Scottish microchip packaging centre to create 300 jobs

Plans are underway for an advanced semiconductor packaging facility close to Glasgow Airport in a move that is expected to create 300 skilled jobs.

The move follows the announcement of a £160 million investment from the UK government in Glasgow City Region Innovation Zone (GCRIZ) projects.

Led by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the new centre will form part of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC) at Inchinnan, Renfrewshire. It will support UK and international customers with “lab-to-scale” packaging of semiconductor components for critical applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and photonics.

Left to right: Lucy Merritt (NMIS), Christine Dent (NMIS), Matt Maynard (University of Strathclyde), Chris Courtney (NMIS), Matt Boyle (NMIS), Paul Jarvie (CSA Catapult), and Gladys Benghalia (NMIS). Picture: Martin Shields

The National Advanced Semiconductor Packaging and Integration Centre (NASPIC) builds on a previous £8m grant from Innovate UK for advanced packaging in power electronics. It responds to the accelerating need for microchip innovation to support next-generation technologies, as packaging capabilities struggle to keep pace with demand.

Packaging, a key stage in semiconductor manufacturing, protects core components and readies them for use in a range of technologies. The process is evolving to accommodate more devices and functionalities within single packages and the UK’s semiconductor packaging market, valued at some £500m and employing 15,000 people, is projected to reach £750m by 2030.

In a first for Europe, the new facility will enable faster development of semiconductor devices, reducing packaging lead times from months to days, while keeping production within the UK and helping to mitigate geopolitical risk.

A potential £29m investment from GCRIZ will fund new facilities to deliver “complex, high-value solutions that are in short supply”. At present, many wafer manufacturers are forced to offshore semiconductor packaging, resulting in long lead times and limited supply chain resilience.

The centre is expected to create as many as 300 jobs and unlock an estimated £800m in additional revenue for UK and international businesses.

Professor Matt Boyle, director of electrification at NMIS, said: “We are building a world-class capability here in Glasgow, positioning the region at the forefront of advanced semiconductor development.

“Our ambition is to serve the global market for semiconductor packaging. As part of this, we also intend to develop skills programmes that will fuel the sector’s expansion both locally and nationally.

“This latest funding boost underlines NMIS’s commitment to becoming a world-leading centre for advanced manufacturing in these critical technologies.

“This is a very exciting moment,” he added. “Scotland has long been at the forefront of semiconductor innovation. Now, with fresh momentum and investment, we have the opportunity to put Scotland back on the global map for advanced packaging, underpinned by targeted skills development.”

Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Strathclyde and chairman of the NMIS board, said: “The development of the National Advanced Semiconductor Packaging and Integration Centre reflects Strathclyde’s scientific and technological strengths and our longstanding commitment to industrial innovation and research that delivers real-world impact.

“This is a strategically important capability for the UK, enhancing our competitiveness, strengthening supply chains, and opening up new opportunities in high-growth sectors such as AI, quantum and photonics.”

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