An independent UK semiconductor industry resource
The UK semiconductor industry, mapped.
Explore the companies, clusters, capabilities, investment, events and industry developments shaping the UK semiconductor sector. Semiconductor.co.uk is an independently owned, source-attributed resource focused on understanding the UK industry.
376 companies mapped · 249 fully verified · 203 detailed company profiles
12 recognised clusters · 34 capability areas
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The principal resources on this site
Sector information is organised around the businesses, capabilities, regional clusters, investment, policy, events and people that make up the UK semiconductor ecosystem, with every figure traced to its publisher.
Companies
Verified and mapped businesses operating across the UK semiconductor ecosystem.
Clusters
Explore the regional concentrations of design, manufacturing, materials and semiconductor expertise.
Industry data
Understand the scale, composition and economic contribution of the sector.
Investment & policy
Follow Government programmes, funding and significant investment affecting UK semiconductors.
Events
Find relevant conferences, technical events and industry gatherings.
Senior appointments
A selective service for leadership and specialist semiconductor roles.
Industry developments
Significant company, investment and technology announcements rather than a high-volume news feed.
How big is the UK semiconductor industry?
The UK semiconductor sector comprises around 703 UK semiconductor companies, of which 295 are dedicated semiconductor businesses and 408 are diversified companies with semiconductor-related activity. Dedicated companies are estimated to have generated approximately £10.6 billion in revenue and £7.5 billion in gross value added in 2025, employing roughly 16,350 people directly and supporting up to 32,550 high-value jobs across the wider economy.
The sector's distinctive strength is intellectual: chip design, semiconductor IP, compound semiconductors, photonics and research-led device science, rather than high-volume leading-edge fabrication. Activity is concentrated in 12 regional clusters spanning all four UK nations.
Headline figures
DSIT Semiconductor Sector Study 2026
- 703
- UK semiconductor companies identified by the 2026 Government study
- 295 dedicated semiconductor companies and 408 diversified companies, up from 623 at the 2024 baseline.
- £10.6bn
- Estimated revenue generated by dedicated UK semiconductor companies in 2025
- Based on 2024/25 company data, including dedicated companies newly identified since the 2024 baseline study.
- £7.5bn
- Estimated gross value added (GVA) generated by dedicated semiconductor companies
- Including newly identified dedicated companies; a 9% increase on the comparable baseline measure.
- 16,350
- Approximate direct employment within dedicated semiconductor companies
- 2025 estimate, approximately 9% higher on a like-for-like basis than the 2024 baseline.
- 32,550
- High-value jobs supported across the wider economy (up to)
- Total employment estimated to be supported by dedicated UK semiconductor companies.
- 12
- Recognised regional semiconductor clusters
- Spanning design strength and manufacturing, materials and research depth across all four UK nations.
Industry sentiment
83% of firms surveyed for the 2026 study expected to grow over the following three years, and 47% expected rapid growth of more than 20% a year — up from 38% in the 2024 baseline. Global semiconductor sales reached $796bn in 2025, driven primarily by demand for AI compute.
The £1.1 billion UK AI Hardware Plan
Published alongside the 2026 sector study, the UK AI Hardware Plan sets out how the Government intends to build capability in the chips underpinning artificial intelligence, structured around innovation, skills, procurement and investment.
Procurement
£750m
Heterogeneous AI supercomputer for the AI Research Resource (AIRR)
A single system able to integrate different types of advanced compute, including novel AI architectures and, over time, quantum computing, used on real research workloads.
Procurement
£400m
Procurement opportunity for specialised chips
Sits within the £750m AIRR supercomputer programme rather than being additional to it.
Procurement
£150m
Advance Market Commitment for next-generation inference chips
An expanded Advance Market Commitment, up from £100m announced previously, to purchase novel high-performance inference chips. Forms part of the £400m specialised chip procurement.
Where UK semiconductor activity happens
The 2026 study identifies 12 regional clusters, each with a distinct specialism — from compound semiconductors in South Wales to silicon photonics in Southampton and design depth around Cambridge.
Cambridge / East of England
Design, IP and semiconductor physics
London
National coordination, fabless design and research spin-outs
North East
Compound semiconductors and advanced materials electronics
Northern Ireland
Integrated photonics, nano-manufacturing and hardware security
North West
Upstream materials science and characterisation
Scotland
Fabrication, photonics, quantum and advanced packaging
Latest
Sector update · 19 September 2026
UK Semiconductor Sector Update — September 2026
Private funding, public investment and policy delivery since the 2026 sector study and AI Hardware Plan.
Industry activity
Selected appointments, events and company announcements from across the UK semiconductor industry. Each is reviewed before it appears, and paid placements are identified as such.
Senior appointments
- We are introducing a selective senior appointments service for leadership and specialist roles, and are inviting employers, search firms and specialist recruiters to submit suitable appointments for consideration.
Upcoming events
- ALD for Next-Generation Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing22 October 2026
- Compound Semiconductors: Powering, Connecting and Sensing the Future28 October 2026
- SEMICON Europa 202610–13 November 2026
- To Chiplet or Not to Chiplet17 November 2026
Industry announcements
- CSconnected reports growth in the South Wales compound semiconductor cluster16 September 2026
- UK graphene electronics company Paragraf joins Korean commercialisation initiative14 September 2026
- Pragmatic Semiconductor appoints new EVP for manufacturing and operations8 September 2026
- EnSilica to establish space and communications semiconductor centre in Milan8 September 2026
Continue reading
UK semiconductor companies
How the ecosystem is structured, from fabless design and semiconductor IP to compound semiconductors and photonics, with notable UK companies in each segment.
Explore UK Semiconductor Companies & SegmentsSemiconductor glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terminology used across the industry and in Government policy.
Primary sources
The Government publications and institutional resources behind every figure on this site.
About this resource
Who publishes Semiconductor.co.uk, how sources are chosen and how to report a correction.
Commercial
Work with Semiconductor.co.uk
Semiconductor.co.uk offers a limited number of commercial opportunities for organisations active in the UK semiconductor ecosystem, including industry partnerships, senior appointment listings, event listings and industry announcements. Commercial participation never influences the sector data or conclusions published here.
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