Government lifts chip strategy with a bit more cash
Date of creation: March 31, 2024, 12:44 p.m. From SITE: https://www.computerweekly.com Original page link
Original page content The government has unveiled £16.6m of funding, which it said has been earmarked for the development of semiconductors that power electric cars and the green energy industry. The funding aims to provide semiconductor researchers and businesses access to new equipment helping them test and make chips for use in high-energy machines. The government has targeted £14m of the funding for semiconductors used in “power electronics”, which is where chips convert and control power in energy-intensive machines, including electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said the new tools, based predominantly in Newcastle and Strathclyde, will help researchers and businesses test applications of new innovations in power electronics and improve their semiconductor packaging processes. The investment, which is part of the UK’s Semiconductor Strategy, is designed to encourage innovations in advanced packaging, can help to reduce the power consumption and cooling requirements of semiconductors. Technology minister Saqib Bhatti said: “This investment in open-access technology will make sure British researchers have the tools they need to rapidly turn semiconductor science into business reality, all while making hugely energy-intensive sectors more sustainable.” The open-access tools cover a range of processes involved with designing and testing these semiconductors, including “slicing” silicon wafers into smaller chips and bonding complex materials together to make chips. The government said the funding will also be used to help manufacturers improve the technology used to automate assembly processes. Read more about the UK semiconductor strategy In May 2023, the UK government unveiled a national semiconductor strategy. We find out how it has been going. Technology minister on the government’s semiconductor strategy, how to solve the digital skills challenge in the UK and moving towards the country’s net-zero target. There have been a number of funding boosts during the past few months, aimed at improving the UK’s semiconductor sector. But these fall far short of the $50bn set aside in the US or €47bn of European Union funding for developing the chip sector. Earlier in March, the government announced the UK had joined the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), a European initiative to access a €1.3bn Horizon Europe funding pot for collaborative semiconductor research projects up to 2027. In February, it unveiled two £11m Innovation and Knowledge Centres in Southampton and Bristol, and £4.8m funding for semiconductor skills projects. While these initiatives help, Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, is not convinced the funding is sufficient. Tech London Advocates (TLA) leads the Chips Coalition and works alongside TechWorks and techUK, driving the importance of semiconductors in the success of the UK tech sector. Shaw sees a need for policymakers to look at the full semiconductor value chain. “We need to look at the entire value chain,” he said. “We’re not going to build the high-end fabs, but we are going to have some capability here that we can rely on.” Shaw believes the government is holding back major funding of the semiconductor until it sees concrete evidence that large semiconductor businesses want to participate. Looking at a hypothetical example, he said: “Let’s say a Taiwanese company comes here wanting to build a UK fab with a consortium of three or four UK companies. If we asked the UK government to fund 20% of the cost, I think it would say yes.” He urged the government to look at how to encourage talented people from around the world to study in the UK and remain here to support and build the semiconductor sector. | Unlike the EU and US, the UK government appears to be taking its time on providing a large cash injection to build out the UK semiconductor sector
Date of avatar: March 31, 2024, 6:45 p.m.
Tags: green energy, power electronics, value chain, semiconductors, automation processes, electric cars, innovation, government funding, collaborations, talent development
Content: ## Part 1: Government Unveils £16.6m Funding for Semiconductors in Electric Cars and Green Energy The UK government has announced £16.6m of funding dedicated to the development of semiconductors that power electric cars and the green energy industry. The funding aims to provide researchers and businesses in the semiconductor field with access to new equipment, enabling them to test and manufacture chips for high-energy machines. This investment is part of the UK's Semiconductor Strategy and is focused on driving innovation in power electronics, the technology that converts and controls power in energy-intensive machines such as electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. ## Part 2: Open-Access Tools and Improved Automation Processes The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) revealed that £14m of the funding will be allocated to semiconductors used in power electronics. The new tools, predominantly located in Newcastle and Strathclyde, will support researchers and businesses in testing new applications and improving semiconductor packaging processes. These open-access tools cover various processes involved in designing and testing semiconductors, including slicing silicon wafers into smaller chips and bonding complex materials together to create chips. Additionally, the funding will be used to enhance the technology used for automating assembly processes in manufacturing. ## Part 3: Calls for Further Funding and Talent Development Despite the recent funding boosts, industry experts like Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, believe that more investment is needed to strengthen the UK's semiconductor sector. Shaw emphasizes the importance of looking at the entire value chain and urges policymakers to consider providing substantial funding once concrete evidence of interest from major semiconductor businesses is demonstrated. Furthermore, he suggests that the government should focus on attracting talented individuals from around the world to study in the UK and contribute to the growth of the semiconductor industry. While the UK's funding efforts fall behind those of the US and EU, there are ongoing initiatives and collaborations to bolster the country's semiconductor capabilities.
Date of avatar: March 31, 2024, 12:56 p.m.
Tags: domestic semiconductor sector, electric cars, automating assembly processes, semiconductor skills projects, open-access technology, advanced packaging, semiconductor packaging, semiconductor researchers, chips joint undertaking, collaborative semiconductor research projects, power electronics, semiconductor development, innovation and knowledge centres, inadequate funding, semiconductor value chain, government funding, green energy sector
Content: Government Allocates £16.6m Funding for Semiconductor Development in Electric Cars and Green Energy Sector The UK government has announced £16.6m in funding dedicated to the advancement of semiconductors used in electric cars and the green energy industry. The funding is intended to provide semiconductor researchers and businesses with access to new equipment for testing and producing chips used in high-energy machines. Of the total funding, £14m has been allocated for semiconductors used in "power electronics," which involve the conversion and control of power in energy-intensive machines such as electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) highlighted that the investment will support researchers and businesses in testing new innovations in power electronics and improving semiconductor packaging processes. The majority of the new tools will be based in Newcastle and Strathclyde. The funding is part of the UK's Semiconductor Strategy and aims to encourage advancements in advanced packaging, which can help to reduce power consumption and cooling requirements in semiconductors. Saqib Bhatti, the Technology Minister, expressed that the investment in open-access technology will equip British researchers with the necessary tools to turn semiconductor science into viable business solutions while promoting sustainability in energy-intensive sectors. The open-access tools encompass various processes in designing and testing semiconductors, including slicing silicon wafers into smaller chips and bonding diverse materials to create chips. The funding will also be utilized to assist manufacturers in enhancing the technology used for automating assembly processes. Although the UK government has made several funding commitments in recent months to strengthen the domestic semiconductor sector, these fall short compared to the $50bn set aside in the US and the €47bn allocated by the European Union for chip sector development. In March, the UK joined the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), a European initiative that grants access to a €1.3bn funding pool for collaborative semiconductor research projects until 2027. The government also unveiled two Innovation and Knowledge Centres in Southampton and Bristol with £11m in funding in February, along with £4.8m for semiconductor skills projects. Despite these initiatives, Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, believes that the funding provided is inadequate. Tech London Advocates leads the Chips Coalition and collaborates with TechWorks and techUK to emphasize the importance of semiconductors in the success of the UK tech sector. Shaw argues that policymakers should consider the entire semiconductor value chain and urges the government to
Date of avatar: March 31, 2024, 12:55 p.m.
Tags: businesses, green energy, funding, high-energy machines, power consumption, uk government, electric cars, innovations, semiconductors, researchers, manufacturing equipment, assembly processes, cooling requirements, manufacturing, advanced packaging, automation, semiconductor packaging processes, chips, electric vehicles, power electronics, testing
Content: The UK government has allocated £16.6m in funding for the development of semiconductors used in electric cars and the green energy industry. The funding will provide researchers and businesses with access to new equipment for testing and manufacturing chips for high-energy machines. £14m of the funding will be dedicated to semiconductors used in power electronics, including electric vehicles and manufacturing equipment. The investment aims to encourage innovations in advanced packaging to reduce power consumption and cooling requirements. The funding will also support improvements in semiconductor packaging processes and automation in assembly processes.