South Wales Compound Semiconductor PBIAA
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has provided £4.1 million through the Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) totackle the skilled labor shortage in South Wales’ semiconductor cluster. The funding focuses on: upskilling current employees, training newcomers to the industry and inspiring career interest in the field. This grant supports initiatives that enhance the cluster, leading to job creation, skills development, private investment, and growth of small and medium enterprises, while also promoting collaboration between academia and local businesses in line with theg overnment’s “levelling up” agenda.
The South Wales Compound Semiconductor PBIAA is spearheaded by Cardiff University in partnership with Swansea University, collaborating closely with both industry and public sector stakeholders within the South Wales compound semiconductor cluster, branded as ‘CSconnected’ SWCS PBIAA leverages unique regional expertise, translational research infrastructure and critical manufacturing capabilities as innovation assets – these include Cardiff University Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) and Swansea University Centre for Integrated Semiconductor Manufacture (CISM). Its goal is to significantly accelerate the growth of ‘CSconnected’ by drawing in compound semiconductor academics and researchers from across the UK to establish their work and innovate in South Wales.
The PBIAA has been set-up to support UK place-based’ academic entrepreneurship and start-up companies, and to contribute skills training to support growth of the sector located in the UK and primarily in the South Wales CS cluster. SWCS PBIAA aims to make a step-change in the expansion rate of CSconnected, attracting academics and researchers from across the UK to set-up and innovate in South Wales.
Contact: Rachel Morgan MorganR60@cardiff.ac.uk
