Scotland Launches Global Semiconductor Cluster Plan

-- Semiconductor International, 8/1/1999

The Scottish government announced a strategy to make Scotland a world center for semiconductor research, design and manufacturing. Three goals central to the plan are the creation of a new wafer foundry, the first global Scottish-owned semiconductor manufacturing company and Scotland's first $100 M semiconductor/ optoelectronics company. The plan would create up to 14,500 new jobs over the next five years.

Elements of the plan include increased funding for academic research and commercialization; building an intellectual property trading exchange; increasing the number of college graduates educated in system level integration; attracting internationally renowned experts to work in Scotland; marketing Scotland as a center for semiconductor design; and increasing the number of global semiconductor supply companies headquartered and strategically controlled from Scotland.

The launch of the initiative follows a year-long development partnership of manufacturers, academics, researchers, suppliers, customers and economic development bodies.