Notizie
Compound semiconductor Catapult gets CTO, and likely location
It is Martin McHugh, who most recently headed up business and technology development for Microsemi’s (now part of Microchip) advanced packaging business.
“He brings with him a wealth of technology experience having worked in technical and commercial roles with responsibilities covering the UK, Europe and North America,” according to the Catapult. “McHugh has also worked on over 30 Innovate UK and EU-funded collaborations worth a total of £50m over a period of 15 years and sits on the Industrial Advisory Board of the School of Engineering at Cardiff University.”
From January 2019, McHugh will lead the strategic and technical direction of the Catapult’s four key technology areas of power electronics, RF and microwave, photonics and advanced packaging.
“One of my first priorities will be to drive forward the development of our evaluation modules that will enable companies to assess their new applications and bring them to market faster,” said McHugh.
Catapults are the UK Government’s attempt to create something like the German Fraunhofers – institutions that bridge the gap between research and manufacture, where manufactures work with researchers and other experts towards manufacturable products using equipment at the Catapult’s site.
The CSA Catapult is currently building up staff numbers in temporary offices in Cardiff. Its final home remains shrouded in secrecy while contracts are signed, but speculation is that it will occupy part of the former LG Semiconductor site at Imperial Park between Newport and Cardiff.
This site, where specialist wafer firm IQE is already esconced, was bought as part of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, a joint venture between by the UK and Welsh Governments and local authorities. Part of the aim here is to create a cluster–effect around Cardiff, Newport and Bristol.
CSA Catapult has already secured its first commercial deal – where the University of Bristol commissioned the Catapult to analyse the potential market for, and to promote, the Universities TherMap non-destructive technique for measuring the thermal properties of wide band gap (such as GaN and SiC) semiconductor wafers.
“He brings with him a wealth of technology experience having worked in technical and commercial roles with responsibilities covering the UK, Europe and North America,” according to the Catapult. “McHugh has also worked on over 30 Innovate UK and EU-funded collaborations worth a total of £50m over a period of 15 years and sits on the Industrial Advisory Board of the School of Engineering at Cardiff University.”
From January 2019, McHugh will lead the strategic and technical direction of the Catapult’s four key technology areas of power electronics, RF and microwave, photonics and advanced packaging.
“One of my first priorities will be to drive forward the development of our evaluation modules that will enable companies to assess their new applications and bring them to market faster,” said McHugh.
Catapults are the UK Government’s attempt to create something like the German Fraunhofers – institutions that bridge the gap between research and manufacture, where manufactures work with researchers and other experts towards manufacturable products using equipment at the Catapult’s site.
The CSA Catapult is currently building up staff numbers in temporary offices in Cardiff. Its final home remains shrouded in secrecy while contracts are signed, but speculation is that it will occupy part of the former LG Semiconductor site at Imperial Park between Newport and Cardiff.
This site, where specialist wafer firm IQE is already esconced, was bought as part of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, a joint venture between by the UK and Welsh Governments and local authorities. Part of the aim here is to create a cluster–effect around Cardiff, Newport and Bristol.
CSA Catapult has already secured its first commercial deal – where the University of Bristol commissioned the Catapult to analyse the potential market for, and to promote, the Universities TherMap non-destructive technique for measuring the thermal properties of wide band gap (such as GaN and SiC) semiconductor wafers.