How to watch the Science and Technology Committee (Commons)

Silicon photonics panel: technology role, markets and link to neuromorphic

Chi Onwurah and 1 other

The second panel introduces silicon photonics as an integrated light‑based technology for low‑energy, high‑bandwidth communications and computing, already deployed in data centres and positioned for edge and AI applications. Witnesses place UK capabilities and industrial history in context, explain early deployment cases, and clarify how photonics underpins or hosts neuromorphic architectures rather than competing standards.

In this chapter

1. Silicon photonics panel: intros and basicsChi Onwurah
2. What is silicon photonics and why it matters for AIFreddie van Mierlo
3. Market readiness, UK history and why stay in BritainFreddie van Mierlo
4. Comparing neuromorphic and photonics; early deploymentFreddie van Mierlo

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Value capture, coordination responsibilities and sovereign neuromorphic ambition

Kit Malthouse and 1 other

Members probe why the UK fails to capture TSMC‑level value from its designs, leading to calls for the UK Semiconductor Centre and government to coordinate foundry access, protect IP, and secure visible end‑use markets. The panel discusses acquisition risks, the limits of current legal protections, the absence of procurement‑led pull‑through, and concludes that current neuromorphic funding is far below what is needed to meet stated sovereign capability ambitions before the session transitions to photonics.

In this chapter

1. Value capture, selling out early and ecosystem buildingKit Malthouse
2. Who should coordinate? Role of UK Semiconductor Centre
3. Race with TSMC and need for visible end‑use marketsKit Malthouse

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UK neuromorphic ecosystem, funding and industrial positioning

Freddie van Mierlo and 3 others

Witnesses assess the UK’s neuromorphic IP base, small‑scale fabrication assets and global foundry access, highlighting gaps in programme coordination, defence pull‑through and commercialisation pathways. The discussion contrasts UK and US investment cultures, examines realistic manufacturing niches and uses SpiNNaker and related efforts to show how existing UK strengths have not been turned into domestic industrial capacity.

In this chapter

1. Political and funding landscape for UK neuromorphic IP
2. Investment culture, valley of death and UK risk appetite
3. Global foundries, sovereignty and UK capability nichesFreddie van Mierlo

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Committee opening and neuromorphic technology foundations

Chi Onwurah Labour

The Chair outlines the inquiry’s focus on low‑energy computing, introduces the neuromorphic witnesses, and they set out core concepts, architectures and material advantages of analogue neuromorphic hardware over conventional digital AI systems. This segment establishes the brain‑inspired memory‑compute model, energy benefits, and key UK technical strengths as the basis for later policy discussion.

In this chapter

1. Chair: inquiry focus and panel introductionsChi Onwurah
2. Analogue neuromorphic computing: Dr Mangoma’s approachChi Onwurah
3. Neuroware IKC and defining neuromorphic computingChi Onwurah

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Frontier technologies, industrial strategy and innovation pipeline

Members probe how frontier AI, quantum and neuromorphic research are linked to manufacturing, skills and industrial strategy, including compute roadmaps and PhD pipelines, and how these choices shape the UK’s end‑to‑end innovation and industrial ecosystem.

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Life sciences governance, OLS role and research funding pressures

Kit Malthouse and 2 others

The committee scrutinises how OLS now coordinates AI‑driven drug discovery, health data and regulators across departments, then interrogates the STFC financial crisis and risks to national facilities, and finally considers UKRI’s internal transformation as it adapts to an AI‑driven research system.

In this chapter

1. Life sciences pipeline, OLS coordination and ministerial capacityKit Malthouse
2. STFC financial crisis and protection of national facilitiesKit Malthouse
3. Transforming UKRI in an AI‑driven science system

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AI taskforce, safety and cross‑government mandates

Allison Gardner and 3 others

MPs question ministers and officials on the AI Taskforce’s mandate, authority and safety remit, then run a rapid‑fire clarification of which departments and bodies own AI legislation, standards, mis/disinformation, deepfakes, cyber and systemic risk, and how digital, data and AI responsibilities are split between DCMS, BIST and GDS.

In this chapter

1. AI taskforce: mandate, levers and safetyAllison Gardner
2. Information defence, AI legislation and AI responsibilities ‘quick fire’Allison Gardner
3. Digital, data and AI responsibilities across DCMS and BISTNigel Huddleston

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Devolution, regional innovation and mid‑TRL gap

Chi Onwurah Labour

The committee examines how new regional innovation funds, UKRI cluster strategies and eligibility rules address geographic imbalances, then explores ownership of the UK’s mid‑TRL ‘valley of death’ and long‑term R&D capability across industrial, defence, innovation and finance institutions.

In this chapter

1. Devolution, regional innovation funding and UKRI clustersChi Onwurah
2. Mid‑TRL ‘valley of death’ and long‑term capabilityChi Onwurah

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Political drivers, stakeholder navigation and business access

Nigel Huddleston and 5 others

Members test whether the breakup of DSIT is politically or policy driven, how tech and digital stakeholders now navigate multiple departments, and whether access has been degraded, including for women in tech and entrepreneurs, before examining the downgrading of ministerial digital coordination structures and implications for backing British business through procurement.

In this chapter

1. Motivations for MOG changes and stakeholder coordinationNigel Huddleston
2. Access for tech sector and support for women in techFeryal Clark
3. Downgrading of digital coordination and committee structuresChi Onwurah
4. Backing British business through procurementMartin Wrigley

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Opening, scrutiny concerns and restructuring rationale

Chi Onwurah and 1 other

The Chair opens the session, raises concerns about weakened scrutiny after DSIT’s abolition, then MPs probe ministers on the strategic vision, trade‑offs and budgets behind the machinery of government changes, pushing for transparency on reorganisation costs and which activities lose resource.

In this chapter

1. Opening and concerns on delayed scrutinyChi Onwurah
2. McDonald and Narayan: vision, trade‑offs and budgets
3. Costs of reorganisation and demand for transparencyChi Onwurah

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