The UK Government's Universities Minister Greg Clark MP has unveiled a £17.3m funding award that will underpin the Compound Semiconductor Research Foundation - the first of its kind in the UK, with potential to become one of the leading clusters in Europe (joining four existing European semiconductor clusters), it is reckoned.
Earmarked for the Cardiff University's Innovation Campus, the foundation aims to drive the testing and development of technology that lies behind global 'megatrends' including smart-phones and tablets, powering change across sectors including healthcare, biotechnology and mass communications.
Cardiff is one of seven outstanding university research projects to receive over £100m (in 2016-17) from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) as part of its fourth round of funding to drive innovation and growth. Set up in 2012, UKRPIF is managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), in collaboration with three other UK higher education funding bodies including the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW).
Cardiff's £17.3m UKRPIF award adds to £12m already pledged by the Welsh Government to support the foundation. The funding should strengthen bonds between the university and Cardiff-based epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc.
"The award from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund will capitalise on existing academic expertise at Cardiff University," comments professor Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University. "It will cement our well-established partnership with IQE to create a global hub for CS technology research, development and innovation," he adds.
"Compound semiconductors are one of the eight great technologies identified by the UK government as essential to leading the UK's economic and industrial growth," notes IQE's CEO Dr Drew Nelson. "We look forward to playing a key role in helping to make Wales and the UK the new European powerhouse for next-generation semiconductor technologies."
