According to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the 20-year National Semiconductor Strategy emphasises upon the country's specific areas of advantage in the semiconductors sector, including design and advanced compound semiconductors
UK to invest up to £1bn to bolster the country's semiconductor industry. (Credit: Dmitry Steshenko from Pixabay)
The UK government has announced the new National Semiconductor Strategy, which involves up to £1bn of investment to bolster the country’s capabilities in design, research and development (R&D), and compound semiconductors as well as to support domestic chip firms.
The 20-year strategy for the British semiconductor sector is aimed to fuel research, innovation, and commercialisation and facilitate the delivery of products from lab to market.
According to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the National Semiconductor Strategy emphasises upon the country’s specific areas of advantage in the semiconductors sector, including design and advanced compound semiconductors.
Besides, the strategy will focus on the country’s R&D ecosystem which is powered by universities from Cambridge to Cardiff and Manchester to Edinburgh.
With the National Semiconductor Strategy, the British government aims to meet its ambitions such as expanding the domestic sector, reducing the risk of supply chain disruptions, and protecting national security.
The investment is aimed to enhance industry access to infrastructure, drive more research and development as well as foster greater international cooperation.
Over the years 2023-25, the UK government intends to invest up to £200m to support the growth of the sector in the country.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Semiconductors underpin the devices we use every day and will be crucial to advancing the technologies of tomorrow. Our new strategy focuses our efforts on where our strengths lie, in areas like research and design, so we can build our competitive edge on the global stage.
“By increasing the capabilities and resilience of our world-leading semiconductor industry, we will grow our economy, create new jobs and stay at the forefront of new technological breakthroughs.”
In March 2023, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced a commitment of nearly £3.5bn to advance the British government’s goal of making the country a superpower in science and technology.