UK signs agreement with Canada on semiconductor research network

The UK government has announced a new agreement with Canada to launch a shared semiconductor research network to advance progress on the technology.

The UK-Canada network will bring together experts from both countries through expert exchanges, secondments and more, to develop smarter, faster and more energy-efficient semiconductor chips.

The two countries will work on advanced materials, chip design, and packaging techniques that make devices more powerful and sustainable.

The agreement is funded by £1.16 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and led by Professor Andy G Sellars at the University of Southampton.

The plans build on an agreement signed earlier this year between the UK and Canada which aims to create jobs, drive economic growth, and ensure both countries lead in semiconductor technology.

Elsewhere, the UK’s National Supercomputing Centre in Edinburgh has signed an agreement with Canada’s Digital Research Alliance to share ideas on how to build and run powerful computers that support cutting-edge research, including AI.

Through the new agreement, the UK and Canada will exchange knowledge of what has worked in their own use of AI in delivering public services, swapping the digital tools and cloud-service designs behind these successes.

“The UK and Canada are working hand in hand to shape the future of technology – from smarter, greener chips to AI that improves everyday services,” said UK technology minister Ian Murray. “By sharing expertise and driving progress together, we’ll create new jobs and cut costs for hardworking people by bringing our public services into the modern age.”

The UK government described the UK and Canada as “natural partners” after Canadian firms invested around £30 billion into the UK economy in 2023, supporting more than 165,000 jobs.