Worth Reading7 Sep 2018 03:07
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/councillors-say-want-know-what-15108393.
The first investment has seen a loan of £38.5m go to a compound semiconductor project in Newport – IQE has moved into the former LG plant in Imperial Park and is due to open this summer.
At the meeting Councillor Rod Shaw asked why it was placed in Newport given Bridgend’s “pre-eminence” in the tech sector.
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City Deal chairman, and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council leader, Andrew Morgan said the location was important due to a wafer fab manufacturing company being next door to the site and IQE needing the size of the old LG Semicon plant facility premises, adding “obviously it would have been millions of pounds to build those premises”.
Compound semiconductors are essential components inside many of the devices changing the way we live , such a wifi, smartphones, GPS, satellite communications and more efficient LEDs
They will also be crucial for many of tomorrow’s advanced applications, such as electric vehicles with anti-collision sensors, wearable technology to monitor health and high-efficiency solar cells to use in space.
Councillor Morgan said: “Although it’s based in Newport, one of the key things for myself and why I’m able to stand up in my county and sell this project was the reach of IQE in terms of not just direct employees but all across the counties that they work with.
“For example with General Dynamics in Merthyr making the tanks, GE in Nantgarw, Ford in Bridgend – how these semiconductors are being used and the supply chain of companies was a really big selling point.
“We are also talking now about universities linking in with this new technology, this really does have the potential to grow jobs in the region rather than just based in the foundry in Newport.”
Bridgend Council leader Huw David said strategic projects such as the IQE one in Newport was important to Bridgend.
He said: “We have secured high quality, high paid jobs in the region in a hi tech industry and that’s important because we have people from Bridgend working for IQE and I’m really pleased that Bridgend College is supporting that cluster in terms of helping to deliver the skills and training that’s so important to the industry.
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“IQE could of, and were considering, alternative sites because they already have a presence in California and in Asia.”