News: Suppliers
30 April 2024
CSA Catapult appoints Jonathan Flint as new chair
Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult in Newport, South Wales, UK has appointed Jonathan Flint CBE as the new chair of its board of directors. He will lead the board to help deliver the mission and purpose of CSA Catapult, as well as overseeing the corporate governance of the organization.
Established in 2018 by UK Government agency Innovate UK (which provides funding and support for business innovation as part of UK Research and Innovation), CSA Catapult is a centre of excellence that specializes in the measurement, characterization, integration and validation of compound semiconductor technology across four areas: power electronics, advanced packaging, radio frequency (RF) and microwave, and photonics. As a not-for-profit organization, it is focused on accelerating the adoption of compound semiconductors. It works across the UK in a range of industry sectors, from automotive to medical, and from digital communications to aerospace.
Graduating in Physics from Imperial College in 1982, Flint holds an MBA from Southampton University Management School.
He started his career designing scientific and communications satellites at Marconi, where he worked for 20 years, before and after its acquisition by BAE Systems. He held both technical and managerial roles before becoming a managing director at Marconi and then at BAE Systems.
In 2005, Flint was appointed CEO of Oxford Instruments – the first substantial spin-out company from Oxford University – where he served for 11 years.
Flint is currently chairman of Quantic and executive chairman of Refeyn.
Flint has also been a non-executive director for Stadium plc and senior independent non-executive director for UK defence and communications equipment contractor Cobham plc.
Flint was president of the Institute of Physics (IOP) between 2019 and 2021 and has been a Fellow since 2007. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He was awarded a CBE in 2012 ‘for services to Business and Science’.
“I look forward to being part of the next phase of the organization’s journey as it scales up its efforts to help UK industry develop next-generation technologies,” comments Flint. “Compound semiconductors are already revolutionising our approach to tackling society’s biggest problems, such as increasing the efficiency of electric vehicles and reducing the vast amounts of energy consumed by data centers. CSA Catapult plays a critical role in helping to bring these applications to market and ensuring that the UK remains a global leader in this technology,” he adds.
Flint takes over from the current chair Rob Bryan, who has completed his term of office and will remain as a non-executive director.
“Rob’s extensive knowledge and experience of the innovation ecosystem and the wider Catapult landscape has been instrumental in leading CSA Catapult to its many successes to date and is something I will no doubt call upon as I begin the new role,” comments Flint.
“I look forward to supporting him through the next phase of CSA Catapult’s journey,” says Bryan. “Jonathan brings with him extensive experience at both executive and non-executive level from the science and innovation industry, which will be invaluable to the Catapult,” he adds. “It’s been an honour to serve as Chair and to see the Catapult mature into an organization that now spans the breadth of the country in support of our thriving compound semiconductor ecosystem. From a standing start in 2018, the Catapult now employees around 100 people, has engaged in over 200 industrial collaborations and secured over £18m in collaborative R&D funding.”
“Innovate UK works to support growth and increased productivity across the UK through our portfolio of products and services,” says Dave Wilkes, director - Innovation Ecosystem at Innovate UK. “The Innovate UK Catapult Network provides a unique combination of world-class expertise and facilities, connecting research excellence with business impact,” he adds. “Jonathan Flint CBE’s appointment as chair of the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult will bring a broader industry focus and support the Catapult’s mission to stimulate business growth in the UK by unlocking the potential of compound semiconductors across a range of sectors.”
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