Back in Parliament the APPG shines a spotlight on Unlocking UK Growth
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
A parliamentary reception marking the launch of the APPG’s new paper on semiconductor led economic growth
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Semiconductors held a parliamentary reception in the Churchill Room at 7pm on Monday 2 February to mark the launch of its new paper Unlocking UK Economic Growth. The event focused on the role of the semiconductor sector in driving economic growth and supporting the Government’s plans for change.
The reception brought together Members of Parliament, industry leaders, academics, and stakeholders from across the UK semiconductor ecosystem, reflecting strong cross party and cross sector engagement with the APPG’s work.
Speakers at the event included Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the APPG for Semiconductors, Kanishka Narayan MP, Minister for AI and Online Safety with responsibility for the Government’s semiconductor portfolio, and Drew Nelson OBE, Chair of the APPG’s Advisory Board.
Minister Narayan delivered the keynote address, setting out the Government’s approach to semiconductors and their central role within the Modern Industrial Strategy. He highlighted the importance of semiconductor capability in supporting productivity resilience and long term economic growth across the UK.
The event was attended by parliamentarians from across the House including Gurinder Josan MP, Treasurer of the APPG, Kate Osborne MP, and Lord David Willetts, alongside several other Members of both Houses, demonstrating strong cross party engagement with the APPG’s work.
The reception also included representation from the APPG’s Advisory Board and the wider semiconductor ecosystem. Organisations in attendance included Net Zero Semiconductors, CSConnected, the University of Sheffield and the National Epitaxy Facility, Pragmatic Semiconductor, Seagate Technology, the University of Cambridge, Microwave Inspection Technologies, Plessey Semiconductors, Vishay, KLA, Oxford Instruments, and Swansea University.
At the reception, the APPG for Semiconductors formally unveiled its new paper examining the role of semiconductors as a foundational technology for growth and resilience. The paper sets out the economic case for treating semiconductors as a strategic national capability and highlights their importance across advanced manufacturing clean energy defence digital technologies and life sciences.
Drawing on evidence from industry and academia, the paper identifies both the opportunities available to the UK and the constraints that must be addressed. It sets out practical recommendations focused on governance scale up skills and delivery.
The paper concludes that strengthening the UK semiconductor ecosystem can unlock a multiplier effect across the economy supporting growth net zero objectives and long term national resilience.
The reception marked an important moment for continued engagement between Parliament and the semiconductor sector as the UK seeks to translate strategic ambition into delivery. The APPG is proud of what has been achieved to date and remains firmly focused on driving sustainable economic growth boosting productivity and strengthening the UK’s long term industrial resilience.
Building on this momentum, the APPG is pleased to confirm that plans are underway for a further parliamentary event this summer, with more details to be announced in due course.
