The UK has strength in markets for electronic-based systems. Heterogeneous Integration (HI) is a disruptive technology driving change in the semiconductor industry, already recognised by global Tier 1 companies for AI compute in data centres and consumer electronics. CHIMES acts as a national hub for the UK design community, delivering low-cost entry into HI systems through knowledge transfer and anchoring semiconductor systems design — and its economic benefit — in the UK.
Heterogeneous Integration brings different semiconductor parts together into a complete system. The Centre bridges design teams, the UK science base, and manufacturing via innovation translation pathways in HI. Design enabled by HI can reconnect UK supply chains while still drawing on both UK and non-UK pathways to manufacture. CHIMES also develops open yet resilient system architectures and design methods so HI supply chains can grow without undermining cyber security.
The Centre is funded as part of the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy and supported by EPSRC. As announced in the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, £25 million is provided to establish Innovation and Knowledge Centres in Neuromorphic Computing Hardware and Heterogeneous Integration System Design — joining IKCs in Silicon Photonics and Power Semiconductors under the National Semiconductor Strategy.
