Insights from the Semi Impact Forum 2025

The Semi Impact Forum, held on June 13 2025, is a high-level gathering of AI and semiconductor leaders, investors, and policymakers and forms part of London Tech Week. This exclusive event offers unparalleled access to the people shaping the future of AI infrastructure and semiconductor innovation.

Mach42’s Board Chair, Janet Collyer, participated in a panel discussion called ‘Female Talents and Leaders in Semiconductor and AI’. This was a timely conversation, ahead of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23.

It became clear that a successful national tech strategy must emphasize the convergence of engineering, policy, and inclusion to attract more skilled professionals into the UK's semiconductor and AI sectors. To further enhance these efforts, dedicated programmes for employee retention and leadership development are essential. Inclusion should be viewed as a strategic necessity, requiring us to actively showcase and support women engineers, while also prioritising collaboration with male allies, and thus building diverse teams.

Building Value in the Semiconductor Supply Chain

Throughout the day, various sessions highlighted that the UK's semiconductor sector holds significant potential for building value through strategic positioning in the global supply chain. Leveraging existing strengths in research and development, intellectual property, and chip design, the UK is uniquely placed to capture monetization opportunities by specializing in the development of high-value intellectual property. Integrating these innovations into global supply chains will further reinforce the UK's competitive advantage, especially when partnering with best-in-class decentralized and resilient global manufacturing and delivery organizations.

However, to fully realize these opportunities, it is important to address the persistent talent gap, particularly in semiconductor-specific engineering roles. Efforts must be intensified to expand the domestic skills pipeline through cohesive initiatives across academia, industry, and government-supported programmes. Additionally, cross-skilling engineers in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and systems thinking will position the UK to lead in next-generation chip engineering, ensuring sustained value creation and innovation capacity across the semiconductor supply chain.

The role of AI and Cybersecurity

Artificial Intelligence was another key talking point, identifying how it serves as a crucial layer of intelligence within semiconductor technology, significantly enhancing its value and enabling innovation across various applications. Companies are encouraged to leverage insights from the UK government’s AI Opportunities and Action Plan (January 2025), guiding them toward targeted innovation and strategic alignment. Additionally, cybersecurity and geopolitics have been highlighted as inseparable factors in chip design and deployment.

The UK has the potential to lead in smart, secure, and inclusive semiconductor innovation. By scaling its skills base, accelerating commercialization paths, and leveraging AI and cybersecurity as strategic enablers, we can become a key contributor to global supply chains.

Mach42 actively supports the UK government’s Action Plan, recognizing artificial intelligence as the “defining opportunity of our generation”. Events such as the Semi Impact Forum not only shine a light on this, but also on the importance of the semiconductor industry, which is fundamental to enabling future innovations from AI.