Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has been awarded £4m(US$5.08million) from UK Government agency Innovate UK (which provides funding and support for business innovation as part of UK Research and Innovation) to help deliver a resilient and energy-efficient future telecoms network for the UK.

Established in 2017 by Innovate UK, CSA Catapult is a not-for-profit organization focused on accelerating the adoption of compound semiconductors in three key areas (the road to Net Zero, future telecoms and intelligent sensing). Headquartered in Newport, South Wales, it works across the UK in a range of industry sectors, from automotive to medical, and from digital communications to aerospace.

The funding will help expand CSA Catapult’s activities across the future telecoms landscape and develop new compound semiconductor technologies to improve the speed, energy efficiency and security of the UK’s communications networks.

Made in the Autumn Statement, the announcement coincides with the launch of CSA Catapult’s new Future Telecoms Hub, which has been officially opened by Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure Sir John Whittingdale MP.

Funded through an initial £2.5m investment by Innovate UK and based at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, the Future Telecoms Hub combines state-of-the-art equipment with expertise to test and develop new telecoms hardware made using compound semiconductors.

A priority of the Future Telecoms Hub will be to improve the performance of power amplifiers. Analysis from CSA Catapult (in an Energy Efficient Networks white paper) has revealed that, in a typical base station, power amplifiers can account for up to 80 per cent of the power consumed. As base stations themselves account for over 70 per cent of power consumption across the whole telecoms network, there is a sizeable opportunity to drastically increase energy efficiency by improving just a single device.

CSA Catapult analysis also shows that RF power amplifiers present one of the biggest market opportunities across the network, with the global market set to grow to US$9bn by 2025 (according to ABI Research). Devices fabricated using compound semiconductors — specifically gallium nitride (GaN) — are expected to occupy 25–35 per cent of that addressable market, with a value of US$2.5–2.7bn, according to market research firm Yole Group.

The Future Telecoms Hub will complement CSA Catapult’s existing operations at its headquarters in Newport, South Wales by providing closer access to a thriving telecoms ecosystem across Bristol and the South West of England that includes several major technology companies and research institutions.

The Future Telecoms Hub will also strengthen CSA Catapult’s connection with the Western Gateway and will host collaborative research projects with the University of Bristol.

The additional funding from Innovate UK comes at a “significant point in the Catapult’s journey as we open the doors to our new Future Telecoms Hub in Bristol,” says CSA Catapult’s CEO Martin McHugh. “Bristol has an established network of innovative companies and research institutions located within and around the city, as well as strong links with partners across the Western Gateway, so it was a natural fit for us to place our future telecoms capability here,” he adds. “With the widespread adoption of 5G and our increasing dependence on connected technologies, the demand for safe, secure and reliable telecoms infrastructure has never been greater. The Future Telecoms Hub will enable our partners to bring new telecoms technologies to market and allow us to continue to build supply chains, increase investment in R&D and grow the UK economy.”

“As the national innovation agency, Innovate UK will make these strategic investments to enable innovative businesses to grow in the UK and deliver against some of the biggest global challenges,” says Innovate UK’s CEO Indro Mukerjee. “These investments are part of our core domain activities across Net Zero, Digital & Technologies and Healthy Living & Agriculture,” he adds. “They enhance national capability through our world-leading Catapults, and will be deployed across the UK.”

“Digital connectivity is the lifeblood of the future economy. Innovation that will take place in hubs like this in Bristol will open business opportunities, transform industries and drive economic growth around the world in the decades ahead,” says Whittingdale. “A stone’s throw from the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales, Innovate UK’s investment will drive forward British leadership in researching these advanced chips to unlock opportunity with future telecoms.”