The Rise of UK Semiconductors: Transforming the Tech Landscape

The UK has long been a hub for semiconductor design, home to Arm Holdings, whose architectures power 99% of the world’s smartphones. While the UK lacks large-scale fabrication plants (fabs), it’s doubling down on niche areas like AI chip design and compound Semiconductors (e.g., gallium nitride for power-efficient devices). In May 2023, the UK government unveiled its National Semiconductor Strategy, pledging £1 billion to bolster research, startups, and workforce training. Collaborations between universities like Cambridge and companies such as Graph core aim to develop next-gen AI chips. However, critics argue the UK must address its reliance on overseas manufacturing to avoid supply chain vulnerabilities.