Martin McHugh comments on new UK and India Technology Security Initiative

A man wearing a blue blazer and light blue shirt stands in an office environment. He is holding a pair of glasses in his left hand, looking to the side as if engaging with someone off-camera. The background features elegant geometric patterns. - CSA Catapult

The UK and India have announced a new initiative that sets out how the two countries will work together on the defining technologies of this decade.

The ‘Technology Security Initiative’ (TSI) recognises the increasing role of technology in national security and economic development and builds upon the ambitious bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030.

The TSI has identified seven initial domains to focus on, which include telecoms, semiconductors and quantum.

Commenting on the announcement, Martin McHugh, CEO at Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult said: “It’s encouraging to see the UK government strengthen relationships with India and recognise the importance of semiconductors in ensuring the future safety, wellbeing and prosperity of our nations.

“There is a lot of potential for us to collaborate in areas where both countries are strong, such as chip design and IP, compound semiconductors and advanced packaging.

"It is promising to see the government recognising telecommunications, quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) as initial areas of focus. They are vitally important for economic growth and social prosperity; however, none of them will be able to progress without semiconductors.

“CSA Catapult has a Future Telecoms Hub in Bristol that focuses on testing and developing new telecoms hardware made using compound semiconductors. We have delivered projects like ORanGaN and Secure 5G that accelerate 5G open radio access networks (Open RAN) for new telecoms networks in the UK.

“That’s why we must continue to treat semiconductors as both a critical and enabling technology for a wide range of future innovations and applications.

“CSA Catapult has close relationships with our partners in India, which we’ve established through various programmes and activities. In 2022, we were heavily involved in UK delegations to New Delhi and Bangalore to help develop bilateral collaborations with companies and academics working in the telecoms sector.

“We stand ready to help the UK government facilitate further meetings with industry and academia and identify new opportunities for collaboration, integration and the sharing of best practice.”