With algorithmic progress overtaking hardware progress, reconfigurables are seen as an important way forward in the design of AI processors if bottlenecks in AI progress are to be avoided.
In the UK we have many of the capabilities needed for this: Arm’s CPU/GPU low-power design expertise, photonics at the unis of Southampton, Cambridge, Aston, Loughborough, Sheffield and Bath, compound in Cardiff and Newport, packaging at NMIS, CIL and INEX, NoC design at Cambridge uni, Imperial and Arm and phase-change materials at Southampton and Edinburgh unis.
HMG will fund a hub where researchers can pool expertise and form interdisciplinary and cross-institutional teams. The government will also fund access to the work at imec and for MPW runs for prototypes.
HMG will retain the licensing rights. I shall be both chairman of the judges and head of the body which licenses designs for manufacturing – both of which roles have brown envelope potential.
I anticipate them generating some agreeable emoluments for Yours Truly
