This collaborative effort between industry and government aims to execute the National Semiconductor Strategy, a twenty-year plan with three main goals: nurturing the domestic semiconductor sector, mitigating supply chain risks, and bolstering national security. They will meet every two months. 

“The Semiconductor Advisory Panel serves as the perfect way for industry and government to work together closely on this critical industry so that we can deliver on our Semiconductor Strategy,” said technology minister Paul Scully.

Reliance on semiconductors is pervasive and essential to everything from smartphones to national defence systems. They are the building block of nearly every electronic device in use today. 

The UK is home to a number of semiconductor firms, most notably Arm, which had its IPO in May. A total of ten experts from various facets of the sector will be present at the meeting from backgrounds such as research, business, venture capital, and technology. 

“I look forward to serving on the Semiconductor Advisory Panel to ensure the UK has a strong place in the extraordinarily globalised semiconductor industry. We will focus on developing the UK’s already considerable strengths, while working with like-minded nations to ensure resilient supply chains,” said Richard Grisenthwaite, EVP and chief architect at Arm.

According to research from Fortune Business Insights, the global semiconductor market size is expected to grow from roughly £416.5 billion last year, to over £1 trillion by the end of the decade. This is largely due to the increased consumption of consumer electronics, and the emergence of AI, IoT and ML technologies, which are opening up new avenues for market development. 

“Properly engaging and listening to the experts at the heart of researching, designing and producing semiconductors is essential if we’re serious about growing our domestic sector, protecting our national security, and unleashing rapid innovation across the British economy,” said Scully.

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The panel will be co-chaired by the technology minister along with industry veteran and former chief executive of Dialog Semiconductor Dr Jalal Bagherli. The ten panel members are: Amelia Armour, partner at Amadeus Capital Partners; Janet Collyer, senior independent director at EnSilica; Prof. John Goodenough, chair in microelectronic systems at the University of Sheffield; Richard Grisenthwaite, executive VP & chief architect at Arm; Rae Hyndman, managing director at Clas-SiC Wafer Fab; Americo Lemos, CEO of IQE; Dr Andy Sellars, strategic development director at Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult; Dr Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi; and Scott White, Executive Director of Pragmatic.

“Each member brings a unique perspective and expertise, making it an ideal platform to collaborate with national government in shaping an effective policy for our industrial sector,” said Dr Bagherli.