UK MP visits CSA Catapult
First engagement as Parliamentary Undersecretary of State to at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology takes MP to Wales
UK member of parliament Saqib Bhatti has toured the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult's facilities in Wales as his first engagement as Parliamentary Undersecretary of State to at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Bhatti heard how CSA Catapult supports UK SMEs, microbusinesses and larger companies across the UK to develop applications using compound semiconductors. He also heard about key projects CSA Catapult is delivering, including @FutureBEV— a £26m collaborative project creating UK supply chains for battery electric vehicles to lower carbon emissions—and CSA Catapult’s innovation partnership with Siemens in power electronics, machines and drives.
CSA Catapult’s CEO, Martin McHugh spoke about a UK-wide skills strategy to get more young people into electronics and electrical engineering.
New funding will be made available to encourage more learners in Wales into electronics. ‘Spark their imagination; power their future’—a project funded by Innovate UK and run by Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult and the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF)—will offer 24 bursaries of £1,000 to Year 13 pupils in Wales who have secured a place to study electronics and electrical engineering (EEE) at a partner university.
CSA Catapult has also recently been awarded £4m from Innovate UK to help deliver a resilient and energy efficient future telecoms network for the UK. The funding will help expand CSA Catapult’s activities across the future telecoms landscape and develop new compound semiconductor technologies to improve the speed, energy efficiency and security of our communications networks.
The Future Telecoms Hub will complement CSA Catapult’s existing operations at its headquarters in Newport, South Wales by providing closer access to a thriving telecoms ecosystem across Bristol and the South West that includes several major technology companies and research institutions. The Future Telecoms Hub will also strengthen CSA Catapult’s connection with the Western Gateway and will host collaborative research projects with the University of Bristol.
Wyn Meredith, FREng, FLSW, chair of CSconnected SIPF Management Board: “The CSconnected compound semiconductor cluster based in South Wales has a strong track record of contributing to the UK’s semiconductor industry, which is reflected in the many projects and investments showcased during the Minister’s visit in Newport. The collaborative initiatives undertaken by our partner, CSA Catapult, support the cluster’s vision to make the UK more competitive and sovereign in the tech sector.”
