b'Partner News Winter 2022 9AcademicSemiconductors have been the backboneThe UKs electronics industry, of which of modern technological society for moresemiconductors play a fundamental role, than 60 years and the semiconductorcontributes 16 billion annually to the UKsBoth the economic industry has had an estimated overalleconomic output, employing 300,000 economic value of around $8tn. Practicallypeople in 12,000 UK companies. The UKsand strategic value every aspect of our modern world isphotonics industry, which also relies onof semiconductors is dependent on semiconductor devices, fromsemiconductors, has a 13 billion annual silicon microchips that control computers,economic output, employing 69,000 peoplebeing recognised by all mobile phones, aircraft and even washingacross 1,500 companies. The global markettechnologically advanced machines, to the internet, electric vehiclesfor compound semiconductor components is and LED lighting that has revolutionisedexpected to reach $43 billion by 2025. countries.global energy efficiency.The UK has a strong industrial base in The pace of innovation and the demandsemiconductor manufacturing with leading for more and more advanced technologycompanies such as IQE, Lumentum, Plessey means that semiconductors will continue toand II-VI all manufacturing semiconductor-be one of the most important and criticalbased products for global markets.technologies of the 21st century, including in emerging areas of great importance,Professor Rachel Oliver, who leads the such as quantum computing and artificialUniversity of Cambridges work in the intelligence. facility, said: Im delighted that Cambridge will have the opportunity to continue to Both the economic and strategic valuesupport the UK semiconductor community of semiconductors is being recognised byvia the National Epitaxy Facility. all technologically advanced countries. Here in the UK, semiconductor innovationThe UK Semiconductor ecosystem is is key to addressing areas of criticalextraordinarily innovative, on both the importance to our economy, such as netindustrial and academic sides, and is zero, electrification, telecommunications,underpinned by the availability of state-of-healthcare, security and quantumthe-art epitaxial materials. Through the new technologies.facility, such materials will be at the heart of future collaborations between world-class The National Epitaxy Facility were leadingresearchers, driving real-world economic from Sheffield will support the UKs researchand societal impact.community in pioneering new types of semiconductor devices that will be the basisFor more information on the facility, visit: for future technologies. https://www.nationalepitaxyfacility.co.uk/'