Employment safeguarded or created through R&D projects with Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has contributed more than £600 million of gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy.

A new report published by the Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff University highlights the economic contribution of CSA Catapult.

It confirms the breadth of CSA Catapult’s R&D activity across the UK and its economic contribution to the compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales.

Key findings between 2019-23 include:

• 4,718 jobs created or safeguarded by CSA Catapult projects
• CSA Catapult supported 156 R&D projects and worked with 215 SMEs and 40 large organisations
• That £15 million of external R&D funding received by CSA Catapult generates a long-term benefit to UK productivity of between £56 million and £86 million

CSA Catapult is the UK’s authority on compound semiconductor applications and commercialisation. It was established in 2018 by Innovate UK to help the UK become a global leader in compound semiconductors.

It is a centre of excellence with state-of-the-art equipment that specialises in the measurement, characterisation, integration and validation of compound semiconductor technology across four areas—power electronics, advanced packaging, radio frequency (RF) and microwave, and photonics.

CSA Catapult helps deliver long-term benefit to the UK economy and accelerate UK economic growth in industries where applying compound semiconductors creates a competitive advantage and enables new products or end markets.

The Catapult’s Innovation Centre, based in Newport, is at the centre of the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster, CSconnected.

CSA Catapult forms an important part of the compound semiconductor cluster in Wales. The cluster as a whole has seen its gross value added (GVA) more than doubled in the period since 2019 and currently employs close to 1,800 people in well paid and highly skilled activity.

Through 20 R&D collaborations involving every public and private organisation within the cluster, CSA Catapult has helped to create or safeguard an estimated 650 jobs.

The average improvement in technology readiness level (TRL) in the 81 projects that the Catapult was involved in, where the data is available, was 1.8. TRL is a measurement to assess the maturity level of a particular technology. Of these 81 projects, 6 projects increased TRL levels by 4 or above.

Martin McHugh, CEO of CSA Catapult said:

“The purpose of CSA Catapult is to deliver long-term economic benefit to the UK, accelerating economic growth wherever the application of compound semiconductors creates a competitive advantage, new products or markets.

“It is clear from this report that we are delivering on this and making a significant contribution to the UK economy. Through our collaborations with organisations across the country, we’re helping to create and safeguard jobs and are making a significant contribution to the UK’s productivity.

“Our expertise is helping businesses to accelerate their technologies and bring their products and services to market quicker, which ultimately makes the UK more productive and competitive.”