IET BCS Summer Lecture 2022
Speaker
Dr Wyn Meredith, Director of the Compound Semiconductor Centre
Agenda
17:30-18:30 - Food and networking
18.30-19:30 - The talk
19:30-20:30 - Drinks and networking
Synopsis
Compound Semiconductor (CS) devices are a Key Enabling Technology underpinning the operation of the internet and enabling megatrends such as Smart Phone and tablet usage, satellite communications/GPS, energy efficient lighting and power electronics, advanced sensing for autonomous systems, efficient solar power generation, wearable healthcare and ground-breaking biotechnology.
We are already in the position where many facets that are taken for granted in modern life would not be possible without CS materials. The demands of next generation technologies and focus on sustainability are driving the integration and replacement of Silicon semiconductors with advanced CS materials at an accelerating rate, creating a massive market opportunity for CS materials and devices.
To take advantage of this opportunity, there has been intense government, academic and private sector collaboration to build on semiconductor capability and assets in South Wales, driven by a collective vision first published in 2015.
The resulting Cluster ecosystem is based on interdependency and common goals, and a co-ordinated manufacturing supply chain in 70-mile corridor from Chepstow to Swansea. In 2021 the ecosystem grew by 14% to 2,390 staff involved in research, engineering and high value add manufacturing, with in excess of 20% of the workforce engaged in R&D and innovation intensive activity.
The talk will describe the evolution of the Cluster, give an overview of the participants, highlight new capability and infrastructure, and look forward to future plans.
About the speaker
Wyn Meredith, originally from Swansea, received a MA (Physics) from Cambridge University and PhD from Heriot Watt University in blue semiconductor laser development in 1997, and has 25 years of industrial experience gained during time at Ferranti, British Telecom Research Labs, Detica (now BAE), Sharp Research labs, IQE plc and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (now Sivers Semiconductors). Wyn is currently the founding Director of the Compound Semiconductor Centre, initiated in 2015 as a Joint Venture between Cardiff University and IQE Plc to focus on the commercialisation of advanced semiconductor research and innovation in the region.
Wyn is an expert advisor to the UKs Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (National Research Facilities Steering and Chair of the UK Quantum Technologies Hub review), and sits on the Steering Boards of Cardiff University Department of Physics and Astronomy; The Centre for Integrated Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University; The EPSRC National Epitaxy Centre, Sheffield University and the Quantum Metrology Institute at the UK National Physical Laboratory. He is a Non-executive Director of the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult.
He was author of ‘CSconnected‘, a £43M project to expand the South Wales Semiconductor Cluster, which was awarded £25M from the UKRI Strength in Places Fund (2020-25), and currently Chairs the management group. In 2021 he was elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and awarded an Honorary Distinguished Professorship by Cardiff University and in recognition of working for more than 20 years with the School of Physics and Astronomy, providing expert advice on commercialisation of research and interaction with industry.
This event is brought to you by: The IET and the BCS South Wales branch
