Chinese delegates visit ICS

Cardiff’s Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) has played host to officials from Chongqing Municipal Government in south western China.

The party of ten delegates visited the University to get to know more about the business opportunities offered by the Compound Semiconductor cluster in South Wales.

Hosted by Welsh Government, the visit brought together ICS Director, Professor Peter Smowton, and Chongqing Executive Vice Mayor, WU Cunrong, to explore ideas.

The delegation also featured key-decision makers who will shape Chongqing's future economic development, including economics and finance experts.

Charlotte Fundalski, International VIP Visits & Events Protocol Officer with Welsh Government’s Office of the First Minister and Cabinet Office added: “The visit gave us a golden opportunity to showcase Wales' key strengths and highlight how Wales and Chongqing might forge future economic connections and collaborations.”

In a short talk, Professor Smowton set out the opportunities available for businesses working with the ICS and CS Connected – the wider CS cluster.

Professor Smowton explained how the ICS is dedicated to changing academic mindsets to focus on “manufacturable” research. The ICS provides a bridge between the research lab and the commercial world for one of the world’s key enabling technologies.

“Ultimately, we want the ICS to become a sustainable and reliable compound semiconductor fabrication facility, where research and industry work together closely supported by skilled process engineers, at the heart of the fifth cluster in Europe for semiconductors - but the first in the world for Compound Semiconductors.”

The ICS is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.