Showcasing international opportunities in power electronics

In response to a survey, conference attendees identified key emerging applications, such as faster EV charging, power supplies for data centres, the energy grid, aerospace and defence, all of which is needed to deliver Net Zero.   

Delegates also identified using AI to accelerate the design process and optimisation, and to improve productivity.   

Wenlong Ming, General Chair of IEEE WiPDA-Europe 2024 and Senior Research Fellow, CSA Catapult said, “Power electronics is enabling technology for Net Zero. These devices are more efficient, they are smaller and more cost effective.” 

According to Reuters, industries helping the world move to Net Zero emissions could be worth $10.3 trillion to the global economy  by 2050.  

Compound semiconductors maximise energy generation from solar panels and optimise energy conversion and management. They also improve the performance and reduce losses in power transmission and distribution systems.  

Solid-state transformers (SSTs) use compound semiconductors to convert and regulate energy. They are better at managing power flows and can be better integrated into the smart grids of the future.  

Martin McHugh, CEO, CSA Catapult explains, “There are huge opportunities for wide bandgap semiconductors, especially in solid state transformers.  As we move to using more renewable energy, the existing energy infrastructure will need to be improved using solid state transformers.” 

“The UK needs to collaborate more. We need to collaborate more at a local level and at the international level,” he continued. 

CSA Catapult recently published its response to the UK’s industrial strategy where it called for the UK to be positioned as ‘semiconductor super cluster’ to drive collaboration, growth and exports for the long term. 

CSA Catapult has a unique offering of cutting-edge technology, know-how and test equipment. These are used to design and develop high-performing power electronics modules and converters for automotive, energy and industrial applications. 

According to Yole, the overall power module market, which includes full silicon carbide (SiC) modules and packaged gallium nitride (GaN) devices, was worth over $2.1 bn in 2023. It is expected to grow at 27% CAGR to over $9 bn by 2029. The market for full SiC power modules was valued at $1.9 bn in 2023 and is expected to reach over $7.1 bn by 2029, growing at a CAGR of about 24%. The GaN power module market was worth just over $260m in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 40% to about $2 bn by 2029. ​ 

Power modules are used by a wide range of applications, such as automotive and aerospace.  

Ingo Ludtke, head of power electronics at CSA Catapult said, “We have established a good power module design, test and validation capability and we are moving to power converters.  

“To fully exploit the benefits of compound semiconductors we will need to use AI. We hope to convert new ideas and future collaboration.”