News: Suppliers
25 November 2025
South Wales-based compound semiconductor cluster celebrates tenth anniversary
On 13 November, over 100 industry leaders, researchers, policymakers and educators gathered in Cardiff to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of CSconnected, the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster. This included reflections from founding figures, recognition of ‘Cluster Champions’, and a keynote address from Jack Sargeant MS, Wales’ Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, whose portfolio aligns with the cluster’s focus on talent pipelines and skills development.
The cluster’s success has been driven by deep collaboration between universities, industry, and government. Key milestones include the establishment of the Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC), the Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) at Cardiff University and the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) at Swansea University, and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult. A major inflection point came in 2020, when CSconnected secured £43m in Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) support, formalizing the cluster as CSconnected and embedding operational collaboration.
With £850m invested in facilities and involving over £150m in collaborative R&D since its origins in 2015, the South Wales-based compound semiconductor cluster has become a cornerstone of the UK’s deep-tech and manufacturing sector, generating £434m+ in revenue for the UK economy (90%+ exports) and supporting about 3000 high-value jobs.
The cluster is anchored by global firms including IQE, Vishay, KLA, and Microchip, alongside research institutions such as Cardiff and Swansea Universities. Together, they form a full research-to-manufacturing supply chain for the compound semiconductor industry, which is not only unique, it is reckoned, but is also extremely difficult to replicate, making it strategically valuable to Wales and the UK.
“CSconnected's tenth anniversary is a testament to Government, business and university collaboration,” said Sargeant in his keynote address at the event. “Over the past decade, this cluster has attracted significant investment, created thousands of high-quality jobs, and established Wales as a global leader in compound semiconductors. As we look to the future, we continue to support this vital sector, ensuring it continues to drive economic growth and prosperity across our communities,” he added.
This density of firms, skills and facilities creates an end-to-end supplychain in a single region, from epiwafer growth and device fabrication through to testing, packaging, and applications. This integrated model is said to reduce lead times, lower risks, and make Wales an attractive location for organizations looking to scale in a constrained global market.
“Ten years ago, CSconnected was an ambitious idea. Today, it’s a thriving ecosystem that connects research, manufacturing, and talent,” says CSconnected’s managing director Howard Rupprecht. “We’re building a future where Wales leads in creating the enabling technologies for quantum, photonics, and AI; collaboration continues to be our competitive edge, and talent development is central to our strategy. This anniversary marks the beginning of that next chapter,” he added.
“We aim to double the size of the cluster [to £1bn in revenue], which means the creation of an additional 3000 new jobs by 2030,” Rupprecht continues, ensuring that value is captured across the region through well-paid jobs and a resilient supply chain.
‘Cluster Champions’ awarded
The event also recognised a group of outstanding individuals as ‘Cluster Champions’ whose leadership, commitment and vision have helped shape the CSconnected cluster over the past decade, comprising:
- Chris Meadows: non-executive director, CSconnected;
- David Rosser: chief regional officer (South), Economy, Skills & Natural Resources Group, Welsh Government;
- Dr Drew Nelson OBE, FREng: co-founder, IQE;
- Kellie Beirne: chief executive, Cardiff Capital Region (CCR);
- Martin McHugh: former chief executive, CSA Catapult;
- Professor Paul Meredith OBE, FLSW: director of the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials at Swansea University;
- Professor Ruedi Allemann: pro vice-chancellor (International) & head, College of Physical Sciences & Engineering, Cardiff University;
- Professor Wyn Meredith FREng FLSW: founding director, Compound Semiconductor Centre & chair, CSconnected.
Picture: CSconnected’s Cluster Champions at the 10th anniversary event.
Their contributions have been “instrumental in building the foundations of a world-leading cluster and in driving continued collaboration across academia, industry and government”.
CSconnected membership launched
As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, CSconnected launched its membership, enabling more organizations in the industry to become part of the cluster. Membership is open to organizations involved in the advanced semiconductor supply chain.
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