19th May 2023

Newport City Council has welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s National Semiconductor Strategy.

The strategy sets out the UK Government’s commitment to supporting the nation’s semiconductor industry, with a vision to grow the domestic sector with up to £1bn in investment earmarked over the next ten years.

The strategy also sets out plans to mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions and protect the UK’s semiconductor assets.

Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council and cabinet member for economic growth and strategic investment, said: “Newport’s compound semiconductor cluster is a major employer within both our city and the wider south-east region.

“Alongside our partners in the Cardiff Capital Region and Welsh Government, we have been pressing the UK Government to publish this strategy, and we are pleased that they have now done so.

“The recent publication of Cardiff Capital Region’s revised regional economic and industrial plan reinforced our continued commitment to innovation-led economic growth.

“Our semiconductor industry is a key pillar of this, not only for the jobs and economic benefits it directly brings to the region, but also for the benefits it brings to other sectors such as data and cyber, energy, additive manufacturing and medical technology.

“The publication of the semiconductor strategy is a positive step which we believe will help the region maintain a strategic and competitive advantage within our industrial clusters, while also helping to power the UK’s global competitiveness.

“Welsh Government had already committed their support to the expansion of our semiconductor cluster. We are pleased to see UK Government now doing the same, and we look forward to working with both parties to growing one of our region’s most important sectors.”