News: Suppliers
17 October 2025
UK Semiconductor Centre appoints Raj Gawera as chief operating officer
Raj Gawera has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO) of the UK Semiconductor Centre, leading its early mobilization and engagement as it builds plans to champion the UK semiconductor sector on the global stage.
Focusing on the UK's strengths in design and IP, compound semiconductors and R&D, the UK Semiconductor Centre is tasked with driving growth, creating global partnerships, and accelerating innovation across the UK semiconductor ecosystem. From start-ups to scale-ups, it will provide access to infrastructure, investment, knowledge and expertise through the entire UK supply chain.
Picture: The UK Semiconductor Centre’s chief operating officer Raj Gawera.
Gawera’s experience in the semiconductor industry includes being VP & managing director at Samsung Semiconductor (Cambridge and Denmark), where he led silicon and software development for the firm’s connectivity solutions, overseeing several European development centers whose technologies now feature in hundreds of millions of devices worldwide.
He also played a pioneering role in mobile technology, helping to demonstrate one of the first 3G video calls in 1998 and co-founding 3G technology company UbiNetics. He later joined Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) as VP of marketing, driving the handset business that supplied connectivity chips into tier-1 OEMs.
Gawera also has board-level experience from being chair of the board for Cambridge Wireless and, more recently, being appointed a non-executive director of CSA Catapult in 2021.
In his new role, Gawera will be responsible for accelerating the Centre’s impact across its five core missions: creating stronger global partnerships and greater inward investment; scaling-up UK semiconductor companies; creating a connected and more visible UK ecosystem; aligning industry and academia behind a strategic semiconductor roadmap; and developing the skilled workforce for the industry.
“The missions will build a world-class UK semiconductor ecosystem that drives scale-up, attracts global investment and partnerships to fuel growth,” says Gawera.
“Raj’s extensive track record and leadership will be instrumental in delivering the UK Semiconductor Centre’s missions,” believes Jonathan Flint CBE, co-chair of the UK Semiconductor Centre’s Interim Steering Committee. “His appointment reflects our commitment to fostering international collaboration, driving foreign direct investment, sector scale-up, and ensuring the UK semiconductor industry’s global competitiveness,” he adds.
“Raj’s experience and leadership will be pivotal for the UK Semiconductor Centre as we move to strengthen the nation’s semiconductor capabilities and deliver our missions, from fostering international collaboration and driving inward investment to enhancing the UK’s global competitiveness in this critical sector,” adds Interim Steering Committee co-chair Dr Jalal Bagherli CBE.
UK Semiconductor Centre forms Interim Steering Group
