News: Suppliers
18 September 2026
CSconnected celebrates impact of Strength in Places Fund program
On 10 September the South Wales-based compound semiconductor cluster CSconnected Ltd brought together funders, delivery partners and industry colleagues to celebrate the outcomes, impact and legacy of its Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) program, which concluded in May.
Held at CS Imperial Park, Newport, the event reflected on five years of growth, collaboration and innovation delivered through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-backed program, which ran from 2021 to 2026 to accelerate high-growth regional clusters through investment in research, advanced manufacturing and skills.
The day saw a series of talks, showcasing the impact of the project; from new innovations, to economic impact and skills outreach.
Findings from CSconnected’s Strength in Places Fund Impact Report 2026, published earlier in 2026, illustrate the scale of the impact that investment has had both for the people of Wales and beyond, including:
• direct employment increased by 36% to 1914 jobs;
• total Welsh jobs supported rose by 51% to 3140;
• total Welsh gross value-added (GVA) nearly doubled, reaching £436m;
• annual sales grew to £531m.
“The Strength in Places program has achieved incredible impact and CSconnected has proved to be an invaluable partner for Welsh Government,” said Adam Price, its Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy. “The South Wales compound semiconductor cluster is world leading, with unrivalled access to innovation funding, government support and collaborative research programs providing the foundations to power the technologies of tomorrow, attracting significant investment and creating high-value jobs,” he added.
“The UKRI funding from the Strength in Places Fund has seen our ambition of growing and building in Places put into action by CSconnected, who have become a thriving, competitive semiconductor cluster for the UK,” commented Dame Jessica Corner, executive chair for Research England. “Bringing together the strong partnerships and extensive collaboration within the semiconductor cluster in South Wales has powerfully supported economic productivity, creating over 500 new jobs and over 40 new products. I look forward to CSconnected building on this success as it moves into its next phase of development,” she added.
“The SIPF program is the perfect example of what state-funded investment should deliver: skills development, job creation, attraction of inward investment and the benefits this brings to the Welsh and UK economy,” stated CSconnected’s managing director Howard Rupprecht. “We are excited to move into the next stage of our impact with a clear ambition: to grow the cluster revenue to £1bn and deliver 6000 jobs in the region by 2030.”
Looking ahead, CSconnected says that it will focus on deepening UK-wide supply chain integration, expanding international partnerships and supporting emerging market opportunities across 6G communications, AI, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The full SIPF Impact Report 2026 can be downloaded here.
CSconnected unveils awardees for final call of £1m Supply Chain Development Programme
South Wales cluster CSconnected issues SIPF program impact report
CSconnected supporting £436m for Welsh economy and 3140 jobs
