Scotland gets £9m funding for power packaging
A new R&D development designed to support the growth of semiconductor packaging has received a £9 million funding injection, helping to reshore a critical part of the UK’s £500 million electrification supply chain and create new opportunities for manufacturers to access new markets and cut costs.
Hosted by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the new development, which is funded by Innovate UK and set to open in 2025, will be located in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, forming part of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC).
Providing an advanced packaging scale-up line for power electronic semiconductors, this new capability – a first in Europe - will support the faster production of semiconductor chips, reducing packaging times for UK firms from months to just days.
Matt Boyle, director of Electrification at NMIS, said: “At the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) we work with manufacturers of all sizes to help them boost productivity and efficiency and we’re excited to help grow the semiconductors supply chain here in the UK and secure a lead in sector innovation.
“Working closely with the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, our focus is on highly specialised packaging, using our established engineering expertise to stay ahead of rising demand. Facilities and equipment for packaging have until now been the missing piece of the puzzle, and the new packaging line unlocks the potential to reshore manufacturing to the UK.
“This is just the beginning - our aim is to accelerate semiconductor manufacturing, allowing companies to explore new technologies and implement testing without disrupting day-to-day production. We look forward to collaborating with firms from across the supply chain and within our vast network, including the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.”
Martin McHugh, CEO at CSA Catapult said: "This new facility will allow semiconductor and packaging companies to try and test new ideas, helping to de-risk the commercialisation process and bring their products and solutions to market quicker.
"The facility will also allow us to expand the capabilities and relationships built under the Driving the Electric Revolution programme, working closely with colleagues from NMIS to take innovative packaging solutions developed at CSA Catapult into a state-of-the-art scale-up facility in Scotland.
"This transformation of ideas into products will be the key to unlocking the full growth potential of the UK's semiconductor industry, helping to further develop our world-leading strengths in advanced packaging across a range of industries."
