UK semiconductor strategy ‘good first step’ but more will be needed
19 May 2023
£1bn funding must be seen only as a starting point and investing in physics skills will be crucial, says the IOP’s Louis Barson.
Commenting on the government’s £1bn semiconductor strategy, Louis Barson, Director of Science, Innovation and Skills at the Institute of Physics, said: “Semiconductors are a crucial part of the world economy and it’s good to see the UK government acknowledging the strategic importance of this sector to our prosperity and security – including through a new partnership with Japan.
“The funding pledged in this strategy is welcome but this must be seen as just the starting point for consistent, targeted investment in UK semiconductors – including growing the pool of patient capital available for industry scale-up. This is a generationally important set of technologies and needs long-term commitment.
“It is also really welcome to see the strategy acknowledging the skills gap our businesses and innovators have to navigate and here too, we need a long-term commitment to recruiting and retaining specialist physics teachers, and retraining non-specialists, investing in technical skills and apprenticeships, and ensuring that everyone, from every background, sees a career in physics as something they can aspire to.
“The key thing now is that this strategy’s implementation is driven by as wide a range of industry views as possible, including early-stage research and development voices, and the proposed advisory group needs to reflect that.
“We need continued national focus on this issue – today’s plan is a good first step but there now needs to be consistent work in this area to support researchers, businesses and innovators to deliver the thriving home-grown semiconductor sector the UK desperately needs.”