ChipStart UK: a conversation with Arm about the future of the semiconductor industry

Electronic Specifier spoke with Richard Grisenthwaite, EVP, and Chief Architect at Arm about the strategy and its support of the ChipStart UK incubator.

Can you provide an overview of the current state of the UK's semiconductor industry from Arm’s perspective?

The UK is home to a thriving technology ecosystem and Arm is proud to have its headquarters in Cambridge as we continue our work to enhance every walk of life with Arm technology. Many companies that are fundamental to the semiconductor industry have hubs in the UK, allowing them to tap into the strengths the UK has when it comes to semiconductor design and IP. I serve on the UK government’s Semiconductor Advisory Panel where we are focused on ensuring the UK has a strong place in the extraordinarily globalised semiconductor industry.

How does the semiconductor strategy align with Arm’s technological goals?

The UK semiconductor strategy builds on the strengths that the UK technology industry already has and looks to drive global industry collaboration with other like-minded nations to ensure supply chain resilience for this vitally important sector. Arm’s leadership in advanced processor design and software platforms is a major part of the UK’s great strength in semiconductor design, and we are fully committed to the UK as one of its main design centres going forward. Arm’s goal is to continue to deliver the foundational platforms to our global partners for the future of computing, and the ongoing investment in talent and innovation that the UK semiconductor strategy promotes aligns with this vision.  

What do you think are the key areas of innovation in semiconductor technology where the UK should be focusing its efforts

The design of processors and semiconductor-based compute systems is a key capability within Arm, and it will continue to be a very important area for innovation within the UK for years to come. Another key area of skill and world-class competence in the UK is compound semiconductors, an area that we expect to see continued innovation in.

How does the UK's semiconductor strategy position itself in the context of global competition, particularly with major players like the US, China, and the EU?

The semiconductor industry is an extremely globalised industry, managing a complex supply chain. The UK’s strategy centres around working together with like-minded countries to advance our national interests while ensuring the UK can compete and contribute to this growing industry on a global scale.

What are some of the UK’s strengths within the semiconductor industry?

The UK semiconductor strategy highlights a number of key strengths across the semiconductor value chain, including semiconductor design and IP, compound semiconductors and research and innovation supported by UK universities.

What investment has Arm made into the UK?

We are extremely proud of our British heritage and remain fully committed to the UK. Our global headquarters are in Cambridge where we have over 2,000 employees, the majority of whom work in technical disciplines. Cambridge is also home to a significant proportion of our senior technical leadership. In addition, we have offices across the UK including Manchester, Sheffield, and a new site in Bristol which opened last year. All our locations are brimming with engineering talent, and we remain focused on attracting the world’s best talent in the UK and globally.

We also work closely with organisations like UKRI, part of the UK government’s Digital Security by Design program, on critical research projects like Morello, which is exploring new ways of creating more secure chips.

What are your thoughts on developing a skilled workforce capable of supporting the UK's semiconductor industry? Do you think the strategy plan will help attract new talent?

The opportunity for growth and innovation in the semiconductor industry is clear, but this is only possible if we have the right skills in the workforce. Arm is committed to enabling this through stronger cross-industry/academia collaboration which is why last year we announced a new global initiative called the Semiconductor Education Alliance. With support from a range of Arm partners including Anglia Ruskin University, UK Electronics Skills Foundation, and the University of Southampton, we are bringing stakeholders together across industry, academia, and government to address the growing challenges of both finding talent and upskilling the existing workforce. Furthermore, skills development is an important part of the focus of the UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel.

Can you tell me more about the relationship between Silicon Catalyst and Arm and why it’s so beneficial?

Arm was the first to join Silicon Catalyst’s ecosystem as both a strategic and in-kind member back in 2020. The partnership connects Silicon Catalyst’s leading incubator and accelerator dedicated to silicon startups, with Arm Flexible Access for Startups, an offering which provides startups with $0 access to a wide range of Arm IP, tools, and support, helping them to get to market faster, using industry proven IP, and the benefit of the Arm ecosystem. Silicon Catalyst is an important part of this ecosystem, bringing other in-kind partners, and access to advisors and investors. One of the many great examples of our partnership was the Silicon Startup Contest in 2023, which shone a spotlight on the fantastic innovation in the silicon startup community.

What would be your advice for startups in the space?

I would recommend three key pieces of advice: 1) control cash flow, 2) use trusted technology and 3) move quickly.

1) Control cash flow: cash flow is a common challenge for early-stage silicon startups so considering the foundational IP technology they use to create their products is important, as this can represent a significant cost. Arm Flexible Access for Startups was designed to provide startups with a design first, pay later model, enabling founders to build silicon at a lower cost.

2) Trusted technology: a silicon re-spin is a huge expense, and a big schedule delay. Successful startups will look to use proven and trusted IP to reduce their risk and focus their resources on the areas they differentiate rather than risk silicon failures using untested IP.

3) Move quickly: look for IP providers that provide example systems and an ecosystem of software and tools to start from a strong foundation. Arm partners have shipped more than 270 billion chips and one of our startup partners told us they had our Cortex-M core and example system downloaded and running in less than a day. This has huge value for a startup with limited resources.

What are the anticipated future trends in semiconductor technology, and how are initiatives like the ChipStart UK preparing to meet these challenges?

AI is having a huge impact on both consumers and businesses, and this will only continue over the coming years. Advanced, purpose-built chips will play a critical role in allowing today's AI technologies to scale and in fueling further advancements in their deployment. We expect to see even more innovation in this space as the semiconductor industry looks at how to deliver AI in a sustainable way and move data around more efficiently.