meet members of the CSA Catapult team before leading a roundtable discussion to explore, among other things, how Innovate UK and CSA Catapult can help deliver the vision set out in the UK government’s National Semiconductor Strategy.
Established by Innovate UK in 2018, CSA Catapult is the UK’s authority on compound semiconductor applications and commercialisation.
With the support of an annual core grant from Innovate UK, CSA Catapult develops new methods, tools and techniques to help companies make better products and de-risk the commercialisation process, ultimately making those companies—and the UK as a whole—more competitive.
Compound semiconductors were highlighted as one of the UK’s three areas of ‘enormous strength’ in the National Semiconductor Strategy and are set to play a key role in solving some of the world’s grand challenges, such as the mitigation of climate change and bringing about a Net Zero economy.
Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK said: “Innovate UK recognises the importance semiconductor technology has in shaping the future of the UK economy. The CSA Catapult is a key part of the innovation ecosystem and it was good to update on progress and plans to drive applications for the UK economy.”
Martin McHugh, CEO of CSA Catapult said: “We were delighted to welcome Indro to our Innovation Centre today and to be given the opportunity to showcase the innovative and cutting-edge work we are delivering, and the progress we are making across our focus areas of Net Zero and Future Telecoms.
“It was also extremely valuable to be able to sit down with Indro and discuss the vital importance of compound semiconductors in realising the UK government’s National Semiconductor Strategy, and how both CSA Catapult and Innovate UK can continue to work together to grow our economy and position the UK as a global leader in compound semiconductor technology.”
