The University of Edinburgh has been chosen to be the headquarters of a new £18 million programme — the UK Advanced Chip Design Academy — which plans to boost the UK’s ability to design, develop and test its own semiconductor chips.
The Advanced Chip Design Academy — announced by UK Chancellor John Healey — will strengthen the UK’s ability to design the chips that underpin next-generation technologies such as AI.
It will help deliver advanced chip-design skills and connect UK research more directly with semiconductor manufacturing and the production of AI hardware.
The Academy, led by Professor Themis Prodromakis, Regius Chair of Engineering at the University, has been announced as part of a UK Government investment package included in the Autumn Budget.
Hosted within the University’s Centre for Electronics Frontiers and Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC), the Academy will give UK-based researchers access to the latest commercial chip-design tools and opportunities to prototype, fabricate and test their designs.
It will also provide a lasting domestic training capability.
“By connecting UK research more directly with advanced semiconductor manufacturing, the Academy will accelerate the translation of research into commercially relevant products, and support the development of UK semiconductor and AI hardware companies,” said the university.
“The UK-wide investment aims to unlock the opportunities of AI, scale up homegrown firms and strengthen national security.
“Other investments include initiatives to strengthen the UK’s ability to manage AI security risks and programmes to help communities use AI to boost local economies.”
Professor Prodromakis said: “The establishment of the UK Advanced Chip Design Academy is a transformative investment in our national technology capabilities.
“Advanced semiconductors underpin the future of AI, quantum computing, and next-generation communications.
“By bringing together world-class academic expertise, cutting-edge tools, and industry-standard training pathways right here in Edinburgh, the Academy will empower researchers across the UK to translate innovative chip designs into physical silicon – nurturing the high-value sovereign talent needed to drive the UK’s tech economy forward.”