The UK government has announced a £10m fund to support up to 40 British companies developing semiconductor technologies, with backing delivered by Innovate UK to help firms move prototypes from lab to market.
Ministers said the investment will target areas of UK strength to attract further private and international capital in a global market worth hundreds of billions of pounds.
Projects will gain access to ultra-clean manufacturing facilities, technical expertise and business mentoring.
Announcing the funding, UK tech minister Kanishka Narayan said: “There is immense potential in the UK semiconductors sector.
“By investing in its growth, we will build on our country’s strengths, setting ourselves apart in a highly competitive market to unlock new skilled jobs at home and boost our economy.”
Companies to benefit include Paragraf, which develops graphene-based, energy-efficient semiconductor devices that could extend mobile phone battery life and reduce energy consumption in cars, aircraft and defence systems.
Silicon Microgravity will develop matchbox-sized, satellite-independent navigation devices for wearables and industrial robots, aimed at strengthening the UK’s sovereign capability in positioning and navigation.
Iain Mauchline, head of semiconductors at Innovate UK, said: “This funding being delivered by Innovate UK is for diverse projects, all developing cutting-edge semiconductor innovations that are fundamental for the UK and our frontier technology areas.”
According to the government, initiative supports national security and resilience given chips’ role in secure communications, satellites and cyber security. It also aligns with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change.
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