Pragmatic Semiconductor
Connecting everyday objects for a smarter future
The challenge
Integrated circuits are essential in our modern world, found in virtually every electronic device. But limitations on the costs and physical properties of traditional, energy- and resource-intensive silicon-based circuits have limited the next wave of innovation.
A new approach to semiconductor fabrication was needed to unlock a smarter future. Manufacturing integrated circuits to be thinner, more robust, and more affordable means that the technology could be integrated into everyday items beyond electronics.
Founded 15 years ago to pioneer a new approach to semiconductor fabrication, Pragmatic Semiconductor is a world leader in ultra‑thin, low‑cost flexible electronics. Their flexible integrated circuit (FlexIC) technology enables seamless integration of intelligence into a wide range of objects such as packaging and fast-moving consumer goods to help deliver the Internet of Things (IoT) – also known as “smart objects”. This allows organisations to extend intelligence to the edge and item-level.
With advanced manufacturing facilities in the UK, Pragmatic serves the consumer, industrial and healthcare sectors, empowering innovators with design miniaturisation and delivering intelligence at edge and item-level. Their Durham-based Foundry offers sustainable, low carbon manufacturing of 300mm wafers at speed and scale with production cycles of just days. The innovative, optimised fabrication process uses fewer steps than silicon semiconductor production and at lower temperatures, reducing time to market and resulting in a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
From the earliest stages of development, CPI worked alongside Pragmatic Semiconductor as a long‑term partner, providing state‑of‑the‑art facilities, technical expertise and industrial insight. This collaboration helped shape Pragmatic’s manufacturing approach from initial concept to a scalable, resilient production, laying the foundations for today’s high‑volume commercial semiconductor manufacturing.
“CPI’s flexible approach has helped us adapt at each stage as we progressed from lab-scale based R&D through to production at scale using our automated FlexLogic® system innovative, sustainable and modular manufacturing approach. Our relationship with CPI has been crucial to Pragmatic’s development and remains a key part of our strategy for the coming years.”
How CPI helped
- Supported the transformation of the FlexICs production process into an adaptable and scalable manufacturing model.
- Advised on and supported the adoption of a de-risk approach towards product development.
- Provided access to resources and facilities, reducing product development time and manufacturing cost.
- Integrated sustainable‑by‑design principles to reduce energy, water and chemical use in manufacturing.
Achievements
- Accelerated the process from a lab-based concept to high-volume commercial manufacturing.
- Formation of a robust FlexIC production methodology.
- Improved the dependability and efficiency of the FlexIC manufacturing process.
- Established the UK’s largest semiconductor manufacturing facility, strengthening domestic capability, supply chain resilience, and creating high value jobs.
- Supported building investor confidence to secure multiple rounds of private investment by de‑risking manufacturing scale‑up.
Impact
CPI’s long‑term partnership with Pragmatic Semiconductor has helped scale a breakthrough technology into world‑leading, high‑volume semiconductor manufacturing. Together, we have enabled the development of ultra‑thin, flexible integrated circuits that offer a lower‑cost, more sustainable alternative to traditional silicon, now produced commercially at scale.
This collaboration has supported Pragmatic’s growth into a flagship UK deep‑tech manufacturer, attracting major private investment, including a landmark Series D funding round in 2023 of £182 million, the largest ever European semiconductor venture funding round, bringing Pragmatic’s total investment to $388 million.
In 2024, Pragmatic opened Pragmatic Park in Durham, a 59,000‑square‑metre facility developed on a brownfield site and home to the UK’s first 300mm wafer fabrication lines. Now one of the UK’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing sites, it’s creating high‑value jobs, attracting specialist talent to the North East, and strengthening resilience in the UK’s semiconductor supply chain.
Pragmatic’s FlexIC technology is now enabling intelligence to be embedded into trillions of everyday products at scale, bridging our physical and digital worlds while offering a pathway to smarter, more sustainable and resilient supply chains. It also supports Internet of Everything (IoE) applications, enabling the creation of quality data in places where connectivity was previously impossible, fuelling high value opportunities in consumer engagement, brand amplification, circular economy, digital product passports, and supporting the evolution of generative and agentic AI.
For CPI, the collaboration demonstrates how sustained industrial partnership can translate innovation into commercial reality, strengthening UK leadership in sustainable semiconductor manufacturing, supporting supply‑chain resilience, and driving long‑term economic growth.
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