Budget: Scotland to host new £18m tech academy

The chancellor has announced a new £18m programme to boost UK capabilities on the design, development and testing of semiconductor chips.

The UK Advanced Chip Design Academy will be led by the University of Edinburgh and is aimed at delivering the advanced skills needed to underpin next-gen technologies.

The move is part of efforts to harness AI, scale up homegrown firms and enhance national security.

The academy is included in an investment package announced by John Healey in today’s Budget.

It will be headed by Professor Themis Prodromakis and hosted within the university’s Centre for Electronics Frontiers and Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC).

Researchers will work on designing, prototyping, fabricating and testing their designs, and it is hoped that the academy will accelerate the move from research to production, supporting UK tech firms.

Prodromakis said: “The establishment of the UK Advanced Chip Design Academy is a transformative investment in our national technology capabilities. Advanced semiconductors underpin the future of AI, quantum computing, and next-generation communications. By bringing together world-class academic expertise, cutting-edge tools, and industry-standard training pathways right here in Edinburgh, the academy will empower researchers across the UK to translate innovative chip designs into physical silicon – nurturing the high-value sovereign talent needed to drive the UK’s tech economy forward.”

Healey said: “AI will transform daily life: every firm, community, hospital, school, and every aspect of our economy can benefit. I understand and share the concerns of working people, so I am setting out a distinctively British approach to AI – one that doesn’t leave workers behind and defends our national interest, while ensuring the benefits of AI-enabled growth are felt right across the country.”