The Council for Science and Technology has published a report recognising the critical role of semiconductors in achieving the UK’s economic and security goals and has set out the opportunity for the UK to build a globally competitive AI chip design industry.

The Council, which provides independent advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, highlights that the UK is uniquely positioned to build an AI chip design industry with the right investment and capabilities in place.

Recommendations in the report cover the skills and training required to build an AI chip workforce, finance and investment needs, and the infrastructure capabilities the UK requires to achieve this.

The Council has provided six recommendations for the UK to build its own sovereign chip design industry.

More Chip Designers

Firstly, it recommends the department of science, innovation and technology (DSIT) and the department for education (DfE) to increase the number of new chip designers in the UK workforce by 2030. This should be achieved through an increased number of bursaries and fellowships for students to pursue this careers path, as well as commissioning a nationally curated, high quality chip design course to be replicated across UK universities.

Optoelectronics

The Council also recommends that DSIT and DfE consider how to expand investment in training and skills for optoelectronics, in particular through the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC). The report says that it is widely predicted that AI chips will increasingly be interconnected using optical communications, which will drive the need for skills and training in this expanding industry.

MOD and DSIT Collaboration

The Council found that currently, the ministry of defence (MOD) and DSIT appear to work independent from each other in their analysis of the semiconductor industry, in what is a lost opportunity of coordination.

To combat this, the Council recommends that DSIT and MOD collaborate to set clear strategic objectives on semiconductors to send a strong signal to the UK semiconductor industry on where activity is most useful. Both departments should collaborate more closely to analyse the risks and opportunities in semiconductors and coordinate investment, with a view to creating early-stage, dual-use opportunities.

Innovation Pipeline

Next, the science Council is urging the government to go further in its support of the AI chip innovation pipeline in the UK by coordinating investment through the entire journey. While it has promising plans in its Spending Review to increase funding in UK tech companies, the Council thinks it should deliver a prioritised list of sectors for strategic investment. This may include deprioritising funding where there is less growth, the Council emphasised.

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Infrastructure

Current catapult platforms meant to support the semiconductor industry are not best serving SME chip companies and academics, the Council has found. The Council recommends that DSIT should ensure the UK’s semiconductor infrastructure provides SME chip companies and academics with affordable and timely access to facilities. This can be accomplished through the UK Semiconductor Centre, which can provide coordination and a clear, measurable metric for success.

Startup Support

UK startups entering the semiconductor industry will require access to leading-edge technologies such as masks and multi-project wafers (MPWs), and licenses for Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and Process Design Kit (PDKs).

The Council advises DSIT, MOD, and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) should explore UK access to the leading-edge technology required by UK startups.