The University of Southampton is partnering with industry leader Siemens to boost the UK's advanced manufacturing and semiconductor capabilities.
The collaboration unites Southampton's new MICROCRAFT open-access fabrication platform with Siemens' Cre8Ventures open innovation platform creating a fast, low-risk pathway from lab research to real-world products.
Together, they will enable students, researchers, tech start-ups, and industry partners to design, test and build next-generation Micro- and Nano- Electromechanical Systems (MEMS and NEMS) - miniature sensors and devices underpinning modern technology from smartphones and drones to medical and environmental monitoring tools.
The new initiative supports the goals of the UK National Semiconductor Strategy and the EU Chips Act, addressing the critical need for sovereign design and manufacturing capabilities.
MICROCRAFT, led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the University of Bristol, will provide open access prototyping capability, design support, and skills training from the Zepler Cleanrooms, one of Europe's most advanced fabrication environments.
Siemens' Cre8Ventures will help innovators model, test, and validate their designs virtually through its digital twin technology before production, saving time and cost.
The collaboration will:
- Demonstrate new applications, such as a first-of-its-kind UK-made dual use drone using MICROCRAFT devices tested using Siemens' virtual workflows.
- Give start-ups access to MICROCRAFT's fabrication expertise and Siemens' industry-grade validation tools and networks.
- Establish a reciprocal innovation pipeline between UK manufacturing and Europe's digital innovation ecosystem.
"This partnership is a game-changer for the UK's semiconductor ambitions," said Dr Ibrahim Sari, Founder MICROCRAFT University of Southampton. "By combining MICROCRAFT's world-class fabrication platform with Siemens' industry-leading digital twin technology, we are creating a unique pathway that bridges the gap between academic research and industrial commercialisation.
"We are empowering students, researchers, and industrial partners to design, build, and validate the technologies of the future, right here in the UK."
Carson Bradbury, Co-founder Siemens Cre8Ventures, said: "Accelerating the path to value for deep tech startups is the core mission of Cre8Ventures. The semiconductor industry is built on collaboration, and this alliance with the University of Southampton is a perfect example.
"By validating complex MEMS and NEMS designs in our virtual environment before they are fabricated by MICROCRAFT, we can help innovators save critical time and capital. Together, we are de-risking innovation and building a resilient, sovereign, and competitive semiconductor ecosystem in Europe."
