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Helping Scotland’s semiconductor cluster accelerate high-performing power electronics applications

Date: 20.06.2025

Topics: Clusters

Tall metal electricity pylon with power lines set against the clear blue sky of Scotland. - CSA Catapult

Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult Scotland offers companies access to wide-ranging expertise across electronics, packaging and photonics supply chains to enable, accelerate and deliver next-generation technology for high-power applications in energy, aerospace and marine.

 

With a focus on device to module co-design and manufacturing scale-up processes for power electronics and packaging, CSA Catapult Scotland enables seamless transitions from research to design and development, helping companies reduce time to market and de-risk industrialisation phase.

Here Frank Martin, head of technology Scotland discusses how CSA Catapult Scotland is working with local partners to develop future high-performing and high-power technologies across industry.

Silhouette of electricity pylons at sunset in Wales, framed by metal power lines structure. - CSA Catapult

Since September, we have studied the rich academic and industrial capabilities here, and how they are connected across the UK, and worldwide. Our role as a Catapult is to see where and how we can complement those businesses to further build their capabilities, accelerate their growth and overcome industry challenges.

Scotland has been exporting energy in renewables, oil and gas for years. There are six distribution network operators including Scottish Power, Southern Electric and National Grid. Four have major research and development (R&D) facilities up here, who have worked with the universities and companies in the region for a long time.

Aerial view of three cargo ships at a busy Wales port, surrounded by stacks of colorful shipping containers. - CSA Catapult

Net Zero: lower emissions, higher power 

As Net Zero 2050 gets closer, government-led programmes to lower emissions will only increase, and drive demand for electrification. For example, the Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition has seen the Port of Aberdeen take part in a programme where ships and ferries turn their engines off and switch to electric to dock, to reduce the city’s pollution levels.

As a result, companies are focusing on smart grids, which is the process of turning the electromechanical grid into one that can be operated with electrical power rather than fossil fuels.

High-power transport, such as aerospace, rail, marine, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), require the same conversion as standard-size automotive vehicles but they need higher switching voltages.

Silicon carbide (SiC) transistors currently operate at 1,200 volts. Semiconductor companies need to produce reliable transistors able to operate at up to15,000 volts, and switch at even higher voltages in new designs, so industrial transport can adopt electronics-based systems and switch from fuel to electric efficiently.

As the high-power vehicles that require 15,000 volts come online, compound semiconductors will improve system performance so these vehicles can travel further.

Optimising modules to deliver high power

Scotland is prepped meet this future-demand: the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) will host a new, £9 million R&D development designed to support the growth of semiconductor packaging. This funding injection will help reshore a critical part of the UK’s £500 million electrification supply chain, give manufacturers access to new markets and cut costs.

Part of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC), the facility will provide an advanced packaging scale-up line for power electronic semiconductors. This new capability – a first in Europe – will support the faster production of semiconductor chips, reducing packaging times for UK firms from months to just days.

CSA Catapult Scotland, the University of Strathclyde and National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) will work together to help local companies develop power electronic and photonic-optimised modules. Examples include smart grid components for the equipment used in substations, which enable electricity to be transmitted at different voltages, securely and reliably.

These components will convert from electromechanical to solid-state-driven power that can power our homes efficiently and enable heavy good vehicles to travel further using electrical power over fossil fuels.

By this point, electricity distribution and equipment in buses, trains, aeroplanes and marine will hold more charge and use more electric power than diesel.

And thanks to projects like ASSIST which saw CSA Catapult build a sovereign supply chain for high voltage and current SiC devices, and SinO-OFH, which is developing the team’s expertise on high-efficiency clean power systems for the marine industry, we are well-placed to help the Scottish cluster deliver technologies that will realise this opportunity now.

Of course, Net Zero electronics are at the centre of electrification. CSA Catapult will continue to support industries as they adopt sustainable manufacturing processes through projects like Responsible Electronics and Circular Technologies Centre (REACT), which will establish the UK’s first sustainable electronics centre in Scotland.

To address environmental and economic challenges, REACT will encourage collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to accelerate solutions in e-waste reductions and improve energy efficiency, while also reducing costs.

There is a wealth of exciting opportunities about to come to fruition in Scotland. We look forward to leveraging CSA Catapult’s capabilities and working more closely with partners across the ecosystem to see those opportunities make fast impact on high-power markets.

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Find out how CSA Catapult Scotland can help you design and package sustainable components for high power electronics.

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