A quantum leap for Australia’s semiconductor sector

 

Australia's semiconductor industry will be showcased in a landmark event, the inaugural Semiconductor Australia 2024 conference. The event aims to boost investment and awareness, positioning Australia as a key player in the global tech landscape.

Paul Sanger: I'm Paul Sanger for the Finance News Network, and today I'm joined by Stef Winwood and Anna Gurevich. Stef Winwood is the Event Director of Semiconductor Australia and Head of Industry and Investor Relations at BluGlass (ASX:BLG), one of Australia's vertically integrated semiconductor manufacturers. Anna is the Industry Engagement Ecosystem Manager at S3B, the Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau. A warm welcome to you both.

Stef Winwood: Thank you.

Anna Gurevich: Thank you.

Paul Sanger: Now, let's start off with you, Stef. Really keen to get some insights into Semiconductor Australia. Tell us more about it.

Stef Winwood: Well, we're very excited to be bringing the entire ecosystem that supports both the semiconductor, quantum and photonics industry together in a showcase event. We actually have a really vibrant and exciting industry here in Australia, but it's not necessarily brought together in a single event, also visible for the investor community and also the key policy-makers in both state and federal governments as well. So, we're really excited to bring the industry together in this showcase event and really illustrate the incredible depth of talent and the future technology powerhouses that already exist here in Australia.

Paul Sanger: Fantastic. And with regards to the semiconductor industry, let's talk a few questions around that. What advances does Australia… a question to you both. What advances does Australia have in this critical space? And what competitive advantages can we leverage from? Maybe start with you, Anna.

Anna Gurevich: So, Australia does have a very strong research and development area in semiconductors or chips, so I do use those phrases interchangeably. So I think there's definitely opportunity to partner with global sector to really showcase the Australian strengths.

Paul Sanger: And, Stef, that's the whole point of Semiconductor Australia, is bringing awareness, bringing those partners and getting them all together in one room?

Stef Winwood: Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity right now to leverage our existing strengths in both semiconductors and quantum. So, these are the next-generation semiconductors that can provide a lot of competitive advantages in places like space applications, power electronics applications, and will help power both net zero goals and also the electrification and digitalisation goals. So, they're really, really important. Australia has world-leading expertise in that onshore already, and we also have some of the world's best quantum innovators in this country, and it's really time to bring that incredible depth of talent together.

Paul Sanger: Anna, can you provide us some more details on who S3B are and elaborate on why S3B wants to be part of Semiconductor Australia?

Anna Gurevich: Absolutely. So, S3B is the Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau, and we're tasked with growing the semiconductor sector in Australia and highlighting the strengths that the Australian market already has. We view semiconductors as the ultimate enabling capability and underpin so many other technologies in quantum, AI and a lot of the technological growth. So, Semiconductor Australia is a wonderful opportunity to really bring this into the limelight, showcase some of those companies that are doing exceptionally well on a global platform, but also bring some emerging companies into the spotlight as well.

Paul Sanger: And, obviously, you jumped at this opportunity to partner with Semiconductor Australia and Stef?

Anna Gurevich: Absolutely. The semiconductor supply chain is very complex. It starts at raw materials, works through research and design, fabrication, right up until the end product, which goes into everything. So, cars, cameras, phones, light bulbs. So, it's really critical, but I think we should also be considering the capital aspect of the supply chain and the impact of investment, both private and government, and how it could benefit the industry in Australia.

Paul Sanger: Now, Anna, a question for you also. What moves do we need to see from the stakeholders in the Australian semiconductor space to deliver on this opportunity?

Anna Gurevich: Absolutely. So, if we look at our international counterparts, there's huge investment, but huge mobilisation through things like the EU Chip Act. And similarly in the US there's billions of dollars of investment and incentive for partnerships. So, by comparison, Australia is a smaller market, but there is opportunity for essentially organised policy and investment to bring together academia, industry and government.

Paul Sanger: This is not a new industry to Australia, and some would say Australia has been a pioneer in this space, and that's why, I guess, S3B was put together in the first place.

Anna Gurevich: Australia already has a huge amount of strength in the semiconductor space across different technologies, so we'd be building on a really strong platform.

Paul Sanger: And, Anna, the government has made no secret of the fact that it wants Australia to be a material player in the semiconductor space. What engagement and support are you seeing from the Australian government thus far?

Anna Gurevich: There's been a lot of interest. So, throughout the states, the chief scientists in each of the states definitely have expressed that this is an area of interest and an area of support. And at the federal level as well, we're seeing it become something that's very critical in relation to global supply chain and Australian sovereign capability. I think it is a complex global marketplace. So, I think federal governments in Australia and globally are really starting to consider how they can secure sovereign capability in relation to semiconductor technology and manufacturing.

Stef Winwood: Yeah, semiconductors are the single most important technology on the planet. They enable every item on the federal government's list of critical technologies in the national interest. Despite their critical importance and the fact that they're going to be a $1 trillion-a-year market by the end of the decade, they're probably the least-understood technology sector in the Australian capital markets. And it's really important, if we're going to empower Australia to emerge as the technology powerhouse in the decades ahead, that we start to shift the dial on this, that we start to educate the Australian investor community about these critical underpinning technologies.

Paul Sanger: And Semiconductor Australia 2024 is exactly a pathway of doing that.

Stef Winwood: That is the plan.

Paul Sanger: So, Stef, let's talk a bit more about Semiconductor Australia. Give us the high-hitting details — when, where and what's going on?

Stef Winwood: So, the day will feature two different stages, and we'll be welcoming industry keynotes from high-profile semiconductor and quantum professionals from both Australia and Silicon Valley. We'll also be joined by Australia's best and brightest deep tech founders across the semiconductor, quantum and photonics spaces. And there's also a "scale-up lab", so private companies will also be able to pitch to leading VCs in both Australia and Silicon Valley to help fund and commercialise their deep-tech startups.

Paul Sanger: And the date is 24 October 2024. And tell me about the venue.

Stef Winwood: We are very lucky to host Semiconductor Australia in one of Australia's most beautiful venues at Deloitte, Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney in Circular Quay. And it's also available for attendees around the world, globally, thanks to yourself, ShareCafe, who are distributing this event on the day.

Paul Sanger: Anna, Stef, many thanks for your time today and giving the insights on Semiconductor Australia. Been an absolute pleasure.

Stef Winwood: It's been great to be here. Thank you, Paul.

Anna Gurevich: Thanks for your time.

Ends

Click here to visit the Semiconductor Australia website.
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