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UK semiconductor leaders call for more government support

Semiconductor leaders
Image credit: Victor Moussa via Shutterstock

UK semiconductor leaders have welcomed the government’s recently announced strategy but have called for more support.

The Semiconductor Leadership Group, an industry body established to support UK chip firms, has published a paper this week urging the government to work more closely with the industry to better define sector-specific policies.

The government unveiled its semiconductor strategy in May which included £1bn of financial support for UK chip firms.

The plan was largely welcomed by the industry, however, with the international competition in the EU, US and Asia so fierce, there is a sense of urgency for even more support in the industry.

“We built this group at the request of industry to enable cross-sector debate and discussion and to present a unified voice,” said Charles Turman, CEO of Techworks and chair of the Semiconductor Leadership Group.

“As a group, we welcome the government’s attention to the semiconductor industry and the recently published strategy.

“However, the focus on early-stage innovation, design and IP creation only addresses a subset of the industry and more support is still required to grow a vibrant ecosystem with a critical mass of UK know-how, talent and cross-industry collaboration.”

The Semiconductor Leadership Group includes executives from firms including Bourns, McClaren, Paragraf, Pragmatic and XMOS.

The group said that a thriving semiconductor sector without government support is not possible and for the UK to compete globally, the government would need to participate in ongoing discussions with the industry.

Listen: Paragraf CEO on where the semiconductor strategy falls short

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