CSconnected backs next generation of UK start-ups
CSconnected Ltd, the not-for-profit organisation driving the compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales, sponsored Silicon Catalyst's 'Forming, Storming, Norming & Performing for Semiconductor Startups' event at Cardiff University that took place on Wednesday 28 October 2026, as it sets out South Wales as the place for semiconductor businesses to start, scale and stay.
The event, themed 'Powering, Connecting and Sensing the Future', was hosted by Silicon Catalyst in collaboration with Cardiff University's Optoelectronics and RF departments. It shone a spotlight on compound semiconductors and the innovation emerging from Cardiff and the South Wales cluster, and showcased the 11 start-ups in ChipStart UK's fourth cohort – giving them a direct line to the researchers, investors, manufacturers and supply chain partners who can help them grow.
CSconnected Ltd played a central role in the afternoon's programme. Howard Rupprecht, managing director of CSconnected Ltd, delivered a keynote on 'The Welsh Semiconductor Story: From Heritage to Global Leadership', tracing how South Wales grew from its industrial roots into a globally significant semiconductor cluster.
Wyn Meredith, Chair of CSconnected Ltd, joined the closing panel on building a world-class semiconductor ecosystem, alongside leaders from the Semiconductor Catapult, Cardiff University, IQE, Space Forge and Deep Tech Labs, to debate what it will take for the UK and South Wales to remain globally competitive.
Rupprecht said: “South Wales has something genuinely rare: research, manufacturing and a supply chain that sit within a few miles of each other. For a start-up, that means access to the people, facilities and expertise it needs to develop and scale its technology here. We want the founders in this cohort to see what is available and to consider Wales as the place to build their business.”
For CSconnected Ltd, the event is about more than profile. The cluster's work centres on strengthening the regional supply chain, so that companies coming to South Wales can find the materials, fabrication, equipment, test and skills expertise they need within reach. Connecting early-stage companies with that ecosystem from the outset gives them the best chance of building their future in the region.
Earlier this year, CSconnected Ltd completed the fourth and final round of its £1m Supply Chain Development Programme, in partnership with Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), which offered grants of up to £100,000 to help businesses invest in new equipment, develop new products and build specialist skills. Across four funding rounds, the programme has supported 11 projects, from businesses such as KuasaSemi and NetZero Semiconductors to firms in Oxford and the Wirral that are now plugging into the supply chain being built in South Wales.
The cluster's growth is reflected in independent analysis from the Welsh Economy Research Unit (WERU) at Cardiff University. In 2025, the cluster supported £436m of Gross Value Added (GVA) and 3,140 jobs across Wales, up from £172m and 2,085 jobs in 2020. Annual sales reached £531m, with more than 90 percent exported, and average salaries of around £66,000 sit well above the Welsh average.
Spanning world-leading research through to global-scale manufacturing, the cluster underpins technologies from power electronics and electric vehicles to 5G and 6G communications, sensing, AI and quantum. CSconnected Ltd's ambition is to grow cluster revenue to £1b and employment to 6,000 jobs by 2030.
