Dr Jayakrishnan Chandrappan appointed Visiting Professor at two leading UK universities

Dr Jayakrishnan (Jay) Chandrappan, Head of Technology – Advanced Packaging at CSA Catapult, has been appointed Visiting Industrial Professor at the University of Bristol and Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde.

As a world-leading authority on advance semiconductor packaging, Jay will advise the universities on research strategy and industrial engagement, providing expert advice on unit development and academic roadmaps, and fostering collaboration with industry in the UK and abroad.

At the University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Engineering, Jay’s appointment will consult and direct the commissioning of an advanced semiconductor packaging pilot line at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

NMIS recently received £9m from Innovate UK to develop a new advanced packaging scale-up line for power electronic semiconductors.

This new capability, run in conjunction with CSA Catapult and a first in Europe, will support the faster production of semiconductor chips, reducing packaging times for UK firms from months to just days.

Jay will also provide strategic direction at Strathclyde, helping to develop the academic roadmap to support the creation of a smart, leading-edge partner manufacturing capability. This will include AI, design and digital expertise, and he will also help develop international partnerships, including collaborations with Singapore and Malaysia.

At Bristol, Jay will support development in areas related to advanced semiconductor packaging and fabrication and contribute to future programme development. The role will also include dedicated time in the lecture theatre.

Professor Martin Cryan, Joint Head of the Photonics and Quantum Research group in the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering said: “We are very much looking forward to working with Jay in the development of new units and programmes linked to his expertise.

“Semiconductor technologies lie at the heart of our research and teaching and Jay’s extensive industrial experience will be a great help in developing our future plans”.

In his role at CSA Catapult, Jay leads a team developing cutting-edge semiconductor packaging solutions focussed on package design, modelling, micro-assembly, and rapid prototyping. He has  a strong track record of driving innovation and strategic R&D, contributing to the advancement of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies to the market.

He is a recognised expert in semiconductor material engineering and has held leadership and technology roles at organizations including Global Foundries Inc. (US), the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) at A*STAR Singapore, and the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology in India.

A co-founder of two startups, he has been awarded Europe’s prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technology Showcase Award.

Jay already serves as an external advisory board member for the University of Bristol and the University of Leeds, UK and is a Board of Studies member at Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) in India. Additionally, he is an active member of SEMI, the Europe APC Committee, and the International Microelectronics Assembly & Packaging Society (IMAPS) UK Chapter.