Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has published its Annual Report for 2024-25, highlighting “the considerable impact and value brought to the economy”.
A not-for-profit research and technology organisation funded by Innovate UK, CSA Catapult works with start-ups, SMEs, large organisations and academia to de-risk commercialisation, eliminate barriers to market and accelerate compound semiconductor technologies. Its facilities include an Innovation Centre in Newport.
In 2024-25 CSA Catapult:
- Opened the UK’s first open-access setting advanced packaging facility through £2.5 million funding from Driving the Electric Revolution (DER) Challenge.
- Became a key part of REACT, a UKRI-funded £5.5 million project creating the UK’s first sustainable electronics centre in Scotland.
- Enabled customers to leverage £713.5 million of public and private investment.
- Collaborated on 311 industrial projects.
- Received £17.1 million of funding from collaborative R&D projects.
- Created or safeguarded nearly 6,000 jobs.
In 2024-25 the Catapult opened a £2.5 million advanced packaging facility in Newport, co-hosted WiPDA Europe and welcomed world-leading experts to South Wales; and joined Scotland’s £5.5 million REACT initiative.
The Catapult secured £9 million to expand advanced chip manufacturing at the University of Strathclyde. During this period, discussions began about the Catapult mobilising and establishing the UK Semiconductor Centre.
In November 2024, an independent report by Cardiff University said that CSA Catapult’s R&D projects have contributed over £600 million of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy.
Caroline O’Brien, CEO of CSA Catapult, said:
“We strengthened our UK-wide presence and expanded our technical capabilities in 2024–25, scaling our offering and expanding our global influence.
“CSA Catapult is now a mature organisation at the forefront of compound semiconductor technologies.
“Thank you to my colleagues at CSA Catapult for their efforts in all we have achieved in 2024-25. We will continue to build on these foundations to enhance sovereign capability and deliver even greater impact for the UK semiconductor industry.”
