Advisory Board welcomes newest member

The expert Advisory Board for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Semiconductors is delighted to welcome its newest member. Chet Babla from Octric officially joined the Board this week and will bring significant expertise to the Group as we start examining a new paper focusing on the critical importance of semiconductors to a sovereign, resilient domestic national security and defence sector.

Commenting on the appointment to the APPG's Advisory Board, Chet said: "Semiconductors underpin all aspects of modern life, and are a key economic growth enabler. The work that the APPG for Semiconductors is doing helps to bring the criticality of the UK semiconductor industry into sharp focus, and I look forward to bringing my professional experiences and Octric's unique viewpoint to the APPG."   

APPG Chair Ruth Jones MP welcomed the appointment:

"Chet will bring considerable knowledge, expertise and policy guidance in support of the APPG and our members. It is crucial the the UK develops a sovereign defence supply chain capability to meet the emerging needs and threats in this increasingly dangerous world.

Chet joins the Advisory Board at the right time so we can use his considerable experience in the important paper on national security and defence, which we aim to publish with recommendations in the autumn."

NOTES ON OCTRIC:

Octric Semiconductors is a Ministry of Defence-owned compound semiconductor manufacturing facility based in County Durham. Octric specialises in advanced compound semiconductors and is presently the only secure facility in the country capable of manufacturing Gallium Arsenide, which is specifically used in defence, aerospace, space and telecommunications applications.

FURTHER NOTES ON CHET BABIA:

Chet is CEO of Octric and brings over 30 years of global technology expertise and executive leadership in semiconductors across multiple market sectors. He has held senior engineering and commercial positions at international companies, including Arm and MediaTek, and multiple UK start-ups. Chet is passionate about the foundational role that semiconductors play in driving positive societal impact.