A technician in a full cleanroom suit works inside a semiconductor fabrication facility, symbolising the cutting-edge environment behind a new collaboration between the
University of Southampton and
Siemens aimed at boosting the UK’s advanced manufacturing and semiconductor capabilities.
The partnership brings together the university’s new MICROCRAFT open-access fabrication platform and Siemens’ Cre8Ventures open innovation platform, creating a fast, low-risk pathway from laboratory research to real-world products. The initiative will enable students, researchers, tech start-ups, and industry partners to design, test, and build next-generation Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS and NEMS) — miniature sensors and devices that underpin technologies from smartphones and drones to medical and environmental monitoring tools.
The collaboration supports the UK National Semiconductor Strategy and the EU Chips Act, addressing the critical need for sovereign design and manufacturing capabilities. MICROCRAFT, led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the University of Bristol, will provide open-access prototyping capability, design support, and skills training from the Zepler Cleanrooms, one of Europe’s most advanced fabrication environments. Siemens’ Cre8Ventures will complement this by offering digital twin technology to model, test, and validate designs virtually before production, saving time and cost.
Unique pathwayDr Ibrahim Sari, founder of MICROCRAFT at the University of Southampton, said: “This partnership is a game-changer for the UK’s semiconductor ambitions. By combining MICROCRAFT’s world-class fabrication platform with Siemens’ industry-leading digital twin technology, we are creating a unique pathway that bridges the gap between academic research and industrial commercialisation. We are empowering students, researchers, and industrial partners to design, build, and validate the technologies of the future, right here in the UK.”
Carson Bradbury, co-founder of Siemens Cre8Ventures, added: “Accelerating the path to value for deep tech startups is the core mission of Cre8Ventures. The semiconductor industry is built on collaboration, and this alliance with the University of Southampton is a perfect example. By validating complex MEMS and NEMS designs in our virtual environment before they are fabricated by MICROCRAFT, we can help innovators save critical time and capital. Together, we are de-risking innovation and building a resilient, sovereign, and competitive semiconductor ecosystem in Europe.”
The partnership will also demonstrate new applications, including a first-of-its-kind UK-made dual-use drone using MICROCRAFT devices tested through Siemens’ virtual workflows, and establish a reciprocal innovation pipeline between UK manufacturing and Europe’s digital innovation ecosystem.