Edinburgh to host £18m UK Advanced Chip Design Academy

The University of Edinburgh is set to host a new £18 million UK Advanced Chip Design Academy, aimed at strengthening the UK’s ability to design, develop and test semiconductor chips that underpin next-generation technologies.

Led by Professor Themis Prodromakis, Regius Chair of Engineering at the University, the Academy forms part of a wider UK Government investment package aimed at supporting artificial intelligence (AI), developing domestic technological capabilities and helping UK businesses grow.

Hosted within the University’s Centre for Electronics Frontiers and Scottish Microelectronics Centre, the Academy will provide researchers across the UK with access to advanced commercial chip-design tools and opportunities to prototype, fabricate and test their designs.

The initiative will also establish a lasting training capability, helping develop specialist semiconductor design skills and strengthen connections between academic research and advanced manufacturing.

By supporting the translation of innovative chip designs into commercially relevant products, the Academy aims to accelerate innovation and support the development of UK semiconductor and AI hardware companies.

Beyond AI, advanced semiconductors play an important role in emerging technologies including quantum computing and next-generation communications, creating wider connections across Scotland’s critical technologies ecosystem.

The establishment of the Academy in Edinburgh builds on Scotland’s established semiconductor expertise and represents an important addition to the UK’s chip-design and training capabilities. With its focus on skills, research and commercialisation, the initiative is a significant development for Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster and the wider semiconductor ecosystem.

Read the original announcement: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/edinburgh-to-host-ps18m-uk-advanced-chip-design-academy