Facing industrial decline, Wales dreams of Silicon Valley

They are more complex and more expensive than silicon chips, but are more suitable for electric vehicles, laser devices or 5G telephony. — AFP

Wales is better known for its factory closures than high-tech achievements. But in Newport, a former bastion of the coal industry, a handful of semiconductor manufacturers dream of a new Silicon Valley.

"We want to be this technology centre like Silicon Valley, where we can attract whatever the big names of tomorrow are," said Chris Meadows, corporate systems manager at British firm IQE.