Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the High Commission on Ukraine [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commission – Oral update on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

High Commissioner, your update lays bare the toll this war has taken, bringing death, injury and lasting family separation to innocent children of Ukraine.

It is almost impossible to read your report or listen to your update without shock or dismay: toddlers sexually assaulted, other children summarily executed by Russian troops. Over 600 dead. Thousands forcibly separated and deported to Russia.

Children in occupied territories are also particularly vulnerable. Multiple reports lay bare the systematic indoctrination and militarisation of children in these areas. Of the 20,000 children reported to have been deported to Russia, only a handful have returned. Forced passportisation and punishment for speaking Ukrainian and studying the Ukrainian school syllabus are widely documented. A callous Russian attempt to erode Ukraine’s future by trying to reshape the identities of its youngest citizens, and wipe out Ukrainian culture, language and identity.

The Russian state must be held fully accountable for its actions. Ukrainian children are entitled to a childhood in which their rights are safeguarded, and a future which is free from war.

High Commissioner, your report highlights the worsening mental health of Ukraine’s children.

What more can we do to support Ukraine with expertise from countries who have experienced similar trauma for children and young people in past conflicts?

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti with the participation of the Independent Expert. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr President.

We thank the High Commissioner for his report. The ongoing and rapid deterioration of human rights in Haiti is shocking.

The Haitian people have long suffered indiscriminate attacks by armed criminal gangs – these have contributed to over a million Haitians being displaced from their homes.

Widespread recruitment, exploitation and abuse of children by these gangs is still happening. At the same time the use of sexual violence as a form of punishment and to spread fear within communities is increasing.

Re-establishing security to end the scourge of gangs remains essential to Haiti’s long-term stability. The UK supports the work of the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti and is providing £5 million to OHCHR to ensure the Mission’s compliance with international standards on human rights, conduct and discipline.

We will continue to take action against perpetrators of human rights abuses in Haiti through sanctions.

High Commissioner,

Given the increasing chaos spread by Haitian gangs, how can the international community best assist the Haitian government in bringing about lasting improvements to the security environment?

Thank you.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Import ban of cattle, pigs, sheep, and deer from Austria to protect farmers [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 March 2025.

The government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border.

Due to the proximity of the new Hungarian case to the Austrian border, the decision has been made to suspend the commercial import from Austria of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, wild ruminants and porcines (including deer and wild boar), and their untreated products such as fresh meat and dairy.

The UK Government had already taken action to suspend the commercial import of these products from Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.

Action is already underway with local authorities and traders to address possible risks from goods on the way to GB. Such goods must be pre-notified and wider border systems in place will prevent consignments entering GB.

In addition, travellers can no longer bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products, certain composite products and animal by products of pigs and ruminants (including non-domestic species), or hay or straw, from Austria.

This is in addition to the action already taken by the UK Government to prevent the personal import of these products from Germany, Hungary and Slovakia to Great Britain.

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer is urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following the recent outbreaks in Hungary and Germany. There are no cases in the UK currently.

FMD poses no risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals such as wild boar, deer, llamas and alpacas. Livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity.

FMD causes significant economic losses due to production losses in the affected animals as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

Following the detection of a second foot and mouth disease case in Hungary, with a restriction area crossing the border into Austria, we have taken action to prevent the commercial import of potentially risky goods from Austria.

I would urge livestock keepers to continue exercising the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, ensure scrupulous biosecurity is maintained and to report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

We will continue to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by foot and mouth disease.

This is why we have acted immediately to impose import restrictions on Austria, we will continue to keep the situation under review and will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease continues to spread further.

What you can do

If you’re an animal keeper, read about how to spot foot and mouth disease and report it.

If you’re an importer or exporter, read about the import restrictions for foot and mouth disease.

Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the main signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed. In sheep and pigs, signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.

While horses and companion animals are not susceptible to FMD, hay feed or straw bedding, if sourced from an infected area, could act as a fomite and therefore also prevented from entering GB.

Maintaining good biosecurity is essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds and critical to preventing the spread of diseases such as FMD and preventing an outbreak spreading.

Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling:
- 03000 200 301 in England
- 0300 303 8268 in Wales
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Dame Karen Pierce visits Bosnia and Herzegovina [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, paid her first official visit in this role to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 27-28 March.

Dame Karen Pierce, one of the UK’s most experienced diplomats, has been appointed the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans in February this year, taking over from Air Chief Marshal The Lord Peach.

Dame Karen Pierce began her visit with talks with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina members, Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Foreign Affairs in which she reiterated the UK’s steadfast commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and security.

Dame Karen Pierce said:

It’s an honour to have been appointed as the UK’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans – a region of great personal attachment to me, and to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina so early on in my role. The UK remains fully committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I am visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in a moment of political crisis. It is important to underline that BiH has the institutions and mechanisms to respond to this crisis. An early domestic resolution will enable further progress on the country’s EU path. For our part, the UK will continue to support BiH in fulfilling its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

This autumn, the UK is hosting the Berlin Process summit with Western Balkans leaders to support stability, security and economic co-operation in the region Dame Karen Pierce discussed objectives and delivery with Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, a key regional partner.

During the visit, Special Envoy Dame Karen Pierce also met human rights defenders, journalists, and project partners with whom the UK works on a range of issues for the benefit of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In her meeting with leaders and representatives of the biggest religious communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, she urged them to work together to deescalate political crises and to build trust between communities: preserving peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina is paramount.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 58 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights Situation in Mali [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Oral Update of the Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Mali. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank You Mr Vice President.

We thank the Independent Expert for his report. His mandate is ever more vital following the withdrawal of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). We also welcome the cooperation of the Malian authorities in facilitating the Expert’s first visit and encourage their continued collaboration.

As we have heard, the human rights situation remains grave. Increased reports of gender-based violence, and violence against children are particularly concerning. Civic space continues to shrink, key opposition figures remain detained, and civil society organisations disbanded.

We therefore encourage authorities to create the necessary conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections, as soon as possible.

Mr President, the UK urges the Malian authorities to further strengthen independent accountability mechanisms, including for alleged incidents committed by military personnel and Russian proxies. These actors continue to create deep-rooted insecurity for the Malian people.

Mr Gonzalez, as reports of human rights violations and abuses persist, international accountability processes remain vital to hold perpetrators to account. What more could the International Criminal Court do to enhance accountability under the existing referral?

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New 1,500-place prison opens as government grips crisis [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 March 2025.

“Public safety must never be put at risk again by the failure to have enough prison places”, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said as she opened a new nearly 1,500-place prison in Yorkshire.
- Major milestone in plan for 14,000 more prison places nationwide by 2031
- New prison designed to cut crime and get offenders into work
- Part of government’s Plan for Change to create safer streets
HMP Millsike is the first of four new jails to be built as part of the Plan for Change to create 14,000 extra prison places by 2031. This extra capacity will help put more violent offenders behind bars, make streets safer and ensure the country never runs out of cells again.

Last summer, the government inherited a prisons system days away from collapse which would have left police unable to take dangerous criminals off the streets.

Ms Mahmood said the opening marked another milestone in her work to get a grip of the prisons crisis that has dominated her first nine months in post.

As a Category C prison, HMP Millsike has been designed with a clear aim – cutting crime. It includes 24 workshops and training facilities aimed at getting offenders into work on release and away from crime for good so fewer people become victims in the future.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, said:

This Government is fixing the broken prison system we inherited, delivering the cells needed to take the most dangerous criminals off our streets.

HMP Millsike sets the standard for the jails of the future, with cutting crime built into its very fabric. It is a huge step in our plan to add 14,000 extra prison places by 2031.

But building jails only takes us so far in ending this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous offenders and make our streets safer.

The prison is the size of 39 football pitches and comes fitted top-to-bottom with security technology to combat the drugs, drones and phones that have plagued prisons in recent years and risked the safety of frontline officers.

This includes reinforced barless windows to deter drone activity, hundreds of CCTV cameras, and X-ray body scanners to spot and stop contraband entering the prison.

The prison will be operated by Mitie Care and Custody and will have education and workplace training provider PeoplePlus on site to give offenders the tools they need to find work on release and stay on the straight and narrow.

The construction of the prison alone generated nearly 800 jobs and around 600 will be created now it is in full operation, providing an economic boost to Yorkshire.

With the country still using many of its Victorian prisons, HMP Millsike has been built to also stand the test of time. Its use of modern materials and fittings will keep running and repairs costs to a minimum for taxpayers.

Russell Trent, Managing Director, Mitie Care & Custody said:

We are a proud partner to the MoJ, focused on building safer communities.

As a resettlement prison, our focus is on rehabilitation and restoration centred on future orientation to break the cycle of reoffending. We want our prisoners to leave HMP Millsike qualified, employable and equipped for life in the outside world. Everything from the building design to the technology, education and training opportunities has been engineered to create an environment where people leave ready to integrate and contribute to society.

Stuart Togwell, group managing director at Kier Construction said:

Using our significant experience in the justice sector, Kier has delivered a state-of-the-art, carbon-efficient facility designed to support rehabilitation, which has also provided new jobs, economic investment and skills development for the surrounding communities.

HMP Millsike supports the government’s commitment to increasing prison capacity and reducing reoffending, and joins our growing portfolio of prison redevelopment and build projects awarded in recent years.

Its opening is a major milestone in the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. This plan includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

The government started the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk earlier this month, and a new houseblock providing nearly 460 places at HMP Rye Hill in Northamptonshire recently received its first prisoners.

It follows a £2.3 billion investment to deliver these prison builds, with a further £500 million going towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service. The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.

Background information
- Situated on land next to the existing HMP Full Sutton, HMP Millsike has been named after Millsike Beck, a local stream that runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into its local community.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : The UK commends the historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 March 2025.

Connor Creeley (UK Delegation to the OSCE) praises the landmark border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which resolves decades of conflict and instability along their shared border.

Thank you Chair.

The UK commends this historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Since the 1990s, there have been repeated outbreaks of violence over the long, shared border. After the most recent clash in September 2022, both governments agreed that enough was enough and began negotiations to resolve the conflict. Through hard work and patient cooperation, a decades-long issue – and source of instability for Central Asia – has now been resolved, with the border delineated.

We note positively that both states achieved this agreement without the need of any third-party mediators. Such actions by our fellow participating States help to reaffirm the OSCE commitments and uphold the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles of non-use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes and cooperation among States. We hope this peaceful resolution will help to promote stability throughout the region and serve as an example to the wider world.

I encourage both countries to support their local communities on the border. This agreement offers huge potential for regional integration and supports economic cooperation and development. We look forward to the resumption of cross-border trade and travel that will help to build people-to-people ties. The UK will continue to reiterate – in this Council and beyond – the importance of diplomacy to help resolve disputes. We look forward to a new era of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the OSCE stands ready to support.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK Government funds mental health support to help steelworkers [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Wales Office on 28 March 2025.

£3.27 million to boost mental health provision in the local community and help steelworkers into work.
- £3.27 million from the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board committed to boost mental health provision in the local community
- Support will help steelworkers affected by the transition to secure and stay in employment
- Funding to services includes community and schools mental health support.
- Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board has already announced more than £50 million to support workers and businesses.
A fund of more than £3 million will be created by the UK Government in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Council to support the mental health and wellbeing of Tata Steel workers and their families in Port Talbot and the wider community.

Chairing the latest meeting of the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board today (27 March) Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27 million to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking.

The funding, which is flexible and may be increased depending on demand, is planned to cover services including:
- hiring more counsellors to work directly with affected steelworkers, and providing extra resources and grants to support existing mental health provision
- expanding availability of community and peer support such as through Men’s Sheds, She Sheds and other community groups
- funding mental health support in schools where children are affected by the Tata Steel transition
- Providing specialist advice for steelworkers and their families navigating the welfare system or struggling with debt
- training council and trade union support workers in suicide awareness and prevention
The latest funding comes from the UK Government’s £80m Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund which, since last July, has announced more than £50 million to help individual steelworkers and businesses in Tata Steel’s supply chain to protect jobs and grow the local economy.

The latest announcement is the first project to support workers’ mental health and wellbeing. In the coming months, there will be tens of millions more in funding allocated to growth and regeneration projects in Port Talbot, ensuring that secure well-paid jobs are available in the local area.

Wellbeing is key to securing and staying in good employment. So this funding will contribute to UK Government’s mission to boost economic growth and raise living standards in Wales, as part of its Plan for Change.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, their families and for the wider community but we said we would back them in whatever ways were needed. We are helping people learn new skills but we also need to help protect people’s mental health, because well-being is crucial to getting back into work and staying in work.

By boosting direct support services, we are investing in the people of the area and supporting growth in the local economy.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans MS said:

Working alongside our Transition Board partners, we will continue to make sure that the right assistance and support is in place for those impacted by the Tata changes as well as providing opportunities for growth, investment and employment wherever they arise.

Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Cllr Steve Hunt said:

Neath Port Talbot Council welcomes the announcement of this funding and the commitment to support the wellbeing of our local communities through this difficult time. We know the impact of change at the steelworks is being felt deeply across the area, and particularly within Port Talbot itself, where every household will know many others directly or indirectly affected.

This is a vital addition to the support the council is delivering alongside our Transition Board partners, as we adapt to the future of steelmaking in the town and prepare for the new opportunities offered by future investment and developments such as the Celtic Freeport.

Martyn Wagstaff, Mental Health Advisor said:

It’s really important that anyone who is struggling with their mental health asks for help. There is support available and talking to someone is the best way to get better.

This funding from the Transition Board means that people in Neath Port Talbot will be able to access more help when needed.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister – North will no longer be held to ransom by broken transport system [March 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 March 2025.

The Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.
- Major package of investment to revive Victorian-era transport system in the North, which comes as government spends more than double as much money per head on local transport in North than the South, including London
- Nearly £1.7 billion boost for local buses, roads and trams in the North this year, and supported with further £415 million to reboot key railways across the Pennines, £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North
- Prime Minister backs regional mayors to accelerate growth plans in their area through radical devolution agenda – bringing a new tram network to West Yorkshire, a new station to Merseyside and an improved transport hub to Bury
- Through its Plan for Change, this government is investing in the North after years of broken promises and delivering on manifesto to boost growth for everyone, everywhere
People across the North will no longer be held back by a broken transport system and empty promises, the Prime Minister has said as he announces more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.

For far too long, working people have been hamstrung by a transport system that no longer works for them. Doctors’ appointments are missed, children late to school, work meetings missed thanks to delays or cancellations. These are the real-world impacts which lead to an insecurity and instability for working people. The Prime Minister will make clear today that his government will not stand by and watch while this blight continues to disrupt the lives of working people.

After years of false promises and under delivery, the government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering change working families will feel. The Prime Minister will today set out plans to make the Liverpool-Hull corridor an economic superpower – rivalling the Oxford-Cambridge arc – kickstarted with £1.7 billion this year.

This transformatory package to reboot the North’s creaking transport system means government more than double on local transport in the North compared to the South and London, delivering on its Plan for Change to boost living standards and provide security and certainty for working people across the country.

This comes on top of funding announced today:
- For the key rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, which has been plagued by disruptions and delays for years without a plan to fix it. The route will now be supported with £415 million in funding from government to restore its failing services.
- For local leaders to unleash their areas’ untapped potential with over £1 billion for the North to improve the transport services people use every day – backing regional mayors and ensuring decisions about the North sit with those who call it home. This comes alongside £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North.
The funding, delivered working hand in hand with local leaders, will have a transformative impact on people’s lives, connecting the great towns and cities of the North that have been cut off from each other for far too long, holding back its potential.

The Prime Minister will make clear that these measures will better connect the North to support its thriving industries, unlocking growth in key sectors like Sheffield’s nuclear industry, booming fintech in Leeds, and cutting-edge life sciences in Liverpool. It will also support leading universities left hamstrung by poor connectivity while commuter towns and cities near London benefit from world-leading transport infrastructure.

On a visit to a factory in the North of England today, the Prime Minister is expected to say that today’s funding boost must see local leaders speed up delivery of key projects in their areas, which will transform the lives of working families.

This includes:
- A Mass Transit system for West Yorkshire progressing, with the next stage of the business case expected in the Autumn – bringing growth to the largest city in Europe without a metro transport system.
- A new Merseyrail station in the Baltic Triangle – better connecting the city to ‘Britain’s coolest neighbourhood’ – starting works this Autumn and complete by Spring 2028.
- The Bury Interchange redevelopment fast-tracked with £80 million to improve bus and tram connectivity across Greater Manchester.
Today’s announcement will provide stability for the North following years of uncertainty and broken promises. This administration is choosing a new way of governing, empowering local leaders who have skin in the game to make the changes that working people want to see in their area.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

The North is home to a wealth of talent and ingenuity. But for too long, it has been held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system which has stifled its potential. I lived in Leeds for years, I get that this has real-world impacts – missed appointments, children late to school, work meetings rescheduled – all leading to insecurity and instability for working people.

My government won’t stand by and watch. We are rolling up our sleeves, and today’s downpayment for growth is a vote of confidence in the North’s world-beating industries. The film studios in Bradford, life sciences in Liverpool, the fintech industry in Leeds – it is time they had a government on their side to get the North motoring again.

After years of false promises and under delivery, this government is delivering real change for the North. We are spending double as much on local transport in the North than the South, all done hand-in-hand with our mayors and local leaders. Through our Plan for Change, we are upgrading transport in the North, we are correcting years of unfairness that has gone before, and we are better linking our historic towns and cities. That means boosting living standards, putting more money in the pockets of working people, and restoring pride to communities.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

The transport system outside of London and the South East has been plagued by delays and cancellations, frustrated by strikes and failing infrastructure because upgrades that were promised were never delivered.

That ends with our Plan for Change, because reliable and affordable public transport links are essential for kickstarting economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets across the Midlands and the North.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

For too long, the North has been left behind and relied on a crumbling transport system that’s not fit to serve the great towns and cities it’s home to.

The Government’s Plan for Change will end that and schemes like the TransPennine Route Upgrade will bolster the region’s neglected potential and make travelling between these historic Northern towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.

Once the TransPennine Route Upgrade is completed, journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds will be slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour, while journey times from Manchester to York will be reduced by ten minutes.

The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements are already supporting major transport schemes in city regions across England, including the Wednesbury Brierly Hill Metro expansion in the West Midlands and the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram.

Today’s announcement builds on the government’s pro-growth agenda for the North, including more funding to fix potholes, landmark planning changes to turbocharge house building, and Government backing for major regeneration around Old Trafford.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government backs next wave of semiconductor start-ups to scale up growth [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 28 March 2025.

Third cohort of semiconductor start-ups backed by government to drive economic growth.
- A third cohort of innovative UK semiconductor businesses are chosen to join ChipStart, to continue driving economic growth and creating high-skilled jobs under the Plan for Change
- These semiconductor startups are developing technologies that will have a direct impact on everyday life – from improving energy efficiency in devices to advancing smart automation and connectivity
- The newly renewed scheme will build on the success of an initial two cohorts, which are on track to raise over £40 million in private investment
New wave of semiconductor start-ups will join ChipStart, a government-backed incubator programme driving our Plan for Change by helping companies scale up, create jobs, and boost growth.

ChipStart provides technical expertise and commercial support to help UK-based semiconductor innovators grow and create high-skilled jobs. Companies from the first two cohorts are already on track to raise over £40 million in private investment.

Semiconductors are a cornerstone of the UK’s tech economy, with the sector already worth £10 billion and projected to grow up to £17 billion by 2030. They power the technology we rely on daily, from smartphones and medical devices to electric cars and cutting-edge AI. They control the flow of electricity in electronic systems and as demand for smarter, more efficient tech grows, the UK is well placed to lead, backed by a world-class innovation ecosystem and a thriving entrepreneurial environment. The UK is the number one country in Europe for venture capital investment, has the lowest corporation tax in the G7, and benefits from a highly skilled workforce and leading academic institutions.

ChipStart – delivered by SiliconCatalyst.UK, leading global start-up accelerator – has successfully helped early-stage semiconductor companies turn their ideas into real-world products by providing expert mentorship, industry connections, and access to cutting-edge design tools.

As part of our Plan for Change, and the wider Industrial Strategy we are supporting these high-potential companies to reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in entrepreneurship, creating the conditions for the next generation of world-changing technologies to thrive and driving growth in communities across the UK.

Science Minister, Lord Vallance said:

The UK’s semiconductor industry is vibrant with innovation, and this third cohort shows just how much potential we have with many exciting start-ups.

This sector holds incredible promise, and with the right partnerships, it will lead us into a future of greater economic growth and technological advancement – a key pillar of our Plan for Change.

This announcement builds on the UK’s growing momentum in semiconductors, following Vishay Intertechnology’s plans to invest £250 million in the UK’s largest semiconductor factory. Announced by the Chancellor during a visit to South Wales yesterday, this investment will strengthen the UK’s domestic semiconductor supply chain – critical for industries like automotive, renewable energy, and defence. With South Wales emerging as a key semiconductor cluster, this investment underscores the UK’s competitive advantage in advanced chip manufacturing.

From the successful second cohort, Qontrol, a University of Bristol spin-out, is developing technology that could transform the internet as we know it. Their precision control systems for photonics – the use of light to process data – could lead to faster, more reliable internet connections, helping to bring high-speed connectivity to rural communities and build the networks needed for next-generation digital services.

This year’s cohort – backed by £1.1 million of government funding – includes RX-Watt, a company pioneering battery-free sensors that can be wirelessly powered using safe microwave signals. Their technology could save industries time and money where they depend on monitoring products and goods in real-time – helping manufacturers prevent costly equipment failures and ensuring critical goods like vaccines are stored at the right temperature throughout the supply chain.

Companies from the first two ChipStart cohorts are already on track to raise over £40 million in private investment, proving the strength of UK semiconductor start-ups and the impressive return on investment associated with government backing.

Another example from the second cohort is KuasaSemi, a Cornwall-based company, is revolutionising the design of semiconductors used in electric vehicles and renewable energy. By developing advanced computer tools to work with new types of materials, they are enabling the creation of faster, more efficient power devices. This means electric cars could charge faster, run longer, and perform better – helping to accelerate the shift to greener, more sustainable energy solutions.

Sean Redmond, Silicon Catalyst UK said:

We have been delighted with the high quality of new semiconductor startup applications we received for our third cohort of ChipStart from across the UK semiconductor clusters. Our now proven incubation process, that provides no cost design tools and chip manufacturing, will help these competitively selected companies attract the right private investment at the right time, launching them onto the global semiconductor stage.

With the help of our experienced semiconductor executive advisors, which includes co-founders of Arm, we can help these young companies make great decisions and build the next generation of UK semiconductor unicorns. The next ten years of semiconductors will be a race to a £2 trillion industry. These new UK scale-ups will be in pole position to win that race.

Wave Photonics, another successful company from the first cohort, is pioneering design technology to accelerate the development and mass production of integrated photonics – circuits that use light instead of electricity. These innovations are paving the way for energy-efficient AI communications, next-generation healthcare sensors, quantum technologies, and more.

James Lee, co-founder of Wave Photonics said:

ChipStart was fantastic preparation for raising and deploying our seed round to deploy our new approach to photonics design for quantum technologies, sensing and datacentre applications.

As well as training and connection to mentors, ChipStart helps you directly plug into the UK semiconductor ecosystem and learn from the successes of the previous generation of UK semiconductor startups.

Notes to editors

Full list of the winning cohort.
1. Chipletti
2. Ethicronics
3. Kahu
4. Kelvin Quantum
5. Unnamed from the University of Glasgow
6. Prospectral
7. Quantopticon
8. RxWatt
9. SiDesign
10. Smith Optical
March 31, 2025