OREANDA-NEWS. IQE plc (AIM: IQE, "IQE" or the "Group"), the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafer products and wafer services to the semiconductor industry, announces the appointment of Professor Colin Whitehouse FREng, FInstP, FIMMM, as Chair of the Compound Semiconductor Centre, a joint venture between IQE and Cardiff University.

A world-renowned expert in advanced compound semiconductor materials, nano-devices and nanotechnology, Professor Whitehouse brings a wealth of experience in both managing and directing research as well as the commercial exploitation of research. 

Colin was, until recently, Deputy Chief Executive of The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which is one of the UK's Research Councils. He was also Director of the STFC Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire and was also responsible for initiating the formation of the National Science and Innovation Campuses at Daresbury and Harwell.

Professor Whitehouse's previous roles include Board membership of Sheffield Innovations Ltd (the commercialisation arm of the University of Sheffield), STFC Innovations (STFC's very successful commercial exploitation company), the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), STEMNET, and Chair of the UK's R&D Society. He is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Materials, Mining and Mineralogy.

On his appointment, Professor Whitehouse said:

"The rapidly growing dependence on compound semiconductors that enable all key technology markets will create exciting opportunities for the recently formed Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC), IQE and Cardiff University. I have been a very long-standing strong supporter of the UK building such genuinely international-class critical-mass R&D activities via high-quality collaboration.

"The CSC is uniquely positioned to perform the extremely important intermediate role between university-based research, particularly through Cardiff University's Institute of Compound Semiconductors (ICS), and the very recently announced CS Applications Catapult Centre, also to be based in South Wales. I am truly delighted therefore to become the Chair of the CSC, and am really looking forward to working closely with all of the CSC team."

Dr Wyn Meredith, Director of Compound Semiconductor Centre commented:

"I am delighted that Colin has agreed to join the CSC. His unparalleled reputation and experience coupled with his extensive network within industry, academia and government  will be absolutely invaluable in guiding the development of the centre through its set up and early growth phase."

About the Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC)

Led by industry and academia, for industry, the Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) is an innovative collaboration between IQE plc and Cardiff University to underpin the creation of a unique global capability for new and emerging 21st century technologies.

Based in Cardiff, the CSC represents a unique opportunity to build on our creativity and excellence in research to?develop an innovative eco-system to commercialise next generation opportunities, the compound Semiconductor Centre is a vital milestone towards developing a World-class Compound Semiconductor cluster.

The establishment of a facility to support the full technology capability chain (TRLs 1 to 9) offer Wales, the UK and Europe a unique opportunity to play a leading global?role in next generation, 21st century technologies.