£17.3m award for compound semiconductor research foundation

The Foundation, earmarked for the University's Innovation Campus, will drive the testing and development of ground-breaking technology that lies behind global 'megatrends' including smart phones and tablets, powering change across sectors including healthcare, biotechnology and mass communications.

The award adds to £12m already pledged by Welsh Government to support the Foundation, an artist's impression of which is pictured above. The funding will strengthen bonds between Cardiff headquartered IQE Plc, the leading global Compound Semiconductor wafer supplier, and the University. Cardiff is one of seven outstanding university research projects to receive over £100 million from UKRPIF in 2016-17 to drive innovation and growth.

Professor Colin Riordan, Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University, welcomed the investment: “The award from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund will capitalise on existing academic expertise at Cardiff University. It will cement our well-established partnership with IQE to create a global hub for CS technology research, development and innovation.”

Dr Drew Nelson, CEO, IQE, added: “Compound Semiconductors are one of the eight great technologies identified by the UK government as essential to leading the UK's economic and industrial growth. We welcome this announcement and look forward to playing a key role in helping to make Wales and the UK the European powerhouse for next-gen semiconductor technologies.”