News: Microelectronics
18 December 2024
CSA Catapult’s annual report focuses on Net Zero and Future Telecoms
In its 2023–24 annual report, Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has highlighted success in its two focus areas — Net Zero and Future Telecoms — and its continued support for clusters of compound semiconductor expertise across the UK.
Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult is a not-for-profit center of excellence established in 2018 by government agency Innovate UK that specializes in the measurement, characterization, integration and validation of compound semiconductor technology spanning power electronics, advanced packaging, radio frequency and microwave, and photonics applications.
Highlights in 2023-24 include the official opening of the Catapult’s Future Telecoms Hub in Bristol, which was supported with a further £4m of investment from Innovate UK. The Catapult will develop enabling technologies at the Hub to help the UK establish a resilient and energy-efficient telecoms network fit for future applications.
Other highlights include the culmination of the ESCAPE project. Led by McLaren Applied, the 12-strong consortium helped to establish the UK’s first complete end-to-end supply chain for silicon carbide power electronics. The project developed converter and inverter technologies for the transportation sector, and has led to new job creation, new collaborative R&D agreements, and secured significant investment for the South Wales region.
The report also outlines the impact of CSA Catapult to date, including:
- the creation or safeguarding of 4718 jobs;
- £589m of public and private investment leveraged by customers;
- 261 industrial collaborations; and
- £11.2m of funding received from collaborative R&D projects.
The report also evidences the Catapult’s impact on SMEs and their ability to attract public and private investment.
On average, since engaging with CSA Catapult, companies leveraged £82.9m of annual private investment and £33.7m of annual public sector investment. This compares with a counterfactual group, who averaged £17.6m of annual private investment and £9.3m of public sector investment.
“This was a year of significant expansion and growth for the Catapult as we celebrated our five-year anniversary,” says CEO Martin McHugh. “In this time, we have firmly established ourselves as the UK’s authority on compound semiconductor applications and commercialization,” he adds. “As a trusted neutral convener, we are bringing organizations together to create new supply chains and strengthen the UK’s position on the world stage. Our impact statistics tell this story clearly and show that we’re building communities, creating jobs and increasing investment.”
Cardiff University report highlights CSA Catapult’s impact on UK economy
