A North East maker of high tech semiconductors has backed calls for the Government to go further and faster with a national chips strategy.
Pragmatic Semiconductor, which has bases in NETPark in Sedgefield and in Cambridge, has supported trade association techº£½ÇÊÓƵ in its suggestion the National Semiconductor Strategy should be accelerated with measures such as an open access factory and helping to support more large scale private investment. The body's list of 27 recommendations in its updated 'º£½ÇÊÓƵ Plan for Chips' follows on two years from the launch of the Government's strategy which hopes to put the º£½ÇÊÓƵ in a world leading position on areas of semiconductor development.
Bosses at Pragmatic, which is behind the multimillion-pound creation of new semiconductor production lines in County Durham, says chip manufacturing has significant potential to boost the economy but that investment in rival countries means the º£½ÇÊÓƵ must "urgently" ramp up financial support for the sector.
Techº£½ÇÊÓƵ points to Pragmatic's opening of its new North East factory as one of 23 commercially successful fabrication facilities in the country. But it says that in contrast to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, other countries have provided manufacturing incentives to build factories - notably in the US, EU, Japan, South Korea and China.
Authors of the report say the º£½ÇÊÓƵ must capitalise on strengths in design and intellectual property, research and development and compound semiconductors. To do so they call for financial support, promoting investment and forging international partnerships in the supply chain - saying progress since the national strategy's launch has only been incremental and that decisive action is now needed.
Laura Foster, associate director for Technology and Innovation, techº£½ÇÊÓƵ said: "The º£½ÇÊÓƵ has a unique opportunity to lead in the global semiconductor landscape, but success will require bold action and sustained commitment. By accelerating the implementation of the National Semiconductor Strategy, recognising its role as a key strategic technology and underpinning its importance within the Industrial Strategy, we can unlock investment, foster innovation, and strengthen our position in this critical industry.
"We must act at pace to secure the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s semiconductor future and as such our technological and economic resilience."
Richard Price, chief technology officer at Pragmatic Semiconductor, said: "techº£½ÇÊÓƵ rightly emphasises the urgent need to accelerate the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s National Semiconductor Strategy. Semiconductors are the backbone of modern technology, and securing the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s role in this fast-growing industry is vital for economic growth, innovation, and resilience.
"Core value creation lies in semiconductor manufacturing, which has significant potential to boost the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s economy. Europe and the US are already investing heavily; competitive incentives in areas such as capital investment are urgently needed to level the playing field.
"The º£½ÇÊÓƵ government must act on this report, focusing support on fast-growing businesses to unlock the full potential of the sector and stay competitive in a global market poised to reach $1 trillion by 2030."
