Funding will accelerate the development of advanced compound semiconductor intellectual property

Filtronic plc (AIM: FTC), a leader in high-frequency connectivity solutions, has been awarded a £1.9 million contract under the Contracts for Innovation: Advanced Connectivity Technologies (ACT) competition.

Delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the competition is run on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The fully funded contract is scheduled to commence in September 2026 and will run for 12 months.

Under the contract, Filtronic will develop next-generation compound semiconductor intellectual property (IP) to support resilient, energy-efficient and high-capacity terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications infrastructure.

The project will advance a portfolio of Gallium Nitride (GaN), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium Phosphide (InP) semiconductor IP for Q/V-band, E-band, W-band and D-band operation.

These technologies are critical to the feeder links, high-throughput backhaul and ultra-high-frequency communications required by rapidly expanding Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and future integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

The ACT competition forms part of the R&D Programme announced in the Digital and Technologies Sector Plan under the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. It aims to develop near-term, testable solutions that strengthen UK capabilities in two priority areas: ‘Secure and Resilient Networks’ and ‘Sustainable Networks’.

Filtronic’s project directly supports the competition’s objectives of achieving seamless non-terrestrial network (NTN) integration and reducing energy consumption across critical network infrastructure.

It also aligns with the company’s strategic focus on enabling next-generation communications systems that offer improved performance, greater network resilience and increased operational efficiency.

By supporting the transition from legacy travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) technologies to scalable solid-state communications infrastructure, the project is expected to improve operational lifetime performance, enable graceful degradation and reduce the overall cost of ownership for future network operators.

Tudor Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Filtronic, said:

“As terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks become increasingly integrated, the need for higher capacity, lower power consumption and greater system resilience across multiple frequency bands will continue to grow. This programme strengthens Filtronic’s technology leadership in these strategically important areas while supporting the UK’s ambition to develop world-class communications technologies for deployment across global markets.”