Newport wafer fab: Nexperia.

 Newport wafer fab.

The Newport wafer fab is Britain's largest semiconductor producer, makes around 32,000 silicone wafers every month. Unlike the highly advanced logic chips produce in South Korea and Taiwan. This factory specializes in power semiconductors that aid in efficient power management. These semiconductors commonly found in household appliances such as kettles, TVs, and mobile phone chargers, as well as in the automotive industry for electric brakes and windows. However, the factory is currently embroiled in a legal battle that could have significant implications for the UK's post-Brexit economy.

 Newport wafer fab

Newport wafer fab & Nexperia.

Last November Government ordered to Duch company called Nexperia to unwinding of Takeover of  takeover of Newport Wafer Fab why because Nexperia is itself owned by a Chinese company called Wing Tech, that decision was made on National security grounds using the provisions of the new National Security and investment act next Perrier has brought a judicial review against the government’s order which is ongoing foreign So what will happen to this company a sale is a possibility, but the Newport Fab is loss-making before the next period purchase in 2021. There are fears it could have to close down as a result of the government’s decision for 600 well-paying local jobs also lose there are also fears skilled workers could leave the company because of the uncertainty that’s been created.

local MP ( Member of Parliament ) View.

The local MP ( Member of Parliament )  thinks the way the government has handled this risks delivering a regional leveling down took it personally that why the government seems to penalize us leveling down is a phrase we could use very well to describe what’s happening here in Newport at the moment if we don’t have certainty in the next few months these people are going to go to other jobs we will lose this site there’s a much bigger picture here this Newport Factory sits at the center of Walsh cluster of what’s Compound Semiconductor expertise with another local company like iqe ansptsTechnologies. You could be a bit of a stretch and call it Wales’s silicon valleys.

Cardiff University Semiconductors chips.

Semiconductors that made in Cardiff University on an experimental basis these chips made from compounds such as silicon and carbon rather than pure silicon. The combination of different materials gives them useful properties can generate and detect light can facilitate high-speed communication experts say they’re likely to be a central plank of massive future Global markets from self-driving cars to advanced Medical  sensors to 6G wireless to super-fast quantum computers and that the UK is a genuine world leader in this frontier technology Pretty much all of the photovoltaics that are send into space or compound Semiconductor photovoltaics and that’s because of the size weight and power advantages.

Government and Newport wafer Fab.

Newport wafer Fab doesn’t in the moment that produce, these cutting-edge compound semiconductors that they’re experimenting on in Cardiff, but the government seems to think the next period takeover could mean valuable technological know-how in this area being extracted from the wider Welsh cluster and send to China or that attempts to develop it here could be stymied because of the Chinese pressure in Newport Compound Semiconductor Technologies could have security and defense applications and some insist there are valid national security reasons to block the Newport takeover.

 they’ll be taking a very evidence- based approach so they’ll be bringing lost of information they have to hand to weigh up the risk it’s basically a risk management decision of weighing up the downsides versus the upsides about taking these calls so for them to have made a decision based on this approach that would suggest there is some evidence some information they’re looking at that Nextperia says it’s ruled out any future Compound Semiconductor development at the Newport site and has pledged to block the export of Technology overseas and some fear the government’s divestment order will end up damaging not safeguarding this important domestic technology cluster.

 there’s certainly a strong feeling from the industry’s leaders that the absence of a national semiconductor strategy from the government is deterring vital foreign investment we’ve lost some opportunities for semiconductor companies including Compound Semiconductor companies to locate in the UK and in particular into Wales going instead to Germany where there are so much bigger incentives and the same with the us there are Financial incentives sometimes tax breaks tax cadets for research and development and so on and we’re and development and so on and we’re competing on a global stage.

Conclusion.

• There’s a lot of fear and confusion here and it’s pretty hard actually to escape the conclusion that the UK government finds itself trapped by some global forces on the other hand there’s pressure to side of the U.S  in its new technological  Cold War against China, on the other hand, it badly needs investment into post-Brexit. Britain there’s also a lack of clarity over economic strategy. Does the government go with International Market forces on the direction of tech or does it go with the international trend for more public subsidy and intervention? 
• Foreign there is no digital without those chips the European Union today pressed ahead with its answer to America’s multi-billion dollar chips act subsidizing local silicon chip production. 
• Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said he wants to turn Britain into the world’s next Silicon Valley but a UK National semiconductor strategy was first promised by ministers two years ago plans to publish were postponed again this week those who live and work in Wales are nascent silicon valley insist they cannot wait any longer.