Fostering Cross-Border Innovation – A New Chapter in Taiwan–UK Semiconductor Collaboration
Original Article by SemiVision Research (Innovate UK , ITRI )
As the global semiconductor landscape rapidly evolves and supply chain innovation becomes ever more critical, Taiwan and the United Kingdom are forging closer ties to co-develop the next generation of technology industry partnerships. Playing a key role in the UK's tech diplomacy and industrial development, Innovate UK is actively driving this momentum through its flagship initiative—the Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP)—injecting new energy into the innovation ecosystems across academia, research, and industry in both regions.
In June 2025, a delegation of 14 semiconductor and optoelectronics startups from the United Kingdom embarked on a five-day exchange visit to Taiwan. This marks the first time the Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) has focused specifically on semiconductors in Taiwan. The delegation's expertise spans a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including:
Integrated photonics and photonic components
Advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration
Power electronics and wide bandgap devices
Wafer-level processing and metrology equipment
In-memory computing and AI acceleration platforms
Green hydrogen supply chains and sustainable manufacturing processes
As part of its semiconductor-focused Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP), Innovate UK led a delegation to Taiwan that included site visits to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), B2B matchmaking with local enterprises, and participation in technology showcases and innovation forums. Through these in-depth engagements, the UK innovation teams gained a firsthand understanding of Taiwan’s comprehensive semiconductor value chain, from its world-leading wafer fabrication and advanced packaging capabilities to its robust ecosystem for materials, process integration, and commercialization.
This visit not only marked a milestone in UK–Taiwan innovation linkage—it also signaled the beginning of a strategic collaboration pathway. From joint R&D and technology transfer to global market expansion, the partnership is set to transcend time zones and technological barriers, unlocking new opportunities in next-generation semiconductor development.
Technology knows no borders—innovation is human.
As Taiwan continues to strengthen its role as a global high-tech powerhouse, the UK, through GBIP, is enabling the precise landing of breakthrough innovations and fostering meaningful cross-border connections. Together, Taiwan and the UK are co-authoring the blueprint for the future of semiconductors.
Advancete Limited
Official Website: https://www.advancete.com
Technology Overview:
Advancete is an innovative UK-based company specializing in high-precision laser material processing. Its core technology, AquaLase®, integrates Laser-Assisted Liquid Jet processing—designed specifically for brittle, thick, and thermally sensitive materials. This method significantly reduces heat-induced stress and material cracking, making it ideal for:
Dicing and slicing of compound semiconductor wafers (e.g., GaN, SiC)
Drilling and layer removal of ceramic and glass substrates
Precision machining of packaging components such as glass lids and optical interfaces for high cleanliness applications
Key Advantages:
Non-contact processing with minimal thermal effects
Enhanced edge quality and reduced particle contamination, minimizing post-process cleaning
Customizable laser wavelength and pulse parameters to support various materials
Compatible with large-area, high-throughput processing, ideal for automation and integration into production lines
Industry Applications:
AquaLase® technology is widely applicable in advanced manufacturing segments including:
Power module production for electric vehicles
Compound semiconductor wafer processing
Optical sensor fabrication
High-purity optical windows for packaging
MicroLED substrate preparation
Advancete enables scalable solutions that meet the demands of high-precision processing and complex material challenges.
AllFocal Optics Ltd
Official Website: https://www.allfocaloptics.com
Technology Overview:
AllFocal Optics is a nanophotonics startup spun out from the University of Cambridge, focused on solving persistent issues in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices—namely visual fatigue and vergence-accommodation conflict.
The company’s core innovation is a nanophotonic structure-based tunable focus module that enables dynamic focal adjustment in ultra-compact form factors, replicating the natural focusing behavior of the human eye.
Application Areas:
AR/VR headsets: Improves 3D visual depth perception and user comfort
Smart glasses: Enables lightweight, focus-adjustable wearable displays
Automotive head-up displays (HUDs): Provides synchronized near/far visual readability for drivers
Medical and optical instrumentation: Delivers high-precision dynamic focusing in devices like miniature endoscopes and wearable sensors
Key Advantages:
Fabricated using inorganic nanophotonic structures for high durability and long operational life
CMOS-compatible, enabling cost-effective manufacturing and large-scale integration
Significantly thinner and more power-efficient than conventional liquid crystal or electrowetting lenses
Offers complete simulation and optical design support to help OEMs integrate the technology into customized applications
Technology Maturity:
The core technology has passed prototype validation and is currently in pre-production testing with multiple European partners in the AR and automotive display sectors, progressing toward manufacturing readiness.
Read more: Pawan’s Cambridge startup attracts multinational giants
(AllFocal Optics Ltd CEO & Co - Founder: Dr. Pawan Shrestha)
Analogue Insight™
Official Website: https://analogueinsight.com
Technology Overview:
Analogue Insight™ is a forward-looking UK semiconductor innovation company focused on developing Chiplet-based architectures and high-frequency module integration technologies. The company addresses the growing demand for modular, high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects in next-generation satellite communications, 5G/6G systems, and AI data centers.
Its core development centers around a UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express)-based Ka/Ku band chip-scale transceiver platform, offering a highly integrated, scalable Chiplet solution tailored for advanced packaging ecosystems.
Application Areas:
Satellite and space communications: High-speed data transceivers for LEO satellite systems
5G/6G infrastructure: Fronthaul and midhaul network components
High-frequency mmWave AI data center interconnects
Advanced SiP/CoWoS packaging: Multi-Chiplet synchronization and integration
Key Advantages:
Supports Ka/Ku bands and higher frequencies (above 26 GHz)
Compatible with advanced packaging platforms (CoWoS, InFO, EMIB, etc.)
Offers a highly integrated platform with end-to-end simulation, mixed-signal, digital control, and co-design support
Optimized for power efficiency and modular scalability, configurable per system requirements
Partnerships and Development Stage:
Analogue Insight™ is currently collaborating with advanced communications and semiconductor manufacturers across Europe and Asia on joint Chiplet platform development. The company is also actively engaged with the UCIe industry consortium for standards development. The technology is now progressing toward the engineering sample stage.
Apitronix Semiconductor
Official Website: https://apitronix.com/
Company Overview:
Founded in 2024, Apitronix Semiconductor is a next-generation semiconductor startup focused on high-performance, low-power, and scalable solutions. The founding team comprises veteran analog/mixed-signal IC designers and experts in high-speed communication systems. The company’s mission is to deliver critical silicon IPs and SoC integration technologies for future digital infrastructure and intelligent systems.
Core Technology Directions:
High-speed SerDes design (supporting 112G/224G NRZ and PAM4)
Low-power analog front-ends (AFEs) for sensors and edge AI devices
Smart power management modules (PMIC / DVFS) to improve overall SoC energy efficiency
Chiplet and heterogeneous integration support, including compatibility with UCIe and 2.5D packaging platforms
Target Applications:
High-speed communication infrastructure (e.g., 5G/6G base stations, optical modules)
AI accelerator platforms for data centers
Industrial-grade edge computing and intelligent manufacturing systems
Automotive and aerospace electronics (targeting AEC-Q100 qualification)
Development Status and Partnership Outlook:
Apitronix is currently collaborating with IP vendors, OSAT providers, and foundry partners on the tape-out of its first multi-mode high-speed interface chip (PHY + controller). Engineering samples are expected by late 2025, with plans to engage system integrators (IDM/OEMs) in Asia for co-development and deployment.
Bristol Nano Dynamics Ltd
Official Website: https://nanodynamics.co.uk
Company Overview:
Bristol Nano Dynamics is a high-tech spin-out from the University of Bristol, specializing in Dynamic Scanning Probe Microscopy (Dynamic SPM) systems. The company addresses the limitations of conventional nanoscale metrology in speed and stability by offering a new generation of ultra-high-resolution, real-time surface analysis tools.
Technology Highlights:
Dynamic feedback control and high-frequency actuation modules enable superior scanning speed and imaging stability
Achieves sub-nanometer (<1 nm) resolution with non-destructive imaging capabilities
Supports in-situ and real-time analysis, suitable for integration in semiconductor production or research metrology tools
Application Scenarios:
Process monitoring and defect inspection in semiconductor wafer fabrication
Surface analysis of interposer and microstructures in advanced packaging
Characterization of nanomaterials (e.g., 2D materials, quantum dots, nanowires)
Biomedical surfaces and microfluidic interface studies
System Advantages:
Compatible with automated platforms and vacuum chamber integration
Offers an open software interface supporting diverse data formats and plug-in analytics
Optimized for non-destructive testing (NDT) in high-throughput production environments
Development Status:
The company’s systems have been successfully deployed in leading UK research institutes and material development labs. Bristol Nano Dynamics is actively collaborating with semiconductor equipment makers and material suppliers, and is expanding into Asian markets to fill the critical metrology gap between front-end fabrication and packaging processes.
Bristol Nano Dynamics Interview
HyperCIM
Official Website: https://hypercim.com/
Company Overview:
HyperCIM is a cutting-edge startup focused on real-time data processing and AI acceleration architectures, pioneering the commercialization of In-Memory Computing (IMC). By breaking the performance bottlenecks of the traditional processor–memory separation model, HyperCIM integrates compute logic directly into memory arrays, enabling unprecedented bandwidth and latency advantages for AI inference applications where millisecond-level response times are critical.
Technology Highlights:
Up to 1,000× memory bandwidth compared to conventional GPU architectures, optimized for AI prediction and fast-response workloads
Power consumption reduced to a few percent of GPU-based systems, easing energy and thermal constraints
Fully compatible with existing server and datacenter infrastructure—no architectural overhaul required
Supports data pre-processing, vector operations, and classification tasks, ideal for AI inference pipelines
Application Scenarios:
FinTech: Real-time fraud detection, risk assessment, and transaction acceleration
E-commerce & Recommender Systems: User behavior prediction and personalized ranking
Telecommunications: Network data stream analysis and adaptive resource management
Esports & Edge XR Devices: Ultra-low-latency interaction and visual inference processing
Development Stage & Collaboration Strategy:
HyperCIM’s platform has entered initial deployment testing, with ongoing pilot discussions with data center operators and financial services providers. The company is also planning integration with UCIe- and Chiplet-based architectures to further enhance scalable in-memory compute capabilities and support large-scale AI system co-design with industry partners.
LUX
Official Website: https://www.luxindustries.co.uk/
Company Overview:
LUX is an innovative UK-based startup pioneering modular hydrogen liquefaction and on-site green hydrogen supply technologies. The company aims to fulfill the growing demand for high-purity hydrogen—especially in semiconductor processing, electronic gas supply chains, and advanced manufacturing—through a more compact, flexible, and low-carbon approach.
Its core offering is a patent-pending cryogenic micro heat exchanger, with a volume just 1% of conventional systems, enabling full integration into container-sized hydrogen production modules that can be deployed on-site to conduct:
Electrolytic hydrogen generation
Cryogenic liquefaction
Localized storage and supply
Technology Advantages:
Supports 100–1,000 kg/day of liquid hydrogen production with scalable modular architecture
Enables on-site production and use, eliminating long-distance transportation costs and risks
High energy efficiency with low carbon footprint, ideal for coupling with renewable electricity sources (e.g., solar, wind)
Deployable in remote or infrastructure-scarce locations, supporting decentralized hydrogen distribution
Application Scenarios:
Hydrogen supply for semiconductor and panel fabrication (e.g., EUV lithography, CVD, annealing, cleaning)
R&D facilities for hydrogen fuel and energy storage systems
Industrial high-purity hydrogen molecule sources
Hydrogen safety and energy modules for labs and academic institutions
Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
LUX’s prototype system has reached TRL 6, indicating successful prototype demonstration in a relevant environment. The company is currently engaging in field trials and commercial deployment partnerships to scale its solutions.
Oxford Lasers
Official Website: https://www.oxfordlasers.com
Company Overview:
Founded out of the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, Oxford Lasers is a global leader in laser micromachining and laser imaging technologies, with over 40 years of experience spanning academic research and industrial applications. The company’s expertise covers electronics, packaging, medical devices, automotive, and aerospace sectors.
In the semiconductor and advanced packaging domain, Oxford Lasers specializes in:
Micro-drilling and patterning of advanced probe card substrates
Processing of glass interposers for heterogeneous integration
Selective laser ablation and GHz-pulse ultrafast drilling technologies
These capabilities are essential for next-generation Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), 3D-IC, and HPC packagingapplications requiring high-density, thermally stable, and mechanically robust interconnect structures.
Technology Highlights:
GHz-pulse laser drilling: Enables ultra-fast, uniform via creation in ultra-thin glass and silicon substrates
Non-contact precision patterning: Supports advanced RDL structuring, LLO (Laser Lift-Off), and micro-slotting
Custom micromachining platforms tailored for glass substrates and heterogeneous materials
Proven mass-production experience, with supply partnerships in probe card and substrate manufacturing
Key Application Areas:
High-speed test probe card substrates for mmWave and PAM4 signal integrity
Opto-electronic packaging and photonics-electronics integration
MicroLED and CMOS image sensor microstructuring
Wafer-level packaging of glass, ceramic, and polyimide films requiring via, trench, and patterning solutions
Business Development Status:
Oxford Lasers is actively expanding its footprint in Asia and forming strategic partnerships in the glass interposer, optoelectronic packaging, and advanced laser processing ecosystem. The company is also pushing into new application domains involving wide-bandgap materials like SiC and GaN, with successful demonstrations in advanced processing environments.
Pangolin Industries Ltd
Official Website:
Company Overview:
Pangolin Industries is a UK-based fabless photonics startup that delivers end-to-end services from photonic component design and packaging engineering to supply chain integration and manufacturing support. The company focuses on infrared detection, semiconductor lasers, and broadband optical amplifiers, offering tailored development and integration based on diverse application requirements.
Core R&D Focus:
Infrared Photodiodes (IR PDs): Designed for detectors, sensor modules, and surveillance systems
Semiconductor Lasers & Optical Amplifiers: Supporting data communications, medical imaging, and LIDAR
Broad III-V Material Compatibility: Expertise across InP, GaAs, GaSb, GaN platforms for near- and mid-infrared integration
Packaging + Test + Scalable Manufacturing: Enables rapid prototyping, pilot runs, and commercialization
Target Applications:
Communications: Optical interconnects for data centers, LPO modules, optical transceivers
Automotive & Aerospace: LIDAR systems, environmental monitoring, optical navigation modules
Medical & Industrial Imaging: High-sensitivity IR detectors, excitation light modules
Defense & Security: Short- and mid-wave infrared systems, thermal imaging instruments
Key Advantages:
Fabless architecture: Access to a flexible network of foundries and test partners for agile production scaling
Proprietary photonic design tools: Accelerated development cycles through in-house modeling and simulation
Co-design expertise: Seamless photonic-electronic integration for complex system-level modules
Robust component platform: Focused on low power, high reliability, and high sensitivity performance
Current Development Status:
Pangolin Industries is actively collaborating with leading research institutions, sensor OEMs, and optical communication module providers across the UK and Asia. The company is expanding its infrared and telecom product portfolio and aims to build robust manufacturing partnerships within the Asian photonics supply chain ecosystem
RAM Innovations
Official Website: https://ram-innovations.com/
Company Overview:
RAM Innovations is currently the only UK-based company specializing in Panel-Level Packaging (PLP) services, driving the advancement of next-generation power and communication modules through highly efficient integration and packaging solutions. The company’s patented process embeds wide bandgap semiconductors (e.g., GaN, SiC)directly into the inner layers of PCB substrates, rather than surface-mounted configurations—offering superior thermal, structural, and electrical performance.
Core Technological Highlights:
Embedded Die Packaging Technology: Active devices are embedded within multilayer PCBs to enable ultra-short power paths
Significant Parasitic Inductance Reduction: Ideal for high-speed switching modules such as EV drives, servo controllers, and industrial power supplies
30%–50% Size and Weight Reduction: Compared to conventional SMT-based modules
Enhanced Thermal Performance: Supports both passive and forced cooling mechanisms for higher power density designs
Target Applications:
EV Power Modules: SiC inverters, DC-DC converters
High-Frequency Switch-Mode Power Supplies & Servo Drives
Telecom Base Station and Radar Power Modules
Industrial Automation and Motor Control Drivers
Reliability & Validation:
RAM’s technology has successfully passed highly accelerated thermal cycling tests (from -40°C to 125°C for over 1000 cycles) conducted at the UK’s Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, demonstrating outstanding mechanical stability and electrical reliability.
Key Advantages:
Seamless Integration into Mass PCB Manufacturing Lines: Reduces production cost and risk
Panel-Level Production Ready (18” × 24” panels): Suited for high-throughput PLP automation
Material Versatility: Compatible with ceramic, FR4, BT laminates, and thermal vias
Supply Chain Compatibility: Aligns with Taiwan’s PCB/packaging ecosystem for collaborative industrial deployment
Current Status & Collaboration:
RAM Innovations is currently engaged in joint development projects with multiple European and Asian partners in automotive electronics, industrial control, and energy systems. The company is actively promoting its embedded PLP technology for next-gen EV power electronics and GaN-based RF communication modules.
SCI Semiconductor
Official Website: https://www.scisemi.com/
Company Overview:
SCI Semiconductor is a UK-based deep-tech startup focused on secure processor design. The company develops hardware-enforced memory-safe processors based on the CHERI architecture (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions), originally developed by the University of Cambridge and SRI International. Its flagship platform, ICENI, provides built-in memory protection and fine-grained isolation, enabling secure computing from the silicon level up—ideal for edge computing, defense, industrial control, and embedded systems in high-risk environments.
Key Technology Highlights:
Based on the CHERI architecture, featuring capability-based memory access control
Mitigates common vulnerabilities like out-of-bounds access and use-after-free at the hardware level
Minimizes the “blast radius” of undiscovered software flaws through strict pointer confinement
Modular processor architecture compatible with MCU, SoC, and Chiplet design integration
Target Application Domains:
Edge devices in financial and medical sectors (e.g., POS terminals, wearable sensors)
Secure processors for government and defense systems
AIoT and industrial automation controllers
Embedded authentication and secure communication modules
Commercial Progress & Ecosystem Involvement:
Collaborates with major tech companies including Microsoft and Google on CHERI-based architecture validation and standardization
The ICENI platform is available as a licensable IP core, enabling rapid adoption in embedded and custom SoC environments
Supports LLVM/Clang toolchains for compatibility with modern software stacks and accelerated development
Key Advantages:
Memory safety enforced at hardware level, establishing strong system-level trust
Reduces reliance on costly software-based runtime checks
Compatible with RISC-V and Arm ecosystems for flexible integration
Ideal for AI/IoT platforms operating under strict international supply chain security standards
TherMap Solutions
Official Website: https://www.thermapsolutions.com
Company Overview:
TherMap Solutions is a cutting-edge spinout from the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. The company specializes in laser-based, high-resolution thermal characterization instruments for advanced semiconductor and heterogeneous packaging applications. Their non-invasive, real-time thermal metrology tools address long-standing challenges in measuring thermal diffusivity and interface resistance in multilayer structures.
Key Technology Highlights:
Utilizes Time-Domain Thermoreflectance (TDTR) and modulated laser techniques for non-contact thermal diffusivity and conductivity measurements
Enables in-situ thermal mapping of epitaxial layers, bonding interfaces, TIM (thermal interface material) layers, and packaging structures
Applicable across material R&D, process control, and failure analysis in semiconductor environments
Primary Application Areas:
GaN/SiC-based power electronics: evaluation of heat dissipation and interfacial resistance
Advanced heterogeneous packaging: verification of thermal design in bonded dies, underfill, and TIM layers
Thermal-sensitive optoelectronics: including LEDs, laser diodes, and RF components
New material development: assessing thermal properties of low-k adhesives, composite thin films, and novel interfaces
Competitive Advantages:
High thermal resolution (up to 10⁻⁷ m²/s precision)
Supports micron-scale multilayer structures and non-uniform geometries
Integratable into materials labs and semiconductor process R&D lines
Automation-ready: compatible with scanning stages and data analytics modules
Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
Currently at TRL 6–7, TherMap’s systems are deployed in multiple materials R&D labs and compound semiconductor fabs. The company also offers custom modular platforms for specific process integration scenarios in thermal metrology.
Watt Laser
Official Website: https://watt-laser.com/
Company Overview:
Watt Laser is a UK-based equipment startup specializing in high-precision laser micromachining systems. Its flagship MLAb platform series delivers ultra-clean, repeatable, and highly configurable laser processing capabilities designed to meet the yield and flexibility demands of advanced packaging and photonic/electronic structure manufacturing.
Key Technology Highlights:
Equipped with tunable pulse laser sources offering microsecond to picosecond regimes for brittle and multilayer material processing
Supports cutting, drilling, grooving, and micro-patterning of materials including glass, ceramics, polymers, copper layers, and compound semiconductors
Achieves sub-5 μm resolution, ideal for applications such as RDL structuring, heterogeneous bonding, and SiPh via hole fabrication
Application Scenarios:
2.5D / 3D IC advanced packaging: die grooving, through-wafer drilling, wafer reconstitution
Optoelectronic heterogeneous integration (CPO / OIO): high-precision via drilling for optical alignment and structural interfacing
Photonic chip packaging / LIDAR module manufacturing: micro-machining under ultra-clean constraints
Glass / ceramic interposer prototyping and structure design
Deployment and Global Reach:
Watt Laser’s MLAb systems are currently installed in over 50 international R&D and manufacturing sites across Asia (including Taiwan), Europe, and North America. Clients include major semiconductor manufacturers, laser module developers, academic institutions, and OSAT providers.
Key Advantages:
Modular system design for seamless integration with existing process toolchains
Proprietary software suite for CAD/CAM processing and automated calibration
Delivers end-to-end solutions: from equipment to parameter development and application integration
Supports both mass production and prototyping, enabling flexible scaling from R&D to HVM
Wave Photonics
Official Website: https://www.wavephotonics.com
Company Overview:
Wave Photonics is a UK-based photonic design platform startup originating from the University of Cambridge. The company is dedicated to building an integrated photonics (IP) design ecosystem that spans material platforms, process nodes, and application domains. It specializes in silicon photonics design automation and Design–Manufacturing Co-Optimization (DMCO).
Core Technologies:
A patented photonic design platform integrating process characterization, optical simulation (FDTD/BPM), and inverse design algorithms
Supports multiple material systems (Si, SiN, III-V on Si, AlGaAs, LNOI) and broad wavelength ranges (O, C, L, and mid-infrared bands)
Offers customizable Process Design Kits (PDKs) for different foundries
Application Scenarios:
Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) and Optical I/O (OIO) module design
Quantum photonics and quantum communication chips
High-speed datacenter modules (800G / 1.6T) – optical path modeling and optimization
Sensing and biomedical imaging optics (MIR, FTIR applications)
Key Advantages:
Seamlessly interfaces with commercial silicon photonics foundries – validated on commercial wafer fabs
Automated design flow significantly lowers entry barriers for photonic design and accelerates prototyping
Delivers low-loss structures (<1 dB loss) and high process tolerance, enhancing fabrication yield and robustness
Ideal for dense optical interconnects, advanced heterogeneous integration, and system-level photonic engines
Development Status:
Wave Photonics is actively collaborating with wafer manufacturers, optical module vendors, and HPC system designers across Europe and Asia. The company is also expanding its presence in Taiwan’s silicon photonics packaging and testing ecosystem.
