IQE : and Cardiff University wins Economic Impact title at 2017 Business and Education Partnerships Awards

03 November 2017

Cardiff, 03 November 2017: IQE plc (AIM: IQE, 'IQE' or the 'Group'), the leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductor wafer products for the global semiconductor industry, and Cardiff University have won the Economic Impact title at the Business and Education Partnerships Awards.

The award was presented during a gala ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff, in recognition of IQE's close work with Cardiff University to achieve a number of key milestones in developing an advanced, high-tech manufacturing capability with the vision of establishing the world's first Compound Semiconductor Cluster in Wales.

IQE and Cardiff University have established the Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC), a 50/50 'for profit' enterprise that is Europe's new home for product, services and skills development in CS technologies. Based in Cardiff, CSC provides cutting-edge facilities that help researchers and industry work together and helps to position Cardiff as the UK and European leader in CS technology.

IQE is also pleased to announce that Professor Peter Smowton, Director of EPSRC Future Manufacturing Hub in Compound Semiconductors, has won the title of Individual Impact at the same awards ceremony. Professor Smowton has been actively driving the creation of the Hub which provides Europe-leading capability that will translate research into large-scale CS growth and device fabrication. Cardiff University leads the Hub with three key academic partners: UCL (University College London), the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield. For more information about the Hub, visit: https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/centres/manufacturinghubs/

The EPSRC Manufacturing Hub in Future Compound Semiconductors and CSC work closely together for compound semiconductor manufacturing and applications development in Wales and have been key elements to drive the establishment of the Compound Semiconductor Cluster.

The awards ceremony was organized by Insider Media Ltd, the UK's leading business publisher.

CONTACTS:

IQE Press/Investors: Chris Meadows (44) 2920-839-400

ABOUT IQE:

http://iqep.com

IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with products that cover a diverse range of applications, supported by an innovative outsourced foundry services portfolio that allows the Group to provide a 'one stop shop' for the wafer needs of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers.

IQE uses advanced crystal growth technology (epitaxy) to manufacture and supply bespoke semiconductor wafers 'epi-wafers' to the major chip manufacturing companies, who then use these wafers to make the chips which form the key components of virtually all high technology systems. IQE is unique in being able to supply wafers using all of the leading crystal growth technology platforms.

IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer, communication, computing and industrial applications, including a complete range of wafer products for the wireless industry, such as smartphones and wireless infrastructure, Wi-Fi, base stations, GPS, and satellite communications; optical communications, optical storage, printing, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products, barcode, ultra high brightness LEDs, a variety of advanced silicon based systems and high efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells.

The manufacturers of these chips are increasingly seeking to outsource wafer production to specialist foundries such as IQE in order to reduce overall wafer costs and accelerate time to market.

IQE also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customised materials for specific applications and offers specialist technical staff to manufacture to specification either at its own facilities or on the customer's own sites. The Group is also able to leverage its global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost of raw materials. In this way IQE's outsourced services, provide compelling benefits in terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby significantly reducing operating risk.

IQE operates multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities worldwide.