Kevin Crofton has been appointed head of the new Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, which will be based in Wales and receive £10 million a year of government funding up to 2020-21 (plus support from leading technology firm IQE and Cardiff University).

This is the 11th Catapult to be set up by Innovate UK, in order to create a network of world-leading centres that will transform the UK’s capability for innovation in specific areas.

Mr Crofton has been involved in the semiconductor industry for 25 years; he is currently president of SPTS Technologies in South Wales and corporate VP of the Israeli group Orbotech Inc.