Wednesday October 28th 2026
University of Edinburgh (photo by Jacob Pretorius)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A new £18m programme led by University of Edinburgh experts is set to boost the UK’s ability to design, develop and test its own semiconductor chips.
The UK Advanced Chip Design Academy – announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey MP – will strengthen the UK’s ability to design the chips that underpin next-generation technologies such as AI.
It will help deliver advanced chip-design skills and connect British research more directly with semiconductor manufacturing and the production of AI hardware.
The Academy, led by Professor Themis Prodromakis, Regius Chair of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, has been announced as part of a UK Government investment package included in the Autumn Budget.
The UK-wide investment aims to unlock the opportunities of AI, scale up homegrown firms and strengthen national security.
Other investments include initiatives to strengthen the UK’s ability to manage AI security risks and programmes to help communities use AI to boost local economies.
Hosted within the University’s Centre for Electronics Frontiers and Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC), the Academy will give UK-based researchers access to the latest commercial chip-design tools and opportunities to prototype, fabricate and test their designs. It will also provide a lasting domestic training capability.
By connecting UK research more directly with advanced semiconductor manufacturing, the Academy will accelerate the translation of research into commercially relevant products, and support the development of UK semiconductor and AI hardware companies.
John Healey MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “AI will transform daily life: every firm, community, hospital, school, and every aspect of our economy can benefit. I understand and share the concerns of working people, so I am setting out a distinctively British approach to AI – one that doesn’t leave workers behind and defends our national interest, while ensuring the benefits of AI-enabled growth are felt right across the country.”
Professor Themis Prodromakis, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, said: “The establishment of the UK Advanced Chip Design Academy is a transformative investment in our national technology capabilities. Advanced semiconductors underpin the future of AI, quantum computing, and next-generation communications. By bringing together world-class academic expertise, cutting-edge tools, and industry-standard training pathways right here in Edinburgh, the Academy will empower researchers across the UK to translate innovative chip designs into physical silicon – nurturing the high-value sovereign talent needed to drive the UK’s tech economy forward.”
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