Top Figures from Cadence, Welsh Government, and CSA Catapult Join to Shape Future Growth.
Novomorphic, the semiconductor design company focused on addressing system-level demands in edge AI and next-generation communications, has announced the appointment of Martin McHugh as Chair of the Board. He will be joined by a group of highly experienced Non-Executive Directors representing the firm’s strategic collaborators.
The board combines leadership talent drawn from across the semiconductor landscape, underscoring the strategic priority given to enhancing the UK’s design strength. These appointments highlight the increasing consensus that Britain must bolster its domestic design capabilities in light of global supply chain pressures and rising demand for intelligent technologies.
- Martin McHugh – Chair of the Board, bringing extensive experience in scaling technology companies and building strategic partnerships in high-growth sectors.
- Rebecca Dobson – Corporate Vice President, EMEA, Cadence Design Systems. Dobson leads Cadence’s operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa, for the company whose software tools are used to design the majority of the world’s semiconductors.
- Nick Stork – Fund Manager, Development Bank of Wales, representing the Welsh Government’s investment in the venture. Stork brings deep experience in scaling companies and delivering economic impact from public-private partnerships.
- Debbie Wilkinson – Non-Executive Director, CSA Catapult. Wilkinson’s appointment connects Novomorphic to the broader UK compound semiconductor ecosystem and research community.
The board composition reflects a deliberate strategy: combine commercial semiconductor expertise with government backing and innovation centre connections. This model is designed to address a key national challenge—ensuring UK ventures have both the technical credibility to compete globally and the strategic support to scale domestically.
The formation of the board comes at a critical time. Global demand is rising for semiconductor solutions that combine multiple technologies within tightly integrated systems. Applications in edge AI, intelligent sensing, and next-generation communications increasingly require tight integration of digital processing, analogue signal handling, and high-frequency communications – exactly the system-level approach Novomorphic is developing.
Rebecca Dobson, Corporate Vice President EMEA at Cadence Design Systems, said:
The board will guide Novomorphic’s development of design capabilities that complement Wales’ existing compound semiconductor manufacturing cluster. The region already produces advanced materials for 5G infrastructure, electric vehicles, and power electronics. Novomorphic aims to capture more of the value chain locally through system-level design.
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said:
