Seven major research and innovation projects across the UK are set to receive over £400m in government and industry funding. This investment will benefit some of the country’s most promising R&D projects, including businesses and universities in Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool, Kent, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Belfast.
As part of UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund, the funding will support cutting-edge research and innovation projects that drive local economic growth. It is the latest step towards reaching the government’s target of investing 2.4% of GDP in UK research and development by 2027. Each programme will deliver long-term economic benefits and benefit local people, closing the gap between the rate of growth in the area and nationally. The scheme will encourage more competitive and future-proof industries as our economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, creating thousands of jobs and enhancing skills across regions,
In May 2020, seven projects were awarded full stage funding from wave 1 of the Strength in Places Fund. As a Cardiff-based company, we are delighted that South Wales’ CS Connected is among them! Led by Cardiff University, the CS Connected SIPF project focuses on strengthening an emerging regional cluster in advanced semiconductor materials and manufacturing, bringing socio-economic benefits to South Wales. The project aims to develop a global advantage in a sovereign, key enabling technology that will allow the UK to increase trade globally in critical sectors such as communications, 5G, autonomous and electric vehicles, and medical devices.
The cluster already hosts 1400 high-value manufacturing jobs in the region and is delivering well above-average contributions to productivity. The project will also introduce a compound semiconductor skills academy, providing significant training that will enhance skills across South Wales. You can find out more about CS Connected and all the other successful projects here.
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