Wales: Powering the Future of Global Technology
Wales Tech Week 2025 showcasing how Wales is driving world-class innovation in compound semiconductors
This November, Wales Tech Week 2025 returns to the ICC Wales, Newport (24-26 November), for a dynamic three-day celebration of innovation, collaboration and opportunity, showcasing how Wales is shaping the technologies of tomorrow and putting the nation firmly on the global stage.
Wales is home to the world’s first dedicated compound semiconductor cluster, a globally significant ecosystem driving the forefront of technological innovation. This thriving sector is not only transforming industries but also reinforcing Wales’s position as a critical hub in the global tech supply chain.
In 2024 alone, Wales’s compound semiconductor sector contributed an impressive £434 million¹ in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy, powering innovations from life-saving medical devices and autonomous vehicles to next-generation communications and space exploration.
With a unique blend of academic excellence, industrial expertise and government support, Wales is fast becoming a magnet for international investment and a launchpad for technologies that will define the future.
The Welsh advantage
Anchored in South Wales, the sector supports nearly 3,000 high-value jobs and thrives on a powerful mix of talent, infrastructure and ambition. Here, world-class universities, pioneering organisations and cutting-edge research centres are driving innovation across electric vehicles, renewable energy, 6G networks and next-generation healthcare.
“Wales is at the heart of a global market expected to exceed $70 billion by 2032, offering a distinctive combination of expertise, capability and collaboration through the cluster, led by CSconnected,” said Avril Lewis, Managing Director of Technology Connected and founder of Wales Tech Week.
As Jutta Meier, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer at IQE explained, “As demand for high-frequency, energy-efficient semiconductors accelerates, Wales is not merely a participant in the global market, it is helping define its future direction.”
This year, Wales Tech Week 2025 will unite visionary leaders, pioneering companies and collaborative communities to explore the breakthroughs reshaping our world.
A unique ecosystem for growth
South Wales boasts a vibrant ecosystem featuring global companies like IQE, Vishay and KLA, all drawn by the region’s academic excellence, skilled workforce and state-of-the-art facilities.
Caroline O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer at CSA Catapult said, “We support companies developing new technologies on their journey to commercialisation, working with partners in the cluster, across the UK and internationally. We bridge the gap between academia and industry, to accelerate products into markets.”
“For compound semiconductors, there is no parallel in the world,” added Raj Gawera, Chief Operating Officer, UK Semiconductor Centre. “We’ve got great universities producing cutting-edge research and several large companies investing and anchoring in the region.”
At the heart of this innovation is the higher education sector, with Swansea University and others developing both the talent pipeline and ground-breaking research in materials like silicon carbide and gallium nitride.
“We’re engaging young people through virtual reality and immersive AI experiences, showing them how semiconductors are made,” explained Professor Owen Guy, Head of Chemistry at Swansea University. “We’re also collaborating with companies like Vishay, KLA, Microchip and IQE to take research to commercialisation.”
Julie Fazackerley, Chief Executive Officer at MicroLink Devices UK, explained, “Our ambition is to manufacture our cutting-edge technology from start to finish here in South Wales, and as we are part of the strong cluster organisation, overarched by CSconnected, they bring us all together to support R&D and Innovation and provide ‘one voice’ when speaking with Government.”
Investment and opportunity
The investment story is equally compelling. Vishay Intertechnology, a US semiconductor giant and a Gold Partner of Wales Tech Week 2025, recently acquired the UK’s largest semiconductor manufacturing facility in Newport and announced a £250 million investment to expand production of silicon carbide semiconductors, critical for electric vehicles and clean energy.
“There were three key factors for choosing Wales, the compound semiconductor expertise, the scale of the Newport site and the university and innovation network,” said Sam Evans, Director of TQ and External Affairs at Vishay Newport.
“The semiconductor industry is growing faster than most Western economies, creating highly paid jobs,” added Howard Rupprecht, Managing Director of CSconnected. “Wales offers a secure and resilient environment with a steady supply of locally trained engineers and key suppliers.”
As global demand for smarter, faster and more energy-efficient devices grows, Wales is not just keeping pace, it’s setting the pace. From AI to Net Zero, the compound semiconductor sector is powering the technologies of tomorrow, and Wales is firmly in the driver’s seat.
Join the movement
Wales Tech Week 2025, taking place 24–26 November at the ICC Wales, is your opportunity to see this innovation in action. Powered by Technology Connected, the summit is a showcase of Wales’s global leadership in emerging technologies, including compound semiconductors.
With major partners like Intellistack, Vishay, BT, de Novo Solutions and Thales, Wales Tech Week 2025 is where international opportunity meets Welsh ingenuity. The programme features visionary keynotes, networking and collaborative sessions, interactive demo zones, workshops, roundtables and panels, all shining a spotlight on the technologies shaping our future.