News: Suppliers
16 March 2023
CSconnected highlighted in UK’s new £2.5bn Quantum Strategy
The South Wales-based compound semiconductor cluster CSconnected is highlighted in the new UK Quantum Strategy announced by Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 March.
The 10-year plan aims to fund new frontiers of quantum research, support and develop the growing UK quantum sector, prepare the wider economy for the quantum revolution and ensure that the UK leads internationally in the regulation and ethical use of quantum technologies.
CSconnected founding member Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC, a joint venture founded in 2015 between Cardiff University and Cardiff-based epiwafer and substrate maker IQE plc) leads Quantum Foundry (QFoundry), a three-year, £5.7m project that is part-funded by the UK Quantum Technologies Challenge, via UK Research and Innovation.
Established in 2020, QFoundry harnesses standard semiconductor fabrication techniques to scale up the manufacture of quantum components that are critical to a wide range of novel quantum system developments supported by the UK Quantum Technologies Programme.
Quantum technologies are increasingly seen as essential for ensuring the security of national infrastructure around communications, cybersecurity, defence and next-generation computing.
CSconnnected is highlighted as a key regional asset which is essential to the long term success of the strategy.
“Widescale adoption of quantum systems need a robust, reliable and volume supply of semiconductor components to integrate into products to deliver a return on investment on the science,” comments CSconnected’s chair Wyn Meredith. “QFoundry can perhaps be described as the missing piece in pathway to commercialization, and the project is laying the groundwork towards a new UK quantum component industry,” he adds. “We look forward to building on the foundations that we have laid in since 2020, and being a key partner in the new UK strategy.”
