Clas-SiC lands £1.9M grant to expand Scottish chip fab

What's the deal? Clas-SiC Wafer Fab has won a £1.9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise, part of a £12 million company investment to expand its silicon carbide (SiC) chip production in Fife. It is among the first recipients of Scottish Enterprise's new Capital Grant, designed to lift business investment and productivity.

What's the endgame? Clas-SiC makes SiC power semiconductors used in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. The money will fund technology and equipment upgrades to keep pace with global demand, plus new training for production staff and apprentices.

Why now? Scotland is home to one of the largest semiconductor clusters in the UK. The government wants to grow the cluster's turnover from £4.5 billion to £10 billion, adding 6,600 jobs by 2035.

"This investment is important as it helps accelerate our next generation of technology," said chief executive Jen Walls. She added it would strengthen the company's position "on the global stage" and improve its ability to meet demand.

Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn said the expansion would "safeguard skilled jobs in Fife, strengthen our export base and support the fundamental technologies that will power our transition to a cleaner economy."

The signal: The award ranks among the larger grants in UK semiconductors — above roughly 95% of comparable rounds in the sector. That signals how far governments will go to anchor chip manufacturing at home as SiC power devices become central to electrification.

Read more: Compound Semiconductor

Image credit: EU-Ukraine cooperation