Vector Photonics has been invited to present to the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) this week at the SPIE Photonex 2022 exhibition in Birmingham. The presentation is a ‘Special Event’ within the exhibition’s industrial programme entitled, ‘Enabling photonics with UK semiconductor technologies.’ It looks at the UK’s compound semiconductor landscape in all four nations, with Robert Fleck, Semiconductor Strategy Lead at the DCMS attending.

Wyn Meredith of The Compound Semiconductor Centre will chair the event with guest presenters Euan Livingston of Vector Photonics representing Scotland’s cluster; Martin McHugh of the CSA Catapult covering England; Chris Meadows of CS Connected, standing for Wales; and Mark Gubbins of Seagate summarising Northern Ireland.

Euan Livingston, who is Sales and Marketing Director at Vector Photonics, said, “Prototype, compound semiconductor lasers can be made entirely within the Scottish photonics cluster. It is a unique capability in the world, let alone the UK, provided by a group of competitive, established, profitable, independent and world-class businesses. It is a privilege to represent these businesses to government and suggest that targeted funding could help establish Alpha and Beta supply chains too. This would secure Scotland’s and the UK’s positions as world-leaders in compound semiconductor laser development and production. It brings with it, high gross value added (GVA) jobs; increased GDP; a support ecosystem derived from UK expertise; and a sovereign capability.”