Securing the digital world’s most precious resource

This article was written based on the CYBERUK 2023 panel:

Stream C, session 4: What’s in a wafer? How should we approach semiconductors

Semiconductor technology and the future

The cost of producing computer chips capable of keeping up with Moore’s law is so astronomical that the technology has become concentrated in the hands of a small number of companies and governments.

The war in Ukraine and COVID-19 pandemic have brought home just how reliant we are on a ready supply of cutting-edge microchips, as well as just how fragile that supply has become.

With governments and businesses around the world pouring billions into new facilities, research, and development programs, at CYBERUK 2023, we ask, where will this lead us? Who will control the computing power of the future? This is a deep look at tectonic forces in action.

What’s in a wafer?

Control of semiconductor technology has been a key factor in the push and shove of geopolitical relations since the '50s. Our endless appetite for digital technology will ensure that it continues to be so for many years to come.

As a result, governments around the world are working overtime to secure future access to one of the most fundamental of resources in an increasingly digital world.

This panel discussion at CYBERUK 2023, in Belfast, explores how the UK is addressing these challenges, not least in the form of the government’s National Semiconductor Strategy. The debate will cover what can be done to protect and grow this sector, and how government should best collaborate with partners in industry, academia and around the world.

What is CYBERUK?

The international cyber security community will be gathering in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on the 19-20 April this year.

Run by the NCSC, CYBERUK 2023 features a stellar array of speakers and exhibitors, backed by panel discussions of hot topics, and the chance to learn from the best and brightest in the Technical Masterclasses.

At CYBERUK the international cyber security community takes time to talk shop and compare notes on the most important trends of the last twelve months. And it’s been quite an eventful year by any standard.

Topics include cyber warfare in Ukraine, ransomware, supply chain attacks, the future of AI in cyber, and the regulation of the cyber security profession. You can view the full agenda, along with a list of speakers and exhibitors, on the CYBERUK 2023 website.

Can’t attend in person this year?

Subscribe to the CYBERUK Online YouTube channel to stream some of the main programme sessions from CYBERUK 2023.

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