UK centre for doctoral training in semiconductor skills to open

The aim is to meet the technical demands of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

The UK Semiconductor Industry Future Skills (UK-SIFS) CDT will be led by Swansea University’s Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) in close collaboration with the University of Leeds.

The government is backing the centre to deliver advanced doctoral-level training in semiconductor skills.

The Henry Royce Institute says by combining academic research with industry-embedded training, UK-SIFS will produce a pipeline of up to 60 highly skilled PhD students over five cohorts.

Students will engage in four-year research projects in partnership with leading UK companies in semiconductors and related sectors.

The programme will offer flexible training paths, including part-time study and opportunities for professionals to undertake research projects with their current employers while continuing their professional development.

The Henry Royce Institute say its key focus will be on retraining talent from other high-skill industries where opportunities are diminishing.

UK-SIFS is a joint investment of approximately £18mln, including £10mln from the UK Government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with additional contributions from Swansea University, the University of Leeds, and 24 industry and civic mission partners.

Training and research will take place in cleanroom facilities at Swansea’s CISM and the Bragg Centre for Materials Research at Leeds, which together represent over £80mln in investment.

Professor Edmund Linfield, Director of the Bragg Centre for Materials Research at Leeds, and UK-SIFS co-Director says, ‘UK-SIFS will support a wide range of cutting-edge projects from across science and engineering, training the future highly skilled and diverse workforce needed by the semiconductor sector.’

The University of Leeds has opened a portal for prospective candidates to register interest in the PhD project opportunities.